Estere 1:1-22
1 Ngemihla yakhe, uAhaswerosi* wayelawula amaphondo ayi-127*+ ukusuka eIndiya ukuya eTiyopiya.*
2 Itrone kaKumkani uAhaswerosi lo, yayikwinqaba* iShushan.*+
3 Kwathi ngonyaka wesithathu wokulawula kwakhe, wenzela zonke iinkosana nabakhonzi bakhe itheko. Phambi kwakhe kwakukho umkhosi wamaPersi+ namaMedi,+ izikhulu neenkosana zamaphondo.*
4 Wazibonisa ubutyebi bobukumkani bakhe obuzukileyo, ubukhulu bakhe nobunewunewu bakhe. Wayenza loo nto iintsuku ezininzi, iintsuku eziyi-180.
5 Ekupheleni kwezo ntsuku, ukumkani wenzela bonke abantu, abakhulu nabancinci, ababekho kwinqaba* iShushan,* itheko leentsuku ezisixhenxe kumyezo wendlu kakumkani.
6 Kwakukho ilinen, umqhaphu wodidi namalaphu aluhlaza* abotshwe ngeentambo zodidi, uboya obumsobo* obukumakhonkco esilivere, iintsika zemabhile, izitulo ezimfuma-mfuma zegolide nesilivere kwindlela eyenziwe ngelitye leporfayire, lemabhile, leperile nelemabhile emnyama.
7 Iwayini yayigalelwa kwiindebe* zegolide; ndebe nganye yahlukile kwenye, newayini yasebukhosini ininzi, kucaca ukuba litheko likakumkani.
8 Kwakunganyanzelwa mntu ukuba abambelele kumthetho wokusela, kuba ukumkani wayethethe namagosa asebukhosini ukuba mntu ngamnye makasele kangangoko efuna.
9 NoKumkanikazi uVashti+ wenzela abafazi itheko kwindlu kaKumkani uAhaswerosi.
10 Ngosuku lwesixhenxe, xa intliziyo kaKumkani uAhaswerosi yayonwatyiswe yiwayini, wathuma uMehuman, uBhizeta, uHarbhona,+ uBhigeta, uAbhageta, uZetare noKarkasi, amagosa asebukhosini asixhenxe awayengoonogada bakhe,
11 esithi mabeze noKumkanikazi uVashti, ethwele iqhiya yasebukhosini, ukuze abonise izizwana neenkosana indlela amhle ngayo, kuba wayeyinzwakazi.
12 Kodwa uKumkanikazi uVashti waqhubeka engavumi ukuza, engawuthobeli umyalelo kakumkani awayewuxelelwe ngamagosa asebukhosini. Loo nto yamcaphukisa kakhulu ukumkani, wafutha ngumsindo.
13 Emva koko ukumkani wathetha nezilumko ezazisazi ukuba kuthiwani kwimicimbi elolu hlobo* (kuba le yayiyindlela owawusiya ngayo umcimbi kakumkani kubo bonke ababewazi umthetho namatyala,
14 kwaye abona babesondele kuye yayinguKarshena, uShetare, uAdemata, uTarshishe, uMeres, uMarsena noMemukan, ababeziinkosana ezisixhenxe+ zamaPersi namaMedi, ababenelungelo lokuthetha nokumkani nababekwizikhundla eziphezulu ebukumkanini).
15 Ukumkani wabuza: “Ngokutsho komthetho, kumele kwenziwe ntoni ngoKumkanikazi uVashti ngenxa yokuba engawuthobelanga umyalelo kaKumkani uAhaswerosi awuthumele ngamagosa akhe?”
16 UMemukan wathi phambi kokumkani neenkosana: “UKumkanikazi uVashti lo akonanga+ kumkani yedwa, kodwa wone zonke iinkosana nazo zonke izizwana ezikuwo onke amaphondo kaKumkani uAhaswerosi.*
17 Kuba le nto yenziwe ngukumkanikazi iza kwaziwa ngabo bonke abafazi, baze babadelele abayeni babo bathi, ‘NoKumkani uAhaswerosi wathi makubizwe uKumkanikazi uVashti, kodwa akafuna ukuza.’
18 Namhlanje oku abafazi beenkosana zasePersi naseMedi abayaziyo into eyenziwe ngukumkanikazi baza kuyithetha le nto kuzo zonke iinkosana zikakumkani, kutsho kubekho indelelo nokucaphuka okuninzi.
19 Ukuba kubonakala kulungile kukumkani, makukhutshwe umyalelo wasebukhosini ovela kukumkani ngenkqu, kubhalwe kwimithetho yamaPersi namaMedi, engenakutshintshwa,+ ukuba uVashti angaphinde eze phambi kukaKumkani uAhaswerosi; kwaye isikhundla sakhe sasebukhosini, ukumkani makasinike umfazi obhetele kunaye.
20 Yaye xa umyalelo kakumkani uviwa ngabo bonke abakummandla wakhe omkhulu, bonke abafazi baza kuba nembeko kubayeni babo, ukususela koyena mkhulu ukuya koyena mncinci.”
21 Eli cebiso lathandwa ngukumkani naziinkosana, waza ukumkani wayenza into eyayithethwe nguMemukan.
22 Wathumela iileta kuwo onke amaphondo aphantsi kobukumkani bakhe,*+ kwiphondo ngalinye ngendlela yalo yokubhala, nakwisizwana ngasinye ngolwimi lwaso, ukuze ndoda nganye ibe yinkosi emzini wayo yaye ithethe ulwimi lwabantu bakowayo.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Kukholelwa ukuba lo nguXerxes I, unyana kaDariyo Omkhulu (uDarius Hystaspis).
^ Okanye “iingingqi eziyi-127.”
^ Okanye “eKushe.”
^ Okanye “yayikwindlu kakumkani.”
^ Okanye “iSusa.”
^ Okanye “zeengingqi.”
^ Okanye “iSusa.”
^ Okanye “kwindlu kakumkani.”
^ Okanye “ablu.”
^ Okanye “obupepuli.”
^ Okanye “ngezitya.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “ezaziwazi amaxesha.”
^ Okanye “ezikuzo zonke iingingqi zikaKumkani uAhaswerosi.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “kuzo zonke iingingqi zikakumkani.”
