1-3. (a) Nei Esteri angave akatyiswa nekuenda kunoona murume wake? (b) Tichakurukura mibvunzo ipi ine chokuita naEsteri?

ESTERI akaedza kudzikamisa hana yake sezvaaisvika pedyo nechivanze cheimba yamambo yaiva muShushani. Zvakanga zvisiri nyore. Zvose zvine chokuita neimba yacho zvainge zvakagadzirirwa kuti zvityise—zvifananidzo zvayo zvine mavara akawanda-wanda zvenzombe dzine mapapiro, vanhu vanopfura neuta, uye shumba dzakagadzirwa nezvidhinha zvinopenya, mbiru dzayo dzematombo uye zviumbwa zvihombe, kunyange payaiva pacho panzvimbo yakakwirira pedyo neMakomo eZagros anogara akafukidzwa nechando uye pawaigona kuona mvura yakachena yerwizi rwaChoaspes. Zvose izvi zvaiva zvekuyeuchidza mushanyi mumwe nemumwe nezvesimba guru remurume ainoonekwa naEsteri, uyo aizviti “mambo mukuru.” Aivawo murume wake.

² Murume wake? Ahashivheroshi akanga akasiyana zvikuru nemurume angangodaro aitarisirwa nemusikana wechiJudha akatendeka chero upi zvake! * Aisaedza kutevedzera mienzaniso yakadai saAbrahamu, murume akabvuma nokuzvininipisa murayiro waMwari wokuti ateerere Sara, mudzimai wake. (Gen. 21:12) Mambo wacho aiziva zvishoma kana kusatomboziva nezvaMwari waEsteri, Jehovha, kana nezveMutemo Wake. Zvisinei, Ahashivheroshi aiziva mutemo wePezhiya, kusanganisira mutemo wairambidza zvakanga zvava kuda kuitwa naEsteri. Aida kuitei? Mutemo wacho waiti chero ani zvake aimira pamberi pamambo wePezhiya asina kutanga adanwa namambo aifanira kufa. Esteri ainge asina kushevedzwa, asi aingoenda kuna mambo zvakadaro. Zvaaiswedera pedyo nechivanze chemukati, maaigona kuonekwa nemunhu ari pachigaro chamambo, angangodaro akafunga kuti aifamba akananga kwamupfiganebwe.—Verenga Esteri 4:11; 5:1.

³ Akazviisirei pamutanhiko zvakadaro? Uye tingadzidzei pakutenda kwemukadzi uyu anoshamisa? Kutanga, ngationei kuti akava sei pachinzvimbo chaisawanikwa nemunhu wese wese chekuva mambokadzi muPezhiya.

4. Zvii zvatinoziva nezvaEsteri uye akasvika sei pakugara nehanzvadzi yake Modhekai?

⁴ Esteri aiva nherera. Hatina zvakawanda zvatinoziva nezvevabereki vakamutumidza kuti Hadhasa, shoko rechiHebheru rinoreva kamuti kanoyevedza kanotumbuka maruva machena. Vabereki vaEsteri pavakafa, imwe hama yake, murume aiva nemutsa ainzi Modhekai, ndiye akamuchengeta. Modhekai aiva mwana wababamukuru vaEsteri asi aiva mukuru zvikuru kuna Esteri. Akaunza Esteri mumusha make uye akamubata semwanasikana wake chaiye.—Est. 2:5-7, 15.

5, 6. (a) Modhekai akarera Esteri sei? (b) Esteri naModhekai vairarama upenyu hwakaita sei muShushani?

⁵ Modhekai naEsteri vaigara sevatorwa vechiJudha muguta guru rePezhiya, mavangadaro vaizvidzwa nemhaka yechitendero chavo kana kuti Mutemo wavaiedza kutevera. Asi zvechokwadi Esteri akasvika pakuva pedyo nehanzvadzi yake sezvayaimudzidzisa nezvaJehovha, Mwari ane ngoni akanga anunura vanhu Vake kubva mumatambudziko kakawanda munguva yakanga yapfuura uye aizoita kudaro zvakare. (Revh. 26:44, 45) Zviri pachena kuti Esteri naModhekai vakava tsika nditsikewo.

