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1 Ngaloo mini, ukumkani uAhaswerosi wamnika uEstere ukumkanikazi indlu kaHaman, umbandezeli wamaYuda. UMordekayi weza phambi kokumkani; kuba uEstere ubeyixelile into abeyiyo kuye.2 Ukumkani wakhulula umsesane wakhe, abewuthabathe kuHaman, wanika uMordekayi. UEstere wammisa uMordekayi phezu kwendlu kaHaman.

3 Waphinda uEstere, wathetha phambi kokumkani, ewe phambi kweenyawo zakhe, elila etarhuzisa kuye, ukuba abutshitshise ububi bukaHaman umAgagi, nengcinga yakhe abeyicingile ngamaYuda.4 Waza ukumkani wayolulela kuEstere intonga yegolide; wavuka uEstere, wema phambi kokumkani.5 Wathi, Ukuba kuthe kwalunga kukumkani, ukuba ndithe ndababalwa nguye, yafaneleka le nto phambi kokumkani, nam ndalunga emehlweni akhe: makubhalwe zibuye iincwadi zengcinga kaHaman unyana kaHamedata, umAgagi, awazibhalela ukuwatshabalalisa amaYuda asemazweni onke kakumkani.6 Kuba ndingathini na ukuba nako ukububonela ububi obuya kubazela abantu bakowethu? Ndingathini na ukuba nako ukukubona ukutshatyalaliswa kwemizalwane yam?7 Wathi ukumkani uAhaswerosi kuEstere ukumkanikazi, nakuMordekayi umYuda, Yabonani, indlu kaHaman ndiyinike uEstere; yena ngokwakhe bamxhoma emthini, ngenxa yokuba wasa isandla sakhe kumaYuda.8 Ngoko ke, nina bhalani ngamaYuda ngoko kulungileyo emehlweni enu egameni lokumkani, nitywine ngomsesane wokumkani; kuba incwadi ebhalwe egameni lokumkani, yatywinwa ngomsesane wokumkani, akukho unokuyibuyisa.9 Babizwa ke ababhali bokumkani ngelo xesha ngenyanga yesithathu (yinyanga enguSivan ke leyo), ngomhla wamashumi amabini anesithathu kuyo; kwabhalwa ngako konke awawisa umthetho ngako uMordekayi, kumaYuda, nakwiirhuluneli, nakumabamba, nakubathetheli bamazwe, athabathela eIndiya eza kwaKushi, amazwe alikhulu elinamanci mabini anesixhenxe, kwilizwe ngelizwe njengokubhala kwalo, kubantu ngabantu ngokwentetho yabo, nakumaYuda ngokokubhala kwawo nangokwentetho yawo.10 Kwabhalwa egameni lokumkani uAhaswerosi, kwatywinwa ngomsesane wokumkani; kwathunywa iincwadi ngezigidimi ezisemahasheni, ezikhwele kwiimbaleki zakomkhulu, kumankonyana esihashe sakomkhulu.11 Kwabhalwa kwathiwa, ukumkani uwavumele amaYuda, akwimizi ngemizi yonke, ukuba abizelane ndawonye, akhusele ubomi bawo, atshabalalise, abulale, asingele phantsi yonke impi yabantu neyelizwe eliwabandezelayo, abantwana nabafazi, aphange amaxhoba abo,12 ngamini-nye, emazweni onke kakumkani uAhaswerosi, ngomhla weshumi elinesithathu wenyanga yeshumi elinesibini (yinyanga enguAdare ke leyo).13 Incwadi leyo, ukuze awiselwe umthetho onke amazwe ngamazwe, yathunyelwa kwizizwe zonke, ukuze amaYuda ahlale selezilungiselele loo mhla, ukuziphindezelela ezintshabeni zawo.14 Izigidimi zakhwela kwiimbaleki zakomkhulu, nakwisihashe sakomkhulu, zaphuma zingxanyisiwe lilizwi lokumkani. Umthetho lowo wawiswa eShushan komkhulu.

15 Ke kaloku uMordekayi waphuma ebusweni bokumkani, enesambatho sobukumkani selinen emsi emhlophe, nesithsaba esikhulu segolide, nengubo yokwaleka yelinen ecikizekileyo emfusa. Umzi waseShushan wagcoba wavuya.16 KumaYuda kwabakho ukukhanya, nokuvuya, nemihlali, nembeko.17 Nakumazwe ngamazwe onke, nakwimizi ngemizi yonke, elathi lafika kuyo ilizwi lokumkani nomthetho wakhe, yaba yimivuyo nemihlali kumaYuda, isidlo nomhla wokuchwayitha. Abaninzi ezizweni zelizwe baba ngamaYuda; ngokuba bafikelwa kukunkwantya ngamaYuda.