1-3. (a) Kwakunjani kuEstere ukuya etroneni yomyeni wakhe? (b) Ukumkani wasabela njani akubona uEstere?

 UESTERE wathi chu ngcembe ukuya etroneni, intliziyo yakhe ibetha ngamandla. Yiba nomfanekiso-ngqondweni kusithi cwaka kwibhotwe lasePersi eShushan, uEstere esiva nesipeliti esiwa phantsi. Kwafuneka anikele ingqalelo angavumeli ingqondo ibhadule njengoko ebona ubuyokoyoko nobumbejembeje basebhotwe, isilingi yomthi womsedare waseLebhanon eqingqwe kakuhle. Wayethe ntsho amehlo kwindoda ehleli etroneni, leyo ubomi bakhe babusesandleni sayo.

² Ukumkani wamjonga njengoko esiza, wamolulela intonga yakhe yegolide. Nangona yayiyinto ebonakala ingenamsebenzi, leyo yayiyindlela yokusindisa ubomi bakhe, kuba yayimkhulula kwisenzo sakhe sokuya kukumkani engabizwanga. Njengoko wayesondela etroneni, uEstere wolula ingalo waza wabamba intonga enombulelo.—Estere 5:1, 2.

³ Yonke into kaKumkani uAhaswerosi yayibonisa ubutyebi negunya lakhe. Ingubo yasebukhosini eyayinxitywa ngookumkani bamaPersi baloo maxesha yayinokuxabisa amakhulu ezigidi zeerandi. Sekunjalo, yena uEstere wayebona umyeni onobubele nomthandayo umfazi wakhe ngendlela yakhe. Wathi: “Unantoni na, kumkanikazi Estere, yaye siyintoni na isicelo sakho? Kuse kwisiqingatha sobukumkani—wosinikwa!”—Estere 5:3.

 4. Yiyiphi imiqobo awayesajongene nayo uEstere?

⁴ UEstere wayesele ebonise ukholo nenkalipho ngendlela ebalaseleyo; ngokuza kukumkani ukuze ahlangule abantu bakowabo kwiyelenqe lokubulawa. Ukuza kuthi ga ngoku zazisamhambela kakuhle izinto, kodwa kwakusekho imiqobo esephambi kwakhe. Kwakuza kufuneka eyisele lo kumkani unekratshi ukuba iphakathi lakhe eliyintonga esekhosi likhohlakele kuba limkhohlisile ukuze abulale abantu bakuloEstere. Wayeza kumeyisela njani yaye yintoni esinokuyifunda kukholo lwakhe?

5, 6. (a) UEstere waphila njani ngokuvisisana nomgaqo okwiNtshumayeli 3:1, 7? (b) Kutheni sinokuthi yayiyeyobulumko indlela uEstere awathetha ngayo nomyeni wakhe?

⁵ Ngaba uEstere wayefanele awuthi paha lo mbandela esidlangalaleni? Ukwenjenjalo kwakunokumthoba isidima ize loo nto imenze uHaman abe namandla okumphikisa. Ngoko ke, wenza ntoni uEstere? Kwiinkulungwane ezingaphambili, uKumkani uSolomon osisilumko waphefumlelwa ukuba abhale athi: “Yonke into inexesha layo elimisiweyo, . . . kukho ixesha lokuthi cwaka nexesha lokuthetha.” (INtshu. 3:1, 7) Sisenokuyilindela into yokuba uMordekayi owayekhulisa uEstere, wamfundisa imigaqo efana nalo ekukhuleni kwakhe. Ngokuqinisekileyo uEstere wayekuqonda ukubaluleka kokulikhetha ngobuchule ‘ixesha lokuthetha.’

⁶ UEstere wathi: “Ukuba kubonakala kulungile kukumkani, ukumkani makeze noHaman esidlweni endimenzele sona namhlanje.” (Estere 5:4) Ukumkani wavuma waza noHaman wabizwa. Ngaba uyayibona indlela yobulumko athetha ngayo uEstere? Wamphatha ngesidima umyeni wakhe ngaloo ndlela evulela ithuba elifanelekileyo lokuthetha oko kumxhalabisayo.—Funda iMizekeliso 10:19.

7, 8. Sasinjani isidlo sikaEstere sokuqala, kodwa yintoni eyamenza waziziliza ukuthetha nokumkani?

