U-Esta 8 - iBhayibhili Elingcwele 1978

AbaJuda bavunyelwa ukuzilwela

¹ Ngalolosuku inkosi uAhasuweru yanika inkosikazi uEsta indlu kaHamani isitha sabaJuda. UMoridekayi weza phambi kwenkosi ngoba uEsta wayeseyitshelile ukuzalana kwabo.

² Inkosi yasikhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo eyayiyithathele uHamani, yayinika uMoridekayi. UEsta wabeka uMoridekayi ukuba aphathe indlu kaHamani.

³ UEsta wasebuya ekhuluma lenkosi, waziwisela ngasenyaweni zayo ekhala inyembezi eyincenga ukuba ivimbele ububi obabenziwe nguHamani waseAgagi, ifilise icebo lakhe ngabaJuda.

⁴ Inkosi yasiselulela intonga yobukhosi yegolide kuEsta, yena wasukuma wema phambi kwayo,

⁵ wathi: Uba kuyithokozisa inkosi, uba ngifumene umusa emehlweni ayo, uba lokhu engikutshoyo kulungile enkosini, uba ngingamukeleka kuyo, kakulotshwe umthetho ozabuyisa incwadi ezakhutshwa nguHamani indodana kaHamedatha waseAgagi ngecebo lakhe lokubhubhisa abaJuda kuwo wonke amazwe enkosi.

⁶ Ngoba ngingakumela kanjani ukubona ububi obuzayo busehlela isizwe sakithi na? Ngingakuthwala kanjani ukubona ukubhujiswa kwendlu yakwethu na?

⁷ Inkosi uAhasuweru yasisithi enkosikazini uEsta lakuMoridekayi umJuda: UEsta sengimnike indlu kaHamani, loHamani uselengisiwe ogodweni ngoba wasongela ukubulala abaJuda.

⁸ Lingaloba ngokuthanda kwenu ngabaJuda ebizweni lenkosi, likunameke ngophawu lwenkosi, ngoba umthetho olotshwe ngebizo lenkosi wananyekwa ngophawu lwayo kawulakudilizwa.

⁹ Ngakho ngosuku lwamatshumi amabili lantathu lwenyanga yesithathu ethiwa nguSivani kwabizwa ababhali benkosi; kwalotshwa umthetho kubaJuda, njengokutsho kukaMoridekayi, lasezikhulwini lakubabusi lakuziphathamandla zamazwe kusukela eIndiya kuze kufike eEtiyopiya, amazwe alikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa, kuwo wonke ngokugwala kwawo lakubo bonke abantu ngolimi lwabo, futhi lakubaJuda ngokugwala kwabo langolimi lwabo.

¹⁰ Umthetho walotshwa ebizweni lenkosi uAhasuweru, wananyekwa ngophawu lwakhe lobukhosi; izincwadi zathunyelwa ngezigijimi ezigade amabhiza avela ezitebeleni zenkosi.

¹¹ Ngalezincwadi inkosi yanika imvumo kubaJuda abasemizini yonke ukuba bahlangane bazivikele, babhubhise babulale baqede yonke impi yabantu loba ilizwe elibahlaseleyo, babulale labesifazana labantwana, baphange lempahla zabo,

¹² kuwo wonke amazwe enkosi uAhasuweru ngasuku lunye, ngosuku lwetshumi lantathu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili ethiwa nguAdari.

¹³ Lokho okulotshiweyo kakumenyezelwe kuwo wonke amazwe lakubo bonke abantu, ukuba abaJuda bazilungisele lolusuku ukuphindisela ezitheni zabo.

¹⁴ Izigijimi zigade amabhiza enkosi zakhutshwa masinyane ngomlayo wenkosi ngokuphangisa, lomthetho wamenyezelwa eSusa umuzi omkhulu.

¹⁵ UMoridekayi wasuka phambi kwenkosi egqoke izambatho zobukhosi ezilombala oyibubende lomhlophe, ethwele umqhele omkhulu wegolide, egqoke lesambatho selembu elihle eliyibubende; umuzi waseSusa wamemeza ngokuthokoza;

¹⁶ kubaJuda balapho kwasekukhona ukukhanya lokuthokoza lokujabula lodumo.

¹⁷ Kuwo wonke amazwe lakuyo yonke imizi okwafinyelela kuyo umthetho wenkosi lesimemezelo sayo kwaba khona ukuthokoza lokujabula kubaJuda, lamadili, losuku lokuphumula. Abantu abanengi belizwe bazibiza ngokuthi bangabaJuda ngenxa yokwesaba abaJuda.