U-Esteri 1:1-22
1 Ezinsukwini zika-Ahashiveroshi* owayebusa izifundazwe* ezingu-127, + kusukela eNdiya kuze kube seTopiya,*
2 le Nkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yayihleli esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi esigodlweni* saseShushani. *+
3 Ngonyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwayo yenzela zonke izikhulu zayo nezinceku zayo idili. Ibutho lempi lasePheresiya + naseMediya, + izicukuthwane nezikhulu zezifundazwe* zaziphambi kwayo,
4 yababonisa ingcebo yombuso wayo okhazimulayo nobuhle nobukhulu bayo izinsuku eziningi, izinsuku ezingu-180.
5 Lapho seziphelile lezo zinsuku, inkosi yabenzela idili bonke abantu ababesesigodlweni* iShushani,* kusukela kwabakhulu kuya kwabancane, lathatha izinsuku eziyisikhombisa engadini eyayisegcekeni lesigodlo senkosi.
6 Kwakunelineni, indwangu kakotini osezingeni eliphezulu nendwangu eluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka eboshwe yaqina ngezindophi zendwangu esezingeni eliphezulu, izintambo zoboya obuphephuli* zisezinsimbini zesiliva eziyindilinga, izinsika zemabula nosofa begolide nabesiliva besendaweni egandaywe ngephorifiri nemabula nepharele nemabula emnyama.
7 Iwayini laliphuzwa ngezindebe* zegolide; indebe ngayinye yayihlukile kwenye, futhi iwayini lasebukhosini laliliningi kakhulu, lihambisana nomcebo wenkosi.
8 Akekho owayephoqwa* ukuthi aphuze kangakanani, ngoba inkosi yayihlele nezikhulu zesigodlo sayo ukuthi umuntu ngamunye kufanele enze akuthandayo.
9 INdlovukazi uVashiti + nayo yenzela abesifazane idili endlini yasebukhosini* yeNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.
10 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lapho inhliziyo yenkosi yeneme ngenxa yewayini, yathi kuMehumani, uBhizitha, uHaribona, + uBhigitha, u-Abhagitha, uZethari noKarikasi, izikhulu zegceke eziyisikhombisa ezazikhonza phambi kweNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi,
11 mabalethe uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwenkosi eshuqule umnqwazo wasebukhosini,* ukuze abonise abantu nezikhulu ubuhle bakhe, ngoba wayemuhle kakhulu.
12 Kodwa iNdlovukazi uVashiti yayilokhu yenqaba ukuza njengoba inkosi yayiyale izikhulu zegceke ukuba ziyibize. Ngakho inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, yathukuthela yagana unwabu.
13 Inkosi yabe isikhuluma namadoda ahlakaniphile ayeziqonda izinqubo* zangaphambili (ngoba indaba yenkosi yayifika ngale ndlela phambi kwabo bonke ababewazi kahle umthetho namacala asemthethweni,
14 futhi labo ababeseduze kakhulu nayo kwakunguKarishena, uShethari, u-Adimatha, uTharishishi, uMeresi, uMarisena noMemukhani, izikhulu eziyisikhombisa + zasePheresiya naseMediya, yibo ababenelungelo lokungena njalo phambi kwenkosi nababenezikhundla eziphakeme embusweni).
15 Inkosi yabuza: “Ngokomthetho, yini okumelwe yenziwe ngeNdlovukazi uVashiti ngoba ayizange iwulalele umyalo weNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi odluliselwe ngezikhulu zegceke?”
16 UMemukhani wathi phambi kwenkosi nezikhulu: “INdlovukazi uVashiti ayonanga enkosini kuphela, + kodwa yone kuzo zonke izikhulu nakuzo zonke izizwe ezikuzo zonke izifundazwe* zeNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.
17 Ngoba okwenziwe yindlovukazi kuzokwaziwa yiwo wonke amakhosikazi, bese edelela abayeni bawo, athi, ‘INkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yathi makulethwe phambi kwayo iNdlovukazi uVashiti, kodwa yenqaba.’
18 Kulolu suku amakhosikazi ezikhulu zenkosi zasePheresiya naseMediya aziyo ukuthi indlovukazi yenzeni, azophikisana nabayeni bawo, kwande indelelo nentukuthelo enkulu.
19 Uma kubonakala kukuhle enkosini, inkosi mayikhiphe umyalo ongeke uphelelwe isikhathi, + futhi mawubhalwe phakathi kwemithetho yasePheresiya naseMediya, umyalo othi uVashiti angaphinde angene phambi kweNkosi u-Ahashiveroshi; futhi isikhundla sakhe sasebukhosini inkosi mayisinike owesifazane ongcono kunaye.
20 Lapho umyalo wenkosi usuzwakele kuwo wonke umbuso wayo omkhulu, wonke amakhosikazi ayonika abayeni bawo udumo, kusukela kwabakhulu kuye kwabancane.”
21 Lokhu kwayijabulisa inkosi nezikhulu, inkosi yabe seyenza ngokwezwi likaMemukhani.
22 Ngakho yathumela izincwadi kuzo zonke izifundazwe zayo, *+ esifundazweni* ngasinye incwadi ebhalwe ngokwendlela yaso, esizweni ngasinye incwadi ebhalwe ngolimi lwaso, ukuze indoda ngayinye ibe inkosi* endlini yayo futhi ikhulume ulimi lwabantu bakubo.
Imibhalo yaphansi
^ Kucatshangwa ukuthi uXerxes I, indodana kaDariyu Omkhulu (uDariyu Hystaspis).
^ Noma, “izifunda zombuso.”
^ Noma, “seKushe.”
^ Noma, “enqabeni.”
^ Noma, “saseSusa.”
^ Noma, “zezifunda zombuso.”
^ Noma, “ababesenqabeni.”
^ Noma, “iSusa.”
^ Noma, “obubukhwebezane.”
^ Noma, “ngezitsha.”
^ Noma, “owayebekelwa imingcele.”
^ Noma, “esigodlweni.”
^ Noma, “iduku lokushuqula lasebukhosini.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “izikhathi.”
^ Noma, “izifunda zombuso.”
^ NgesiHebheru, “izifunda zombuso wenkosi.”
^ Noma, “esifundeni sombuso.”
^ Noma, “isikhulu.”