 ⁷ Akuthandabuzeki ukuba uEstere wakulungiselela kakuhle oko kutya, eqinisekisa ukuba yonke into iyamkholisa umyeni wakhe. Kwesi sidlo kwakukho newayini eyayiza kwenza wonke umntu akhululeke. (INdu. 104:15) UAhaswerosi wasonwabela isidlo, waphinda wafuna ukwazi isicelo sikaEstere. Ngaba eli yayilixesha lokuba athethe?

⁸ UEstere wayengakuboni kunjalo. Kunoko, waphinda wabamemela kwisidlo sesibini ngosuku olulandelayo. (Estere 5:7, 8) Kwakutheni ukuze azizilize? Khumbula, ukuba bonke abantu bakuloEstere babeza kubulawa ngokomyalelo kakumkani. Ekubeni babesemngciphekweni, uEstere kwakufuneka aqiniseke ukuba ukhetha ixesha elifanelekileyo lokuthetha. Ngoko walinda, evulela umyeni wakhe elinye ithuba lokumbonisa indlela amhlonela ngayo.

 9. Kutheni umonde iluphawu oluxabisekileyo, yaye sinokuwuxelisa njani umzekelo kaEstere kulo mba?

⁹ Umonde luphawu olunqabileyo noluxabisekileyo. Nangona wayecinezelekile efuna ukuthetha, uEstere walinda ngomonde de kwalixesha elifanelekileyo. Sonke sinokufunda okungakumbi  kumzekelo wakhe, kuba, kusenokwenzeka ukuba zikho izinto eziphosakeleyo esaziyo ukuba zifuna ukulungiswa. Ukuba sifuna ukweyisela umntu osegunyeni ukuba alungise ingxaki, kusenokufuneka sixelise umzekelo kaEstere size sibe nomonde. IMizekeliso 25:15 ithi: “Ngomonde umphathi uyacengeka, yaye ngolwimi olunobulali unokwaphula ithambo.” Ukuba silinda ngomonde de kube lixesha elifanelekileyo size sithethe ngomoya wobulali, njengoEstere, kwanenkcaso eqine njengethambo inokoyiswa. Ngaba uThixo kaEstere, uYehova wawusikelela umonde nobulumko bakhe?

10, 11. Yintoni eyatshintsha indlela awayevakalelwa ngayo uHaman emva kwesidlo sokuqala, ibe umfazi nabahlobo bakhe bamcebisa ukuba enze ntoni?

¹⁰ Umonde kaEstere watyeneneza indlela yongcelele lweziganeko. UHaman wemka kwisidlo sokuqala eziva kamnandi, “evuya, nentliziyo ichwayitile” kuba ukumkani nokumkanikazi bekholiswa nguye. Njengoko uHaman wayedlula esangweni, wathana ntla noMordekayi,  laa mYuda ungafuniyo ukuqubuda kuye. Njengoko sibonile kwisahluko esandulela esi, ukungavumi kukaMordekayi ukuqubuda kuye kwakungabangelwa kukungabi nantlonelo, kunoko, kwakungenxa yesazela nolwalamano lwakhe noYehova uThixo. Sekunjalo, uHaman “wazaliswa ngumsindo.”—Estere 5:9.

¹¹ Xa uHaman wachazela umfazi nabahlobo bakhe ngale nto yenziwe nguMordekayi, bamcebisa ukuba agxumeke isibonda esiziimitha ezingama-22 ubude aze aye kucela imvume kukumkani yokuxhoma uMordekayi kuso. UHaman akazange alibazise, wenza kanye loo nto.—Estere 5:12-14.

12. Kwakutheni ukuze ukumkani afune ukufundelwa iingxelo zasebuRhulumenteni, ibe weva ntoni?

¹² Ngobo busuku, ukumkani akazange alale kakuhle. IBhayibhile ithi “ukumkani waphuthelwa,” ngoko wathi makafundelwe iingxelo zasebuRhulumenteni. Kwezo ngxelo kwakubhalwe neyelenqe lokubulawa kwakhe. Wasikhumbula eso siganeko; nabo babeceba ukumbulala babanjwa baza babulawa. Kodwa kuthekani ngendoda eyatyhila elo yelenqe—uMordekayi? Ngokukhawuleza, ukumkani wafuna ukwazi ukuba yawongwa ngantoni. Impendulo? Akukho kwanto eyayenzelwayo.—Funda uEstere 6:1-3.

13, 14. (a) Zaqala nini ukumhambela kakubi izinto uHaman? (b) Umfazi kaHaman nabahlobo bakhe bamxelela ntoni?