⁶ Zvinoita sekuti Modhekai aiva nechinzvimbo paimba yamambo yaiva muShushani, achiwanzogara pagedhi rayo, pamwe chete nevamwe vashandi vamambo. (Est. 2:19, 21; 3:3) Kuti Esteri aiitei paaiva muduku hatizivi, asi kunenge kuti ainyatsotarisira hanzvadzi yake nemusha wayo, uyo ungangodaro waiva kunzvimbo yakati dererei yaiva mhiri kwerwizi kubva kuimba yamambo. Zvimwe ainakidzwa nekuenda kumusika waiva muShushani, uko vagadziri vezvinhu zvegoridhe uye zvesirivha nevamwe vatengesi vaiisa zvinhu zvavo pachena kuti zvionekwe nevatengi. Esteri aisagona kufungidzira kuti zvinhu zveumbozha zvakadaro zvaizova saruraude kwaari; aisaziva kuti ramangwana rake rainge rakaita sei.

7. Vhashti akabvisirwei pakuva mambokadzi uye zvakaguma nei?

⁷ Rimwe zuva, muShushani makanga muzere runyerekupe rwedambudziko raiva  mumba mamambo. Ahashivheroshi akaitira varume vake vanokudzwa mutambo mukuru wezvekudya newaini zvemhando yepamusoro, mambo wacho ndokusarudza kudana mambokadzi wake aiva tsvarakadenga, Vhashti, uyo aiitawo mutambo nevakadzi. Asi Vhashti akaramba kuuya. Anyadziswa uye ashatirwa kwazvo, mambo akabvunza vanachipangamazano vake kuti Vhashti aifanira kurangwa sei. Zvakaguma nei? Akabviswa pakuva mambokadzi. Vashandi vamambo vakatanga kutsvaka mhandara dzechiduku dzaiva tsvarakadenga munyika yose; uye mambo aizosarudza mambokadzi mutsva kubva pakati padzo.—Est. 1:1–2:4.

8. (a) Nei Modhekai angave aiti netsekei nezvaEsteri sezvaaikura? (b) Unofunga kuti tingashandisa sei zvinotaurwa neBhaibheri nezverunako rwechitarisiko? (Onawo Zvirevo 31:30.)

⁸ Tinogona kufungidzira Modhekai achitarisa Esteri nguva nenguva achidada naye asi panguva imwe chete achinetseka kuti kahanzvadzi kake kakanga kakura—uye kakanga kava katsvarakadenga chaiko. Tinoverenga kuti, “Musikana wacho aiva nechimiro chakanaka nechitarisiko chakanaka.” (Est. 2:7) Bhaibheri rinoratidza kuti munhu ane chitarisiko chakanaka anofanirawo kuva akachenjera uye anozvininipisa. Zvikasadaro, anogona kupedzisira ava kuzvikudza uye kudada. (Verenga Zvirevo 11:22.) Izvozvo wakambozvionawo here? Runako rwaEsteri rwaizomubatsira here kana kuti rwaizoita kuti azvikudze? Zvaizoonekwa nekufamba kwenguva.

9. (a) Chii chakaitika vashandi vamambo pavakaona Esteri, uye nei kuparadzana kwake naModhekai kwaifanira kunge kwakaoma? (b) Nei Modhekai akabvumira kuti Esteri aroorwe nemuhedheni? (Batanidza nebhokisi.)

⁹ Vashandi vamambo vakaona Esteri. Vakamutora kubva kuna Modhekai ndokuenda naye kuimba yamambo yaiva mhiri kwerwizi. (Est. 2:8) Zvaifanira kunge zvakaoma kuti vaparadzane nokuti vaviri ava vaiita kunge baba nemwanasikana. Modhekai haaizoda kuti mwanasikana wake wokurera aroorwe nemunhu asinganamati Jehovha, kunyange mambo, asi aisakwanisa kudzora zvaiitika. * Esteri anofanira kunge akanyatsoteerera mazano aModhekai asati atorwa. Sezvaaiendeswa kunhare yeShushani, mupfungwa dzake mainge muzere mibvunzo. Aizorarama upenyu hwerudzii?

