Esteri 1:1-22
1 Kwathi ezinsukwini zika-Ahashiveroshi,+ okungukuthi, u-Ahashiveroshi owayebusa njengenkosi kusukela eNdiya kuze kube seTopiya, ephethe izifunda zombuso eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa,+
2 yebo, kwathi ngalezo zinsuku, njengoba iNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yayihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi,+ esasisenqabeni+ iShushani,+
3 ngonyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwayo yazenzela idili+ zonke izikhulu zayo nezinceku zayo, ibutho lempi lasePheresiya+ naseMediya,+ izicukuthwane,+ nezikhulu zezifunda zombuso ezaziphambi kwayo,+
4 lapho ibukisa ngengcebo+ yombuso wayo okhazimulayo nodumo+ nobuhle bobukhulu bayo izinsuku eziningi, izinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili.
5 Lapho lezi zinsuku seziphelele, inkosi yabenzela idili izinsuku eziyisikhombisa bonke abantu ababetholakala enqabeni iShushani, abakhulu kanye nabancane, egcekeni lengadi yesigodlo senkosi.
6 Kwakunelineni, ukotini ocolekileyo noluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka+ uboshwe ngokuqinile ngezindophi zendwangu ecolekileyo, noboya obudaywe baba nsomi ngokubomvu+ emasongweni esiliva nezinsika zemabula, izihlalo ezisamibhede+ zegolide nezesiliva phezu komgandayo wephorifiri nemabula nepharele nemabula emnyama.
7 Kwakudluliswa iwayini ngezitsha zegolide ukuze kuphuzwe;+ lezi zitsha zazihlukile esinye kwesinye, futhi iwayini lasebukhosini+ laliliningi kakhulu, ngokwamandla enkosi.
8 Maqondana nesikhathi sokuphuza, ngokomthetho, akekho owayephoqelela, ngoba yileyo ndlela inkosi eyayihlelele ngayo wonke umuntu omkhulu wendlu yayo, ukuba yilowo nalowo enze njengokuthanda kwakhe.
9 Futhi, uVashiti+ indlovukazi wenzela abesifazane idili endlini yasebukhosini okwakungeyeNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.
10 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lapho inhliziyo yenkosi isesimweni sokwenama ngenxa yewayini,+ yathi kuMehumani, uBhizitha, uHaribona,+ uBhigitha no-Abhagitha, uZethari noKarikasi, izikhulu zegceke eziyisikhombisa ezazikhonza+ phambi kobuso beNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi,
11 mabalethe uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwenkosi egqoke umnqwazo wasebukhosini, ukuze abonise abantu nezikhulu ubuhle bakhe; ngoba wayemuhle.+
12 Kodwa iNdlovukazi uVashiti yayilokhu yenqaba+ ukuza ngezwi lenkosi elalidluliselwa ngezikhulu zegceke. Inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu futhi ukufutheka kwayo kwagqamuka ngaphakathi kuyo.+
13 Inkosi yayisithi emadodeni ahlakaniphile+ anolwazi lwezikhathi+ (ngoba indaba yenkosi yayifika ngale ndlela phambi kwabo bonke labo abawazi kahle umthetho namacala asemthethweni,
14 futhi labo ababeseduze kakhulu nayo kwakunguKarishena, uShethari, u-Adimatha, uTharishishi, uMeresi, uMarisena noMemukhani, izikhulu eziyisikhombisa+ zasePheresiya naseMediya, ababenelungelo lokungena enkosini,+ futhi ababehleli bengabokuqala embusweni):
15 “Ngokomthetho yini okumelwe yenziwe ngeNdlovukazi uVashiti ngoba ayizange ilenze izwi leNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi elidluliselwe ngezikhulu zegceke?”
16 UMemukhani+ wathi phambi kwenkosi nezikhulu: “UVashiti indlovukazi akonanga enkosini kuphela,+ kodwa kuzo zonke izikhulu nakuzo zonke izizwe ezikuzo zonke izifunda zombuso weNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.
17 Ngoba le ndaba yendlovukazi izophumela kubo bonke abafazi badelele+ abanikazi babo+ emehlweni abo, lapho bethi, ‘INkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ngokwayo yathi makungeniswe phambi kwayo uVashiti indlovukazi, kodwa akazange angene.’
18 Futhi kulolu suku amakhosazana asePheresiya naseMediya, lawo ayizwile le ndaba yendlovukazi, azoqagulisana nazo zonke izikhulu zenkosi, kwande indelelo nentukuthelo enkulu.+
19 Uma kubonakala kukuhle enkosini,+ makuphume izwi lasebukhosini kuyo uqobo, futhi malilotshwe phakathi kwemithetho+ yasePheresiya naseMediya, ukuze lingagudluki,+ lokuthi uVashiti angangeni phambi kweNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi; futhi isithunzi sakhe sasebukhosini inkosi mayisinike uzakwabo, owesifazane ongcono kunaye.
20 Futhi isinqumo inkosi ezosenza kumelwe sizwakale kuwo wonke umbuso wayo (ngoba mkhulu), khona-ke bonke abafazi bayonika abanikazi babo+ udumo,+ abakhulu kanye nabancane.”
21 Le nto yayijabulisa emehlweni enkosi+ nezikhulu, inkosi yabe seyenza ngokwezwi likaMemukhani.
22 Ngakho yathumela izincwadi ezilotshiwe+ kuzo zonke izifunda zombuso wenkosi, esifundeni sombuso ngasinye+ ngokwendlela yaso yokuloba nasesizweni ngasinye ngokolimi lwaso, ukuba yileyo naleyo ndoda iqhubeke iyisikhulu endlini yayo siqu+ futhi ikhulume ngolimi lwabantu bakubo.