¹³ Ecaphukile, ukumkani wabuza ukuba ngawaphi amagosa akhoyo ukuze kulungiswe le nto. Kubo bonke abantu, nguHaman owayekufutshane—ibe kubonakala ukuba wayefike kusasa, kuba wayezimisele ukufumana imvume yokubulala uMordekayi. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba enze isicelo sakhe, ukumkani wabuza ukuba ingawongwa njani indoda akholiswa yiyo ukumkani. UHaman wacinga ukuba ukumkani ubhekisa kuye. Ngoko weza neyona ndlela iza kutsala amehlo: Wathi loo ndoda mayambathiswe ingubo yasebukhosini, ize ikhweliswe ehasheni likakumkani ijikeleziswe iShushan kuze kubekho igosa lasebukhosini elibambe ihashe lidanduluka phambi kwayo. Yiba nomfanekiso-ngqondweni wobuso bukaHaman xa efumanisa ukuba loo ndoda iza kuwongwa nguMordekayi! Ngubani indoda ayityumbayo ukumkani ukuba idumise uMordekayi? NguHaman ngokwakhe!—Estere 6:4-10.

¹⁴ UHaman wayiphumeza loo nkonzo enesixhiba, emva koko wabuyel’ emzini wakhe ecaphukile. Umfazi wakhe nabahlobo bakhe, bathi kuye isiphelo asisayi kuba sihle; wayengenakumoyisa uMordekayi umYuda.—Estere 6:12, 13.

15. (a) Yaba yintoni imiphumo emihle yokuba nomonde kukaEstere? (b) Kutheni kububulumko ngathi ukuba ‘nesimo sengqondo sokulinda’?

¹⁵ Ngenxa yokuba nomonde kukaEstere, elinde olunye usuku ukuze enze isicelo kukumkani, uHaman waba nexesha elaneleyo  lokuzirhintyela. Akungebi nguYehova uThixo owabangela ukuba ukumkani aphuthelwe? (IMize. 21:1) Siyaqondakala isizathu sokuba iLizwi likaThixo lisikhuthaza ukuba sibe ‘nesimo sengqondo sokulinda’! (Funda uMika 7:7.) Xa silindela kuThixo, sinokufumanisa ukuba indlela azilungisa ngayo iingxaki zethu iyodlula lee leyo ebesinokuyisebenzisa thina.

16, 17. (a) Lafika nini ‘ixesha lokuthetha’ kukaEstere? (b) UEstere wayehluke njani kuVashti, umfazi wangaphambili kakumkani?

¹⁶ UEstere wayengasafuni ukuvavanya umonde kakumkani kakhulu, ngoko kwisidlo sakhe sesibini, kwakuza kufuneka athethe angashiyi nto. Njani? Ukumkani wamvulela elinye ithuba, embuza ukuba siyintoni na isicelo sakhe. (Estere 7:2) ‘Ixesha lokuthetha’ kukaEstere lalifikile.

¹⁷ Ingathi siyambona uEstere ethandaza entliziyweni kuThixo wakhe ngaphambi kokuba athethe la mazwi: “Ukuba ndikholekile emehlweni akho, kumkani, yaye ukuba kubonakala kulungile kukumkani, mandinikwe umphefumlo wam ngesibongozo sam nabantu bakowethu ngesicelo sam.” (Estere 7:3) Phawula ukuba wamqinisekisa ukumkani ukuba uyasihlonela isigwebo sakhe koko kubonakala kulungile. Hayi indlela awayehluke ngayo kuVashti, umfazi wangaphambili kakumkani, owahlazisa indoda yakhe ngabom! (Estere 1:10-12) Ngaphezu koko, uEstere akazange amgxeke ukumkani ngokuthembela ngoHaman. Kunoko, wabongoza ukumkani ukuba amkhusele.

18. UEstere wayichaza njani le ngxaki kukumkani?

¹⁸ Ngokuqinisekileyo eso sicelo samchukumisa saza samothusa  ukumkani. Ngubani lo wayenobuganga bokufuna ukubulala ukumkanikazi wakhe? UEstere wahlabela mgama wathi: “Sithengisiwe, mna nabantu bakowethu, ukuba sibhujiswe, sibulawe size sitshatyalaliswe. Ke kaloku ukuba besithengiselwe ukuba sibe ngamakhoboka nezicakakazi kuphela, ngendiye ndathi cwaka. Kodwa oku kubandezeleka akufanelekanga xa kuza kuba ngumonakalo kukumkani.” (Estere 7:4) Phawula ukuba uEstere akazange afihle makhuba, kodwa uthi ngewayethule ukuba babeza kwenziwa amakhoboka nje kuphela. Ukutshayelwa kohlanga kwakuza kuba ziindleko ezinkulu nakukumkani ukuba uEstere wayethule.

