U-Esta 1:1-22
1 Le yindaba eyenzakala ezinsukwini zika-Ahasuweru* owayebusa izabelo ezingu-127+ kusukela e-Indiya kusiya eTopiya.*
2 Ngalezonsuku iNkosi u-Ahasuweru yayibusa isesigodlweni sayo eShushani.*+
3 Kwathi ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwayo, yenzela zonke izikhulu zayo kanye lezinceku zayo idili. Kulelodili kwakulebutho lePhesiya+ leMede,+ labahlonitshwa kanye lababusi bezabelo.
4 Inkosi yabatshengisa inotho yombuso wayo okhazimulayo, lobukhulu bawo kanye lobucwazicwazi bobukhosi bayo okwensuku ezinengi, insuku ezingu-180.
5 Insuku lezi zathi seziphelile, inkosi yenzela abantu bonke ababesesigodlweni seShushani* idili, kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu. Idili leli lathatha amalanga ayisikhombisa njalo lenzelwa egcekeni lesivande sesigodlo senkosi.
6 Isivande leso sasiceciswe ngamakhetheni amhlophe laluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka. Ayebotshwe ngentambo ezenziwe ngamalembu amhlophe lelineni eyibubende* njalo elengiswe ngamaringi esiliva ezinsikeni zamatshe amibalabala. Igceke lakhona lalilamasofa egolide lawesiliva njalo phansi lalilungiswe ngelitshe elibomvu okuthiwa yiphofiri, lamatshe alemibalabala, lamaphareli kanye lamatshe amnyama alamabala amhlotshana.
7 Iwayini lalinathwa ngamankomitsho egolide* njalo wonke ayeyimihlobo etshiyeneyo. Iwayini lesikhosini lalilinengi kakhulu kuzikhanyela ukuthi inkosi inothile.
8 Kwakubekwe umlayo wokuthi akulamuntu okwakufanele atshelwe ukuthi anathe okunganani ngoba inkosi yayikhulume leziphathamandla zesigodlo sayo ukuthi umuntu ngamunye azenzele santando.
9 INdlovukazi uVashithi+ layo yayenzele abesifazana idili endlini yeNkosi* u-Ahasuweru.
10 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, inkosi yathi isilisuthi iwayini, inhliziyo yayo isichelesile, yakhuluma loMehumani, loBhizitha, loHaribhona,+ loBhigitha, lo-Abhagitha, loZethari, loKharikhasi, iziphathamandla zesikhosini eziyisikhombisa ezaziyizinceku zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru.
11 Yathi zilethe indlovukazi yayo uVashithi igqoke umqhele wobukhosi ukuze izotshengisa abantu lezikhulu ubuhle bayo ngoba yayiyisiqamulamayezi.
12 Kodwa iNdlovukazi uVashithi yayilokhu isala ukuya enkosini njalo ayiwulalelanga umlayo wenkosi eyayiwutshelwe yiziphathamandla zesikhosini. Inkosi yazonda yadla amalahle, yafuthelana ngolaka.
13 Ngakho inkosi yakhuluma lamadoda ayehlakaniphile layezwisisa ukuthi indaba ezinjalo ziphathwa njani. (Phela kuzo zonke izindaba zayo yayicebisana labo bonke ababewazi umthetho kanye lokwahlulela.
14 Ababeseduze kwayo kwakunguKharishena, loShethari, lo-Adimatha, loThashishi, loMeresi, loMasena, loMemukani, izikhulu eziyisikhombisa+ zePhesiya leMede. Amadoda la ayelemvumo yokuya enkosini njalo ayelezikhundla eziphezulu embusweni.)
15 Inkosi yabuza yathi: “Umthetho uthi kwenziweni ngeNdlovukazi uVashithi ngoba ayiwulalelanga umlayo weNkosi u-Ahasuweru ewutshelwe yiziphathamandla zesikhosini?”
16 UMemukani wakhuluma phambi kwenkosi lezikhulu wathi: “INdlovukazi uVashithi kayiphambaniselanga inkosi kuphela,+ kodwa iphambanisele zonke izikhulu labo bonke abantu kuzo zonke izabelo zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru.
17 Phela wonke amakhosikazi azathi esizwa lokho okwenziwe yiNdlovukazi uVashithi adelele omkawo esithi, ‘INkosi u-Ahasuweru layo yabiza iNdlovukazi uVashithi kodwa yala.’
18 Lamuhla wonke amakhosazana ePhesiya leMede akwaziyo lokho okwenziwe yindlovukazi azakhuluma lazo zonke izikhulu zenkosi, besekugcwala ukudelela lentukuthelo.
19 Yikho nxa kulungile enkosini, akubekwe umthetho esigodlweni, ubusubhalwa phansi emithethweni yePhesiya leMede engeke itshintshwe;+ umthetho wokuthi uVashithi angasaqali ukuza phambi kweNkosi u-Ahasuweru. Inkosi kayimthathele isikhundla sakhe sesikhosini siphiwe owesifazana ongcono kulaye.
20 Nxa umlayo wenkosi usufikile kuzo zonke izindawo ezisembusweni wayo omkhulu, wonke amakhosikazi azahlonipha omkawo kusukela komncane kusiya komkhulu.”
21 Icebo leli layithokozisa inkosi lezikhulu zayo futhi yakwenza okwakukhulunywe nguMemukani.
22 Yikho-ke yathumela izincwadi kuzo zonke izabelo zombuso,+ isabelo ngasinye sabhalelwa ngendlela yaso yokuloba, abantu bonke babhalelwa ngezindimi zabo. Batshelwa ukuthi wonke amadoda kumele abuse emizini yawo njalo akhulume ngolimi lwawo lomdabuko.
Amabala angaphansi
^ Kucatshangelwa ukuthi lo ngu-Xerxes I, indodana kaDariyu Omkhulu (uDarius Hystaspis).
^ Kumbe, “eKhushi.”
^ Kumbe, “enqabeni yeSusa.”
^ Kumbe, “enqabeni yeSusa.”
^ NgesiNgisi umbala oyibubende yi-purple.
^ Kumbe, “ngezitsha zegolide.”
^ Kumbe, “esigodlweni seNkosi.”