10, 11. (a) Nei zvaiva nyore kuti Esteri akanganiswe nemamiriro ezvinhu aakanga ava maari? (b) Modhekai akaratidza sei kuti aiva nehanya nokugara zvakanaka kwaEsteri?

¹⁰ Upenyu hwaEsteri hwakanga hwachinja zvachose. Aiva mumwe we“vasikana vakawanda” vakanga vaunganidzwa kubva  mumativi mana eUmambo hwePezhiya. Tsika dzavo, mitauro yavo uye maitiro avo zvaifanira kunge zvakasiyana zvikuru. Zvavakaiswa pasi pemukuru mukuru ainzi Hegai, vasikana vacho vaifanira kupinda muchirongwa chekuzvitsvindisa chaitora gore, chaisanganisira kukwizwa nemafuta anonhuwirira. (Est. 2:8, 12) Upenyu hwakadai hungadai hwakaita kuti vamwe vevasikana ivavo vanyanye kukoshesa chitarisiko chavo, vazvikudze uye vakwikwidzane. Izvi zvakaitei kuna Esteri?

¹¹ Hapana mumwe munhu panyika angadaro ainetseka nezvaEsteri kupfuura Modhekai. Tinoverenga kuti zuva nezuva aienda pedyo neimba yevakadzi sezvaaigona ndokuedza kuziva kuti Esteri ainge akadini. (Est. 2:11) Modhekai anofanira kunge ainzwa kudada zvikuru pose apo mumwe munhu, zvichida mushandi wemumba mamambo, aimuudza nezvaEsteri. Nemhaka yei?

12, 13. (a) Vaiona Esteri vaiita sei? (b) Nei Modhekai aizofadzwa nokuziva kuti Esteri akanga asina kutaura kuti aiva muJudha?

 ¹² Hegai akafadzwa zvikuru naEsteri zvokuti akamuitira mutsa worudo mukuru, akamupa vashandikadzi vanomwe nenzvimbo yakanaka kwazvo muimba yevakadzi. Nhoroondo yacho inototi: “Nguva yose iyi Esteri aingoramba achinzwirwa nyasha nomunhu wose aimuona.” (Est. 2:9, 15) Runako rwoga ndirwo rwaizoita kuti munhu wose afadzwe zvikuru kudaro here? Kwete, vanhu vaisangomufarira chete nemhaka yerunako rwake.

¹³ Somuenzaniso, tinoverenga kuti: “Esteri akanga asina kutaura nezvevanhu vake kana nezvehama dzake, nokuti Modhekai akanga amurayira kuti asataura.” (Est. 2:10) Modhekai akanga audza Esteri kuti asataura kuti aiva muJudha nokuti aiziva kuti vanhu vake vaisarurwa zvikuru mumhuri youmambo hwePezhiya.  Zvakamufadza zvikuru kuziva kuti iye zvino, kunyange zvazvo ainge asisamuoni, Esteri akanga achiri kuratidza kuti akachenjera uye kuti aiteerera!

14. Vechiduku mazuva ano vangatevedzera sei muenzaniso waEsteri?

¹⁴ Vechiduku mazuva ano vanogonawo kufadza mwoyo yevabereki vavo uye yevanhu vanovachengeta. Pavanenge vasingaonekwi nevabereki vavo, kunyange pavanenge vakapoteredzwa nevanhu vasina njere, vasina unhu kana kuti vane utsinye, vanogona kudzivisa pfungwa dzakaipa voramba vachiita zvavanoziva kuti zvakarurama. Pavanoita izvozvo, kufanana naEsteri, vanofadza mwoyo waBaba vavo vekudenga.—Verenga Zvirevo 27:11.

15, 16. (a) Sei Esteri akadiwa namambo? (b) Nei kuchinja kwakaitika muupenyu hwaEsteri kungangodaro kwainge kwakaoma?