19. Yintoni esinokuyifunda kuEstere ngobuchule bokweyisela umntu?

¹⁹ Umzekelo kaEstere usifundisa lukhulu ngobuchule bokweyisela umntu. Xa kufuneka udandalazise umbandela otyhulu kumntu omthandayo okanye kumntu osegunyeni, umzekelo wokuba nomonde, intlonelo nokuthetha phandle unokuba luncedo kakhulu.—IMize. 16:21, 23.

20, 21. (a) UEstere wambhenca njani uHaman, yaye wasabela njani ukumkani? (b) UHaman wenza ntoni akubhencwa njengegwala eliphehla amayelenqe?

²⁰ UAhaswerosi wabuza: “Ngubani lo, yaye uphi na lowo oye wazikhaliphisa ukuba enjenjalo?” Yiba nombono kaEstere esalatha ngoxa ethetha la mazwi: “Indoda elutshaba, ngulo Haman mbi.” Sathiwa bhadla isimangalo. UHaman wagubha kukoyika. Yiba nomfanekiso wobuso bukakumkani butshintsha bube bomvu njengoko efumanisa ukuba iphakathi lakhe eliyintonga esekhosi limkhohlisile ukuze agunyazise ukubulawa komfazi wakhe amthandayo! Ukumkani wathi thwasu way’ emyezweni ukuze aziqokelele kwakhona.—Estere 7:5-7.

 ²¹ UHaman, ebhencwe njengegwala eliphehla amayelenqe, wawa ezinyaweni zikakumkanikazi. Ukubuyela kukakumkani endlwini waza wabona uHaman ebongoza uEstere, ngomsindo ukumkani watyabeka uHaman ngesityholo sokuzama ukudlwengula ukumkanikazi. Eso sityholo sasiqinisekisa ukufa kukaHaman. Wakhutshelwa ngaphandle, ubuso bakhe bugqunyiwe. Elinye lamagosa kakumkani, laxelela ukumkani ngesibonda eside ebesenziwe nguHaman ukuze abulale uMordekayi kuso. Ngokukhawuleza uAhaswerosi wayalela ukuba uHaman axhonywe kuso.—Estere 7:8-10.

22. Umzekelo kaEstere unokusinceda njani singaphelelwa lithemba, singathandi ukugxeka size singaphelelwa lukholo?

²² Kweli hlabathi siphila kulo, kulula ukucinga ukuba akusoze kubekho okusesikweni. Ngaba wakha wavakalelwa ngaloo ndlela? UEstere akazange aphelelwe lithemba, engazange agxeke okanye aphelelwe lukholo. Ngexesha elifanelekileyo wathetha ngenkalipho waza wathembela kuYehova. Nathi masenze okufunayo! Ukususela ngelo xesha likaEstere uYehova akatshintshanga. Usakwazi ukubambisa abantu abangendawo nabanamaqhinga ngemigibe yabo, kanye njengoko wenzayo kuHaman.—Funda iNdumiso 7:11-16.

23. (a) Ukumkani wamvuza njani uMordekayi noEstere? (b) Sazaliseka njani isiprofeto sikaYakobi ngendlu kaBhenjamin? (Funda ibhokisi ethi “ Isiprofeto Siyazaliseka.”)

²³ Ekugqibeleni ukumkani wamazi uMordekayi ukuba ungumntu onjani—waphanzisa iyelenqe lokubulawa kwakhe kwanokuba ungutata owakhulisa uEstere. UAhaswerosi wamisela uMordekayi njengenkulumbuso, isikhundla esasisesikaHaman. Indlu kaHaman—kuquka nobutyebi bakhe—ukumkani wabunika uEstere, waza yena wabuphathisa uMordekayi.—Estere 8:1, 2.

24, 25. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uEstere angakhululeki emva kokubhencwa kweyelenqe likaHaman? (b) UEstere waphinda wabubeka njani esichengeni ubomi bakhe?

