Estere 2:1-23
2 Emva kokuba wehlile umsindo wakhe, uKumkani uAhaswerosi+ wayikhumbula into eyayenziwe nguVashti+ noko kwakugqityiwe ngaye.+
2 Bathi ke abasebenzi bakakumkani: “Ukumkani makakhangelelwe iinzwakazi ezingazange zalala nandoda.
3 Makamisele amagosa kuwo onke amaphondo akummandla*+ wakhe ukuze aqokelele iinzwakazi ezingazange zalala nandoda, azise kwinqaba* iShushan,* endlini yabafazi.* Mazihoywe nguHegayi+ ithenwa likakumkani, elingumgcini wabafazi, kwaye mazithanjiswe ngezinto zokuzenza ntle.*
4 Intombi eye yathandwa ngukumkani iza kuba ngukumkanikazi endaweni kaVashti.”+ Ukumkani walithanda eli cebiso, waza wenza ngolo hlobo.
5 Kwakukho ndoda ithile engumYuda kwinqaba* iShushan.*+ Igama layo yayinguMordekayi+ unyana kaYayire, unyana kaShimeyi, unyana kaKishe, umBhenjamin.+
6 Le ndoda yayithinjwe eYerusalem nabantu ababethathwe noKumkani uYekoniya+ wakwaYuda, owayethinjelwe eBhabhiloni nguKumkani uNebhukadenetsare.
7 Yayikhulisa* uHadasa,* oko kukuthi, uEstere, intombi yomntakwabotata wakhe,+ kuba wayengenatata engenamama. Le ntwazana yayimile kakuhle kwaye inomkhitha. Kwathi kwakusweleka utata wayo nomama wayo, uMordekayi wayikhulisa njengentombi yakhe.
8 Lathi lakuphuma ilizwi nomthetho kakumkani, neentombi ezininzi ziqokelelwe kwinqaba* iShushan,* zihoywe nguHegayi,+ naye uEstere wasiwa endlini kakumkani phantsi kukaHegayi umgcini wabafazi.
9 UHegayi wayithanda le ntwazana, wakholwa yiyo.* Ngokukhawuleza walungiselela ukuba ifumane izithambiso zobuhle+ nokutya okukhethekileyo, waza wayikhethela iintombi ezisixhenxe kwindlu kakumkani. Wayifudusa kunye nezo ntombi eyisa kweyona ndawo intle endlini yabafazi.*
10 UEstere akazange athethe nto ngabantu bakowabo+ okanye ngezizalwana zakhe, kuba uMordekayi+ wayemyalele ukuba angaxeleli mntu.+
11 Usuku nosuku uMordekayi wayehamba phambi kweyadi yendlu yabafazi* ukuze aqiniseke ukuba uEstere uphethwe kakuhle na.
12 Ntwazana nganye yayifumana ithuba lokungena kuKumkani uAhaswerosi emva kokuba ithanjiswe ngezinto zokuyenza ntle iinyanga eziyi-12 ngokomthetho owawubekelwe ezo ntombi, kuba le yayiyindlela eyayimiselwe yokufumana izithambiso zobuhle.* Yayisiba ziinyanga ezintandathu ithanjiswa ngeoli yemore,+ neenyanga ezintandathu ithanjiswa ngeoli yebhalsam+ nangezinye izinto zokuyenza ntle.*
13 Emva koko loo ntwazana yayikulungela ukuya kukumkani, ibe yayinikwa yonke into eyicelayo xa isuka kwindlu yabafazi* isiya kwindlu kakumkani.
14 Yayingena ngokuhlwa, ize kusasa ibuyele endlini yesibini yabafazi* eyayiphethwe nguShahashegazi ithenwa likakumkani,+ umgcini wabafazi.* Yayingaphindi ingene kukumkani ngaphandle kokuba ukumkani uye wayithanda kakhulu yaza yabizwa ngegama.+
15 Xa kwafika ithuba lokuba uEstere, intombi ka-Abhihali umntakwabotata kaMordekayi, owamkhulisa njengentombi yakhe,+ aye kukumkani, akazange acele nto ngaphandle kwaleyo yayicetyiswe nguHegayi ithenwa likakumkani, umgcini wabafazi. (Ngalo lonke elo xesha uEstere wayethandwa ngabo bonke ababembona.)
16 UEstere wasiwa kwindlu yobukhosi kaKumkani uAhaswerosi ngenyanga yeshumi, oko kukuthi, inyanga enguTebheti,* ngonyaka wesixhenxe+ wokulawula kwakhe.
17 Ukumkani wamthanda uEstere ngaphezu kwabo bonke abanye abafazi, wamthanda* nangaphezu kwazo zonke ezinye iintombi ezingazange zalala nandoda. Wamthwalisa iqhiya yasebukhosini waza wamenza ukumkanikazi+ esikhundleni sikaVashti.+
18 Ukumkani wenzela zonke iinkosana zakhe nabo bonke abakhonzi bakhe itheko elikhulu, itheko likaEstere. Emva koko wanika amaphondo* inkululeko, waza waphisa ngezipho ekwakucaca ukuba zivela kukumkani.
19 Xa iintombi ezingazange zalala nandoda+ zaziqokelelwa okwesibini,* uMordekayi wayehleli egeyithini kakumkani.
20 UEstere akazange athethe nto ngezizalwana zakhe nangabantu bakowabo,+ kanye njengokuba uMordekayi wayetshilo; uEstere waqhubeka esenza izinto awayeziyalelwe nguMordekayi, njengokuba wayesenza naxa wayemkhulisa.+
21 Ngaloo mihla, ngoxa uMordekayi wayehleli egeyithini kakumkani, uBhigetan noTereshe, amagosa amabini kakumkani asendlini kakumkani, oonogada basemnyango, bacaphuka baza benza iqhinga lokubulala* uKumkani uAhaswerosi.
22 Kodwa uMordekayi wayiva le nto, waza ngoko nangoko waxelela uKumkanikazi uEstere. UEstere yena wathetha nokumkani egameni likaMordekayi.
23 Yaphandwa le nto, kwaza ekugqibeleni kwafunyaniswa ukuba iyinyani, aza omabini la madoda axhonywa esibondeni; ibe yonke loo nto yabhalwa kwimbali yamaxesha, ekho ukumkani.+
Umbhalo osemazantsi
^ Okanye “kuzo zonke iingingqi ezikummandla.”
^ Okanye “kwindlu kakumkani.”
^ Okanye “iSusa.”
^ Okanye “endlini ehlala abafazi bakakumkani.”
^ Okanye “mazimasajwe.”
^ Okanye “iSusa.”
^ Okanye “kwindlu kakumkani.”
^ Okanye “Yayinyamekela.”
^ Othetha ukuthi “umMirtile.”
^ Okanye “kwindlu kakumkani.”
^ Okanye “iSusa.”
^ Okanye “endlini ehlala abafazi bakakumkani.”
^ Okanye “wayithanda ngokungagungqiyo.”
^ Okanye “yendlu ehlala abafazi bakakumkani.”
^ Okanye “yokumasajwa.”
^ Okanye “zokumasajwa kwabafazi.”
^ Okanye “kwindlu ehlala abafazi bakakumkani.”
^ Okanye “wamashweshwe.”
^ Okanye “endlini yesibini ehlala abafazi bakakumkani.”
^ Funda Isihlomelo B15.
^ Okanye “wamthanda ngokungagungqiyo.”
^ Okanye “iingingqi.”
^ Okanye “amagqiyazana ayeqokelelwa okwesibini.”
^ Ngokoqobo, “ukumsa isandla.”