¹⁵ Pakasvika nguva yokuti Esteri aendeswe kuna mambo, akapiwa rusununguko rwokuti asarudze chero zvinhu zvaaifunga kuti angada, pamwe kuti awedzere kuzvitsvindisa. Zvisinei, achiratidza kuva nemwero, haana kukumbira chimwe chinhu kunze kwezvaakanga audzwa naHegai. (Est. 2:15) Zvichida akaziva kuti runako rwoga rwaisazoita kuti atore mwoyo wamambo; kuva nemwero uye kuzvininipisa kwaizova kunokosha zvikuru muimba iyoyo. Ainge akarurama here?

¹⁶ Nhoroondo yacho inopindura kuti: “Mambo akada Esteri kupfuura vamwe vakadzi vose, zvokuti akanzwirwa nyasha nokuitirwa mutsa worudo pamberi pake kupfuura dzimwe mhandara dzose. Akabva aisa chishongo chomusoro choumambo mumusoro make, akamuita mambokadzi panzvimbo paVhashti.” (Est. 2:17) Zvinofanira kunge zvakaomera musikana uyu wechiJudha aizvininipisa kuti ajairane nokuchinja kwakanga kwaita upenyu hwake. Ndiye akanga ava mambokadzi mutsva, mudzimai wamambo aiva nesimba kupfuura vose panyika panguva iyoyo! Chinzvimbo chake chitsva chakaita kuti azvikudze here? Kwete!

17. (a) Esteri akaramba achiteerera baba vake vokurera munzira dzipi? (b) Nei muenzaniso waEsteri uchikosha kwatiri mazuva ano?

¹⁷ Esteri akaramba achiteerera baba vake vekurera, Modhekai. Haana kumbobvira abudisa pachena kuti aiva neukama nevanhu vechiJudha. Uyezve, Modhekai paakafumura urongwa hwokuuraya Ahashivheroshi, Esteri akateerera zvaakaudzwa naModhekai ndokunyevera mambo, vanhu vacho ndokubva vaurayiwa. (Est. 2:20-23) Akaratidzawo kutenda muna Mwari wake nokuzvininipisa uye nokuteerera. Zvinokosha zvikuru kwatiri mazuva ano kuti titevedzere muenzaniso waEsteri nokuti vanhu vakawanda havakoshesi kuteerera, panzvimbo pezvo vanopandukira! Asi vanhu vane kutenda kwechokwadi vanokoshesa kuteerera sezvaiita Esteri.

18. (a) Nei Modhekai angangodaro akaramba kukotamira Hamani? (Onawo mashoko omuzasi.) (b) Varume nevakadzi vane kutenda mazuva ano vanotevedzera sei muenzaniso waModhekai?

¹⁸ Murume ainzi Hamani akapiwa chinzvimbo chepamusoro mumuzinda waAhashivheroshi. Mambo akagadza Hamani kuti ave mukuru wemakurukota, achimuita kuti ave chipangamazano wake mukuru uye mutevedzeri wake. Mambo akatorayira kuti vese vaiona Hamani vaifanira kumukotamira. (Est. 3:1-4) Mutemo iwoyo wakakonzera dambudziko kuna Modhekai. Aida kuteerera mambo asi kwete pazvaiita kuti asaremekedze Mwari. Hamani aiva muAgagi. Zviri pachena kuti izvozvo zvinoreva kuti aiva muzukuru waAgagi, mambo wevaAmareki akaurayiwa nemuprofita waMwari Samueri. (1 Sam. 15:33) VaAmareki vainge vakaipa zvikuru zvekuti vakanga vazviita vavengi vaJehovha naIsraeri. Serudzi, vaAmareki vakanga vasingafarirwi naMwari. * (Dheut. 25:19) MuJudha akatendeka aizokotamira sei muAmareki? Modhekai aisazodaro. Akatsika madziro. Nanhasi, varume nevakadzi vakatendeka vari kuisa upenyu hwavo pangozi kuti vateerere nheyo iyi yekuti: “Tinofanira kuteerera Mwari somutongi panzvimbo pevanhu.”—Mab. 5:29.

