Estere 5:1-14
5 Ngosuku lwesithathu+ uEstere wanxiba izambatho zasebukhosini waza wema kwibala elingaphakathi, elingqamene nendlu kakumkani, ngoxa ukumkani wayehleli etroneni yakhe engqamene nomnyango.
2 Wathi ukumkani akumbona uKumkanikazi uEstere emi ebaleni elingaphakathi, wavuya, kangangokuba wolulela intonga yasebukhosini yegolide+ awayeyiphethe ngakuEstere. UEstere ke wasondela waza wachukumisa umphezulu wale ntonga.
3 Ukumkani wambuza: “Ukhathazwa yintoni Kumkanikazi Estere? Ucela ntoni? Nokuba ungacela ihafu yobukumkani bam, uza kuyinikwa!”
4 UEstere wathi: “Ukuba kuhle kukumkani, ukumkani makeze noHaman+ namhlanje esidlweni endimlungiselele sona.”
5 Ukumkani wathi kumadoda akhe: “Xelelani uHaman akhawuleze eze apha, ngokwesicelo sikaEstere.” Ngoko ukumkani noHaman baya kwisidlo esasilungiselelwe nguEstere.
6 Xa babesela iwayini, ukumkani wathi kuEstere: “Yintoni oyidingayo? Uza kuyifumana! Ucela ntoni? Nokuba ungacela ihafu yobukumkani bam, uza kuyinikwa!”+
7 UEstere wathi: “Eyona nto ndiyidingayo nendiyicelayo kukuba,
8 ukuba ukumkani uyandithanda yaye kulungile kukumkani ukuba andinike into endiyicelayo nendiyifunayo, ndicela ukumkani noHaman beze kwisidlo endiza kubalungiselela sona ngomso; kwaye ngomso ndiza kwenza njengokuba ukumkani esitsho.”
9 Ngaloo mini uHaman waphuma evuya nentliziyo ichwayitile. Kodwa xa uHaman wabona uMordekayi+ egeyithini kakumkani, waqaphela nokuba akakhange aphakame, engakhange angcangcazele xa embona, waba nomsindo.
10 Kodwa wazibamba waza wagoduka. Emva koko wathumela ukuba kubizwe abahlobo bakhe noZereshe+ umfazi wakhe.
11 UHaman waqhayisa ngobutyebi bakhe obuninzi, ngoonyana bakhe+ abaninzi, ngokunyuselwa kwakhe isikhundla nangokuphakanyiswa kwakhe ngaphezu kweenkosana nezicaka zikakumkani.+
12 Waphinda wathi uHaman: “Kanti ke akuphelelanga apho, uKumkanikazi uEstere umeme mna ndedwa ukuba ndiye nokumkani kwisidlo abesilungiselele.+ Nangomso ke undimemile ukuba ndibe kunye naye nokumkani.+
13 Kodwa yonke le nto ayindixolisi ndisabona laa mYuda unguMordekayi ehleli egeyithini kakumkani.”
14 Ngoko uZereshe umfazi wakhe nabo bonke abahlobo bakhe bathi kuye: “Yithi makumiswe isibonda esiziikubhite eziyi-50* ukuphakama. Uze ke kusasa uxelele ukumkani ukuba uMordekayi ufanele axhonywe kuso.+ Emva koko uyokonwabela isidlo nokumkani.” UHaman walithanda eli cebo, waza wathi makumiswe isibonda.
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Malunga ne-22,3 m. Funda Isihlomelo B14.
