Esta 2:1-23
2 Ngemva kwalokhu, ilaka leKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi+ nasele libohlile, yacabangisisa ngalokho uVatjhithi+ akwenzileko nangalokho ekuquntwe ngaye.+
2 Nje-ke abatlhogomeli bekosi bathi: “Ikosi kufuze ifunelwe amatlawu amahle.
3 Ikosi ayikhethe abantu kizo zoke iimfunda zembuswenayo+ bona babuthelele woke amatlawu amahle bawalethe esigodlweni iTjhutjhani,* endlini yabafazi. Kufuze batjhejwe nguHegayi+ umphakulwa wekosi, omtlhogomeli wabafazi begodu kufuze kuthuthukiswe ubuhle babo.*
4 Yeke itlawu elithandeka khulu ekosini, lizokuba yindlovukazi esikhundleni sakaVatjhithi.”+ Isiphakamiswesi sayithabisa ikosi beyenza njalo.
5 Bekunendoda ethileko emJuda esigodlweni iTjhutjhani,*+ igama layo bekunguMoridekayi+ indodana kaJayire indodana kaTjhimeyi indodana kaKhitjhi, umBhenjamini,+
6 ebeyidingiswe ivela eJerusalema nabantu ebebadingiswe neKosi yakwaJuda uJokoniya,*+ loyo iKosi yeBhabhiloni uNebukadinetsari eyamusa ekudingisweni.
7 Beyimtlhogomeli kaHadasa, okungu-Esta, indodakazi yomfowabo kayise,+ ngombana beyiyintandani. Intombi le beyinejamo begodu iyihle, kuthe nakuhlongakala ababelethi bayo, uMoridekayi wayithatha wayenza indodakazakhe.
8 Nakumenyezelwa umyalo wekosi kulethwa namatlawu amanengi esigodlweni iTjhutjhani* ngaphasi kwetjhejo lakaHegayi,+ umtlhogomeli wabafazi, u-Esta naye bekangomunye wabafazi abasiwa esigodlweni.
9 Nje-ke intombi le yathandeka kuye begodu yafumana umusakhe, khonokho wayihlelela izinto zokuthuthukisa ubuhle+ bayo nokudla okukhethekileko, wayinikela neentombi ezikhethekileko ezilikhomba ezivela esigodlweni sekosi bona ziyitjheje. Wayihlalisa neentombezo endaweni engcono ngendlini yabafazi.
10 Nje-ke u-Esta akhenge atjho litho ngesitjhaba+ namkha ngeenhlobo zekhabo, ngombana uMoridekayi+ bekamtjele ukuthi angatjeli muntu ngabo.+
11 Qobe langa uMoridekayi bekakhambakhamba phambi kwesirhodlo sendlu yabafazi bona ezwe ngehlalakuhle ka-Esta nokuthi uphatheke njani.
12 Intombi ngayinye beyifumana ithuba lokuya eKosini u-Arhatjhiverotjhi ngemva kokuqeda ihlelo leenyanga ezili-12 ebezibekelwe lona, ngombana nakhu ebekufuze zikwenze bona ziphethe ihlelo lazo lokuthuthukisa ubuhle. Iinyanga ezisithandathu bezizeswa ngamafutha wemire+ begodu eenyangeni ezisithandathu ezilandelako zizeswe ngamafutha webhalsami+ nezinye iinthako zokuthuthukisa ubuhle.
13 Nasele kwenziwe lokho intombi beseyikulungele ukungena ekosini, bekuthi nanyana yini eyibawako inikelwe yona nayisuka ngendlini yabafazi iya ngesigodlweni.
14 Entambama beyingena ekosini, kuthi ekuseni ibuyele ngendlini yabafazi yesibili, ngaphasi kwetjhejo lakaTjhatjhigazi umphakulwa wekosi,+ umtlhogomeli wamakhohlo.+ Beyingabuyeli ekosini ngaphandle kokobana ikosi iyithande khulu begodu iyibawe ngokukhethekileko ngokuyibiza ngegama layo.
15 Nakufika ithuba lakhe lokungena ekosini, u-Esta, indodakazi ka-Abihayili umfowabo kayise kaMoridekayi, amthatha bona abe yindodakazakhe,+ akhenge abawe litho ngaphandle kwalokho akutjelwe nguHegayi umphakulwa wekosi, umtlhogomeli wabafazi. (Soke isikhatheso u-Esta bekathandeka kibo boke ebebambona.)
16 U-Esta wasiwa eKosini u-Arhatjhiverotjhi ngesigodlweni ngenyanga yetjhumi, okuyinyanga kaThebethi,* ngomnyaka wekhomba+ wokubusa kwayo.
17 Ikosi yathanda u-Esta ukudlula boke abanye abafazi bakhe, wafumana umusa nokwamukelwa ngiyo ukudlula amanye amatlawu. Yeke ikosi yamthwesa idugu yobukhosi, yamenza indlovukazi+ esikhundleni sakaVatjhithi.+
18 Ikosi yenzela woke amakhosana neensebenzi zayo umnyanya omkhulu, umnyanya ka-Esta. Ngemva kwalokho, yamemezela itjhaphuluko eemfundeni begodu beyisolo iphana ngezipho ngokuya ngamandla wekosi.
19 Nje-ke nakubuthelelwa amatlawu+ ihlandla lesibili, uMoridekayi bekahlezi esangweni lekosi.
20 U-Esta akhenge atjho litho ngeenhlobo nesitjhaba sakhe,+ njengombana uMoridekayi amtjelile; u-Esta waraga nokwenza akutjelwe nguMoridekayi, njengalokha asesengaphasi kwetjhejo lakhe.+
21 Emihleni leyo uMoridekayi nakasahlezi esangweni lekosi, uBhigitani noTeretjhi, iinkhulu zesigodlo ezimbili zekosi, abalindisango, basilingeka baluka amano wokubulala iKosi u-Arhatjhiverotjhi.
22 Kodwana uMoridekayi wezwa ngalokho, msinyana watjela iNdlovukazi u-Esta. U-Esta watjela ikosi ngalokho akuzwe ngoMoridekayi.
23 Nje-ke indaba leyo yaphenyisiswa, ngokukhamba kwesikhathi yaqinisekiswa, begodu womabili amadoda lawo aphanyekwa esigodweni; koke lokhu kwatlolwa encwadini yomlando phambi kwekosi.+
Imitlolo Ephasi
^ Namkha “iSusa.”
^ Namkha “bamasajwe.”
^ Namkha “iSusa.”
^ Ubizwa ngokuthi nguJehoyakini kweye-2Kh 24:8.
^ Namkha “iSusa.”
^ Qala Isith. B15.