²⁴ Ekubeni uEstere noMordekayi babesindile, ngaba ukumkanikazi watsho wakhululeka? Ukuba wayezingca, wayenokukhululeka.  Ngelo xesha, isindululo sikaHaman sokuba kubulawe onke amaYuda sasisasazeke mbombo zonke zobukhosi. UHaman wenza amaqashiso okanye iiPur—indlela ethile yokusebenzelana nemimoya—ukuze akhethe ixesha elifanelekileyo lokuwabulala. (Estere 9:24-26) Nakuba kwakusasele iinyanga ngaphambi kokuba amaYuda abulawe, ixesha lalixhatshwe yinja. Ngaba yayinokuthintelwa le ntlekele?

²⁵ UEstere waphinda wabubeka esichengeni ubomi bakhe, waya kukumkani kwakhona engamenywanga. Ngoku, wayekhalela abantu bakowabo, ebongoza umyeni wakhe ukuba aguqule eso sigwebo soyikekayo. Kodwa imithetho yamaPersi egunyaziswe ngukumkani ayitshintshwa. (Dan. 6:12, 15) Ukumkani wagunyazisa uEstere noMordekayi ukuba benze imithetho emitsha. Kwaphuma isindululo sesibini esigunyazisa amaYuda ukuba azikhusele. Abakhweli bamahashe bathi bhazalala kubo bonke obo bukhosi, bechazela amaYuda ezi ndaba zimnandi. Aphinda anethemba kwakhona. (Estere 8:3-16) Sinokuba nomfanekiso wamaYuda ahlala kwezo ndawo zobo bukhosi exhoba ukuze alungiselele idabi, nto leyo awayengenakukwazi ukuyenza ngaphandle kwaloo mthetho mtsha. Okona kubaluleke nangakumbi yayikukuba, ngaba “uYehova wemikhosi” wayeza kuba nabantu bakhe?—1 Sam. 17:45.

26, 27. (a) UYehova wanceda abantu bakhe bazoyisa kangakanani iintshaba zakhe? (b) Sisiphi isiprofeto esazalisekayo xa kwabulawa oonyana bakaHaman?

 ²⁶ Xa usuku olwalukhethiwe lwafikayo, abantu bakaThixo babelindile. Kwanamagosa amaninzi asePersi ayekwicala labo ngoku, njengoko iindaba zasasazekayo zokuba uMordekayi umYuda wayeyinkulumbuso entsha. UYehova wabanika uloyiso olukhulu abantu bakhe. Ngokungathandabuzekiyo waqinisekisa ukuba ukhusela abantu bakhe kwiintshaba zabo, waza wazinikela ezandleni zabo ukuze bazoyise ngokupheleleyo. a—Estere 9:1-6.

²⁷ Ukongezelela koko, uMordekayi wayengenakukwazi ukulawula kakuhle besaphila oonyana bakaHaman abalishumi. Nabo babulawa. (Estere 9:7-10) Ngaloo ndlela isiprofeto seBhayibhile sazaliseka, kuba uThixo wayekuxele kwangaphambili ukutshatyalaliswa kwama-Amaleki, awayeziintshaba ezingendawo zabantu bakhe. (Dut. 25:17-19) Kusenokwenzeka ukuba oonyana bakaHaman babengabokugqibela kolo hlanga luqalekisiweyo.

28, 29. (a) Kwakutheni ukuze uYehova afune uEstere nabantu bakhe babandakanyeke emfazweni? (b) Kutheni umzekelo kaEstere uyintsikelelo kuthi namhlanje?

²⁸ UEstere kwafuneka athwale uxanduva esemncinci—njengemithetho yasebukhosini ebandakanya iimfazwe nokubulawa kwabantu. Kumele ukuba kwakungelula. Kodwa uYehova wayefuna kukhuselwe abantu bakhe kwintshabalalo; uhlanga lwakwaSirayeli lwaluza kuvelisa uMesiya othenjisiweyo, elona themba labantu bonke! (Gen. 22:18) Abakhonzi bakaThixo namhlanje bayavuyiswa kukwazi ukuba akufika emhlabeni, uYesu onguMesiya wabalela abalandeli bakhe ukuba balwe iimfazwe.—Mat. 26:52.

²⁹ Nakuba kunjalo, amaKristu alwa imfazwe yokomoya; uSathana uzimisele nangakumbi ukutshabalalisa ukholo lwethu kuYehova uThixo. (Funda eyesi-2 kwabaseKorinte 10:3, 4.) Enjani intsikelelo ukuba nomzekelo onjengokaEstere! Njengaye, ngamana singabonakalisa ukholo ngokusebenzisa ubulumko nomonde xa sizama ukweyisela abantu ngenkalipho nangokuzimisela ukumela abantu bakaThixo.