19. Hamani aida kuitei, uye akanyengetedza sei mambo?

¹⁹ Hamani akatsamwa kwazvo. Asi zvainge zvisina kukwana kwaari kuti awane nzira yekuuraya Modhekai. Aida kutsakatisa vanhu vose vaModhekai! Hamani akanyengetedza mambo nekutaura zvakaipa nezvevaJudha vacho. Asingatauri kuti vanhu vacho vaiva vapi, Hamani akapa pfungwa yekuti vainge vasingakoshi kuna mambo, vanhu “vakapararira uye vakasiyana nemarudzi.” Chakatonyanya kuipa ndechokuti akati vaisateerera mitemo yamambo; nokudaro, vainge vari vapanduki vane ngozi zvikuru. Akati aizoisa mari yakawanda munochengeterwa pfuma yamambo kuti ishandiswe kubhadhara zvaidiwa pakuuraya vaJudha vose vaiva muumambo hwacho. * Ahashivheroshi akapa Hamani rin’i yamambo ine chidhindo kuti asimbise chero murayiro waaifunga nezvawo.—Est. 3:5-10.

20, 21. (a) Chiziviso chaHamani chakaita kuti vaJudha vaiva muUmambo hwese hwePezhiya, kusanganisira Modhekai, vanzwe sei? (b) Modhekai akateterera Esteri kuti aitei?

²⁰ Pasina nguva, nhume dzainge dzava kumhanya dziri pamabhiza dzakananga kumativi mana eumambo hwacho, dzichiendesa  mashoko akaita semutongo werufu wakapiwa vanhu vechiJudha. Fungidzira zvakakonzerwa nechiziviso ichocho pachakasvika kuJerusarema, uko vaJudha vainge vadzoka vachibva kuBhabhironi vaitamburira kuvakazve guta rakanga risati rava nemasvingo ekuridzivirira. Zvimwe Modhekai akafunga nezvavo, uyewo nezveshamwari dzake nehama dzaiva muShushani, paakanzwa mashoko aya anotyisa. Ashungurudzika, akabvarura nguo dzake, akapfeka masaga, ndokuisa madota mumusoro make, uye akachema kwazvo ari pakati peguta. Zvisinei, Hamani akagara pasi achinwa namambo, asingakendengi nezvekushungurudzika kwaainge akonzera pavaJudha vakawanda neshamwari dzavo muShushani.—Verenga Esteri 3:12–4:1.

²¹ Modhekai akaziva kuti aifanira kuita chimwe chinhu. Asi chii chaaizogona kuita? Esteri akanzwa nezvekushungurudzika kwake ndokumutumira mbatya, asi Modhekai akaramba kunyaradzwa. Zvimwe akanga ava nenguva achinetseka kuti nei Mwari wake, Jehovha, akanga abvumira kuti Esteri waaida atorwe ndokuitwa mambokadzi wemutongi wechihedheni. Iye zvino chikonzero chacho chaiita sechakanga chava kubuda pachena. Modhekai akatumira mashoko kuna mambokadzi, achiteterera Esteri kuti ataure namambo, kuti adzivirire ‘vanhu vaEsteri.’—Est. 4:4-8.

22. Nei Esteri aitya kuenda kumurume wake, mambo? (Onawo mashoko omuzasi.)

 ²² Esteri anofanira kunge akanetseka zvikuru paakanzwa mashoko iwayo. Uyu waiva muedzo wake mukurusa wokutenda. Aitya, sezvaakaratidza pachena mumhinduro yaakapa Modhekai. Akayeuchidza Modhekai nezvemutemo wamambo. Munhu aienda kunoona mambo asina kushevedzwa aitongerwa rufu. Munhu wacho airega kuurayiwa kana chete mambo amutambanudzira tsvimbo yake yendarama. Uye Esteri aiva nechikonzero chero chipi zvacho here chokutarisira kunzwirwa ngoni dzakadaro, kunyanya tichifunga zvakaitika kuna Vhashti paakanga aramba kuita zvainge zvarayirwa namambo kuti auye? Esteri akaudza Modhekai kuti akanga ava nemazuva 30 asati ashevedzwa kuti aone mambo! Sezvo akanga ava nenguva refu kudaro asina kushevedzwa, akanetseka zvikuru kana mambo akanga achinja pfungwa dzake uye asisamufariri. *—Est. 4:9-11.

