Esta 1:1-22
1 Nje-ke emihleni ka-Arhatjhiverotjhi,* okungu-Arhatjhiverotjhi obekabusa eemfundeni ezili-127,+ ukusukela eNdiya kufikela eTopiya,*
2 ngemihla leyo ngesikhathi iKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi ihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi esigodlweni iTjhutjhani,*+
3 ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe, wenzela woke amakhosana neensebenzi zakhe umnyanya. Ibutho lePheresiya+ neMediya,+ iinkhulu namakhosana weemfunda zeza emnyanyeni loyo,
4 wazitjengisa umnotho wombuswakhe omkhulu nobukhulu boburhanyarhanya bephazimulwakhe amalanga amanengi, okumalanga ali-180.
5 Kwathi nakuphela amalanga lawo, ikosi yenzela boke abantu ebebasesigodlweni iTjhutjhani umnyanya owathatha amalanga alikhomba, kusukela komncani kuya komkhulu. Umnyanya loyo wenzelwa etatawini elisesivandeni sesigodlo.
6 Bekunamarharideni welineni, wekoteni elisezingeni eliphezulu newamatjhila ahlaza komkayi abotjhwe ngeentambo zezinga eliphezulu, zewulu esipiridzana emasongweni wesiliva, eensikeni zemabula, godu bekuneenhlalo zegolide nezesiliva eendleleni ezigangadelwe ngelitje elibizwa ngokuthi yiphofori, ngemabula, ngamaparele nangemabula enzima.
7 Iwayini beliselwa ngeenkapho zegolide; enye nenye ikapho beyihlukile kwenye begodu iwayini lebukhosini beliyinala njengombana bekulindelekile ekosini.
8 Bekuselwa ngokuvumelana nomthetho othi akekho umuntu obekufuze akatelelwe bona asele, ngombana ikosi yahlela neenkhulu zesigodlo sayo ukuthi omunye nomunye umuntu kufuze enze ngendlela athanda ngayo.
9 INdlovukazi uVatjhithi+ yenzela abafazi umnyanya endlini yeKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi.
10 Ngelanga lekhomba, lokha ihliziyo yekosi ithabile ngebanga lewayini, yatjela uMehumani, uBhizeta, uRharibhona,+ uBhigeta, u-Abageta, uZetari noKarikasi, iinkhulu zesigodlo ezilikhomba ebezibatlhogomeli beKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi,
11 bona balethe iNdlovukazi uVatjhithi ekosini, ithwele idugu yebukhosini, izokubukisa ngobuhle bayo ebantwini nemakhosaneni, ngombana beyisiphalaphala.
12 Kodwana iNdlovukazi uVatjhithi yasolo ibhala ukuza ingalaleli umyalo wekosi owadluliselwa ziinkhulu zesigodlo. Nayizwa lokho ikosi yasilingeka khulu, yabibhelana.
13 Nje-ke ikosi yakhuluma namadoda ahlakaniphileko ebewanelemuko lezinto ezenzeka esikhathini esidlulileko (ngombana indaba yekosi beyifika bunjalo phambi kwabo boke abanelwazi lomthetho namacala wezomthetho,
14 begodu ebebatjhidelene khulu nayo bekunguKaritjhena, uTjhetari, u-Adimata, uTaratjhitjhi, uMeresi, uMarisena noMemukani, amakhosana+ alikhomba wePheresiya neMediya, ebewanelungelo lokubonana nekosi begodu aneenkhundla eziphezulu khulu embusweni).
15 Ikosi yabuza yathi: “Ngokomthetho, kufuze kwenziweni ngeNdlovukazi uVatjhithi ngombana azange ilalele umyalo weKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi odluliselwe ngeenkhulu zesigodlo?”
16 UMemukani waphendula phambi kwekosi namakhosana wathi: “INdlovukazi uVatjhithi ayikoni ekosini kwaphela,+ kodwana yone nakiwo woke amakhosana nakizo zoke iintjhaba ezikizo zoke iimfunda zeKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi.
17 Ngombana into eyenziwe yindlovukazi izokwaziwa ngibo boke abafazi begodu bazokudelela amadodabo bathi, ‘IKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi yathi akulethwe iNdlovukazi uVatjhithi kodwana yona yabhala.’
18 Khona namhlanjesi abafazi bamakhosana wePheresiya neMediya bazokukhuluma namadodabo ngalokhu okwenziwe yindlovukazi, lokho-ke kuzokubangela inyazo elikhulu nelaka.
19 Nange kubonakala kukuhle ekosini, ayikhuphe umyalo, utlolwe hlangana nemithetho yePheresiya neMediya engasulwako,+ wokobana uVatjhithi angaseza phambi kweKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi; begodu ikosi ayidlulisele isikhundla sakhe sebukhosini komunye umfazi ongcono kunaye.
20 Kuzakuthi umyalo lo nawuzwakala kiwo woke umbuswayo omkhulu, boke abafazi bazokuhlonipha amadodabo kusukela komkhulu kuya komncani.”
21 Isiphakamiswesi sayithabisa ikosi namakhosana, yeke ikosi yenza okutjhiwo nguMemukani.
22 Nje-ke yathumela iincwadi kizo zoke iimfunda zombuswayo,+ kwesinye nesinye isifunda ngokwendlelaso yokutlola nakwesinye nesinye isitjhaba ngelimi laso, bona enye nenye indoda ibe yihloko* emzinayo beyikhulume ngelimi lekhabo.*
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Kucatjangwa bona nguXerxes I, indodana kaDariyasi omKhulu (Darius Hystaspis).
^ Namkha “eKutjhe.”
^ Namkha “iSusa.”
^ Namkha “yikosi.”
^ Kungenzeka lokhu kutjho ukuthi nange indoda nomfazi bakhuluma amalimi angafaniko, bekufuze kusetjenziswe ilimi lendoda emzini loyo.
