Esta 5:1-14
5 Ngelilanga lesitsatfu,+ Esta wagcoka tingubo takhe tasebukhosini wafike wema ebaleni lelingekhatsi kwendlu* yenkhosi. Lelibala belibukene nalendlu yenkhosi, lapho inkhosi beyihleti khona esihlalweni sayo sebukhosi. Lesihlalo senkhosi sona besibukene nemnyango.
2 Inkhosi yatsi nje nayibona iNkhosikati Esta ime ebaleni, yajabula kakhulu, futsi yayiphakamisela intfonga yayo yeligolide+ lebeyisesandleni sayo. Ngemuva kwaloko, Esta wasondzela watsintsa sihloko salentfonga.
3 Inkhosi yambuta yatsi: “Yini inkinga Nkhosikati Esta? Kukhona yini lofuna ngikwentele kona? Ngisho nobe ungacela ihhafu yembuso wami, ngitakunika yona!”
4 Esta wayiphendvula watsi: “Nakukuhle enkhosini, ngicela kutsi lamuhla inkhosi kanye naHamani+ bete edzilini lengilentele inkhosi.”
5 Inkhosi yatsi etisebentini tayo: “Tjelani Hamani kutsi ete masinyane, njengobe Esta acelile.” Ngako inkhosi kanye naHamani baya kulelidzili lebelentiwe ngu-Esta.
6 Ngemuva kwesikhashana nasekunatfwa liwayini, inkhosi yatsi ku-Esta: “Ufuna ngikwentele ini? Ngitjele, ngitakunika kona! Ucelani? Ngisho nobe ungacela ihhafu yembuso wami, ngitakunika yona!”+
7 Esta wayiphendvula watsi: “Nasi sicelo sami:
8 Nangabe inkhosi ingaba nemusa kimi futsi kukuhle emehlweni ayo kwenta loko lengitakucela kuyo, ngicela kutsi kusasa inkhosi kanye naHamani bete edzilini lengitabentela lona futsi ngitawubese ngiyasisho sicelo sami.”
9 Ngalelolanga Hamani wahamba ajabulile futsi atsakasile. Kodvwa watsi nakabona Modekhayi esangweni lenkhosi, abona nekutsi akasukumi futsi akakhombisi nakancane kutsi uyamesaba, wamtfukutselela kakhulu.+
10 Nanobe kunjalo, Hamani watibamba futsi waya endlini yakhe. Wase ubita bangani bakhe kanye nemfati wakhe Zereshi.+
11 Hamani wabachoshela ngemcebo wakhe lomnyenti, ngemadvodzana akhe lamanyenti+ kanye nangendlela inkhosi lemnike ngayo sikhundla lesiphakeme futsi yambeka waba ngetulu kwetindvuna netinceku tayo.+
12 Hamani waphindze watsi: “Ngetulu kwaloko, iNkhosikati Esta imeme mine nje kuphela kutsi ngihambe nenkhosi edzilini lesilentelwe yinkhosikati.+ Nakusasa ngimenyiwe kutsi ngibe nayo kanye nenkhosi edzilini.+
13 Kodvwa konkhe loku akungijabulisi nangisabona lomJuda longuModekhayi ahleti esangweni lenkhosi.”
14 Ngako Zereshi umfati wakhe nabo bonkhe bangani bakhe batsi kuye: “Misa lugodvo lolungemamitha langaba ngu-22* budze. Ekuseni ubotjela inkhosi kutsi Modekhayi kufanele alengiswe kulo,+ bese uhamba nenkhosi edzilini, ufike ujabule.” Hamani wawubona umuhle lombono, ngako watsi akumiswe lolugodvo.
Imibhalo lengentansi
^ Nobe “kwesigodlo.”
^ NgesiHebheru kutsi, “lolungemakhyubhitha langu-50.” Fundza Sandzisanchazo B14.