23. (a) Modhekai akatii kuti asimbise kutenda kwaEsteri? (b) Nei zvakakodzera kutevedzera Modhekai?

²³ Modhekai akapindura zvakasimba kuti asimbise kutenda kwaEsteri. Akaita kuti Esteri azive kuti kana aizotadza kumira-mira, ruponeso rwevaJudha rwaizobva kumwe. Asi aizotarisira sei kuponeswa kana kutambudzwa kwacho kwava kunyatsotsviriridza? Pano Modhekai akaratidza kutenda kwake kwakasimba muna Jehovha, uyo aisazomborega vanhu vake vachitsakatiswa uye zvipikirwa zvake zvisingazadziswi. (Josh. 23:14) Modhekai akabva abvunza Esteri kuti: “Ndiani anoziva kana wakava vahosi nokuda kwenguva yakaita seino?” (Est. 4:12-14) Hazvina kukodzera kuti titevedzere Modhekai here?  Aivimba zvakazara naMwari wake, Jehovha. Ndizvo zvatinoitawo here?—Zvir. 3:5, 6.

24. Esteri akaratidza sei kutenda uye ushingi?

²⁴ Nguva yokuti Esteri aite chisarudzo yakanga yasvika. Akakumbira Modhekai kuti aite kuti vanhu vokwake vabatane naye pakutsanya kwemazuva matatu, achigumisa nemashoko anoratidza kutenda uye ushingi okuti: “Kana ndikaparara, ngandiparare hangu.” (Est. 4:15-17) Anofanira kunge akanyengetera nemwoyo wose mumazuva matatu iwayo zvaainge asati amboita muupenyu hwake. Zvisinei, pakupedzisira nguva yacho yakasvika. Akapfeka nguo dzake dzakanakisisa dzeumambokadzi, achibva aita zvose zvaaikwanisa kuti afadze mambo. Akabva aenda kuna mambo.

25. Rondedzera zvakaitika Esteri paakamira pamberi pemurume wake.

²⁵ Sezvarondedzerwa kwatangira chitsauko chino, Esteri akaenda kuimba yamambo. Tinogona kungofungidzira achinetseka mupfungwa uye achinyengetera nechemumwoyo. Akapinda muchivanze, maaigona kuona Ahashivheroshi ari pachigaro chake choumambo. Zvimwe akaedza kuongorora zvakanga zvakaita chiso chamambo. Kudai aifanira kumirira, zvinofanira kunge zvakaita segore chairo. Asi nguva yacho yakapfuura uye murume wake akamuona. Zvechokwadi murume wacho akashamiswa, asi chiso chake chakanyevenuka. Akatambanudza tsvimbo yake youmambo yendarama!—Est. 5:1, 2.

26. Nei vaKristu vechokwadi vachifanira kuva noushingi sehwaEsteri, uye nei kwaingova kutanga kwebasa rake?

²⁶ Mambo aida kuteerera Esteri. Esteri akatsigira Mwari wake nevanhu vekwake, achisiyira muenzaniso wakanaka wokutenda kuvashumiri vose vaMwari kusvikira nhasi. VaKristu vechokwadi mazuva ano vanokoshesa mienzaniso yakadaro. Jesu akataura kuti vateveri vake vechokwadi vaizozivikanwa nerudo rwekuzvipira. (Verenga Johani 13:34, 35.) Kuratidza rudo rwakadaro kunowanzoda ushingi sehwaEsteri. Asi kunyange pashure pekunge Esteri atsigira vanhu vaMwari musi iwoyo, kwaingova kutanga kwebasa rake. Aizoita sei kuti mambo abvume kuti chipangamazano wake waaida zvikuru, Hamani, aiva munhu anoronga mazano akaipa? Aizoitei kuti aponese vanhu vokwake? Tichakurukura mibvunzo iyi muchitsauko chinotevera.