Esteri ISAHLUKO 1 1 Kwathi emihleni ka-Ahashiveroshi (nguye uAhashiveroshi owabusa kusukela eNdiya kuze kufike eKushe, phezu kwezifunda eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa); 2 Ngalezo zinsuku lapho inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wayo owawuseShushani endlini yenkosi, 3 Ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wenzela zonke izikhulu zakhe nezinceku zakhe idili; amandla asePheresiya naseMediya, izikhulu nezikhulu zezifunda, ayephambi kwakhe; 4 lapho ebonakalisa ingcebo yobukhosi bakhe nodumo lobukhosi bakhe obumangalisayo izinsuku eziningi, izinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili. 5 Lapho lezi zinsuku seziphelile, inkosi yenzela bonke abantu ababetholakala eShushani endlini yenkosi, abakhulu nabancane, idili izinsuku eziyisikhombisa egcekeni lensimu yendlu yenkosi; 6 Kwakukhona khona izilenge ezimhlophe, nokuluhlaza, nokuluhlaza, ziboshelwe ngezintambo zelineni elicolekileyo nezinsomi emasongweni esiliva nasezinsikeni zemabula, imibhede yayiyigolide nesiliva phezu kwendawo egandayiweyo ebomvu, nokuluhlaza, nokumhlophe, nokumnyama, nemabula. 7 Babaphuzisa ngezitsha zegolide, izitsha zahlukene esinye nesinye, newayini lenkosi liningi njengombuso wenkosi. 8 Ukuphuza kwakungokomthetho; kakho owaphoqelelayo, ngoba ngokunjalo inkosi yayilayile zonke iziphathamandla zendlu yayo, ukuthi benze njengokuthanda kwalowo lalowo. 9 Naye uVashiti, inkosikazi, wenzela abesifazane idili endlini yenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi. 10 Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lapho inhliziyo yenkosi isithokozile ngewayini, yayala oMehumani, noBhizitha, noHarbona, noBigitha, no-Abagtha, noZethari, noKarkasi, izinduna eziyisikhombisa ezazikhonza phambi kukaAhashiveroshi inkosi, 11 ukuletha uVashiti indlovukazi phambi kwenkosi enomqhele wobukhosi ukuze abonise abantu nezikhulu ubuhle bakhe, ngoba wayemuhle ukubukwa. 12 Kepha indlovukazi uVashiti yenqaba ukuza ngesiyalezo senkosi ngesandla sezinduna zayo; 13 Khona-ke inkosi yathi kwabahlakaniphileyo ababezazi izikhathi (ngokuba yayinjalo indlela yenkosi kubo bonke ababewazi umthetho nokwahlulela. 14 Owalandela emva kwakhe kwakunguKarshena, noShethari, no-Adimatha, noTharishishi, noMeresi, iMarsena, noMemukani, izikhulu eziyisikhombisa zasePheresiya naseMediya, ezazibona ubuso benkosi, ezazihlezi ngowokuqala embusweni; 15 Ngokomthetho siyakwenzani endlovukazini uVashiti, lokhu ingawenzanga umyalo wenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ngesandla sabathenwa na? 16 UMemukani waphendula phambi kwenkosi nezikhulu, wathi: “UVashiti indlovukazi akonanga enkosini yodwa, kodwa nakuzo zonke izikhulu, nakubantu bonke abasezifundazweni zonke zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.
17 Ngokuba lesi senzo senkosikazi siyakuphumela kubo bonke abesifazane, baze badelele amadoda abo emehlweni abo, lapho kuthiwa: Inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yayala uVashiti indlovukazi ukuba alethwe phambi kwayo, kepha akafikanga. 18 Kanjalo amakhosikazi asePheresiya naseMediya ayakusho namuhla kuzo zonke izikhulu zenkosi ezizwileyo ngesenzo senkosikazi. Kanjalo kuyakuvela ukweyisa okukhulu nolaka. 19 Uma kukuhle enkosini, makuphume kuyo izwi lobukhosi, lilotshwe emithethweni yamaPheresiya namaMede, ukuze lingaguqulwa, lokuthi uVashiti angabe esafika phambi kwenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi; inkosi mayinike omunye omuhle kunaye ubukhosi bakhe. 20 Lapho isimemezelo senkosi eyakusenza sizwakala embusweni wayo wonke (ngokuba mkhulu), bonke abafazi bayakuwahlonipha amadoda abo, amakhulu namancane. 21 Leli zwi laba kuhle emehlweni enkosi nasezikhulwini; inkosi yenza njengezwi likaMemukani. 22 Ngoba wathumela izincwadi kuzo zonke izifunda zenkosi, kuzo zonke izifundazwe ngokombhalo waso, nakuleso naleso sizwe ngolimi lwaso, ukuze kube yilowo nalowo abuse endlini yakhe futhi amemezele ngolimi lwabo bonke abantu. ISAHLUKO 2 1 Ngemva kwalezi zinto, lapho ulaka lwenkosi uAhashiveroshi selubohlile, yamkhumbula uVashiti, nalokho ayekwenzile, nalokho okwanqunywa ngaye. 2 Izinceku zenkosi ezaziyikhonza zathi: “Makufunelwe inkosi izintombi ezinhle; 3 Inkosi mayimise izinduna kuzo zonke izifunda zombuso wayo, ukuze zibuthele ndawonye zonke izintombi ezinhle eziseShushani endlini yenkosi, endlini yabesifazane, esandleni sikaHege induna yenkosi, umlindi wabesifazane; kabanikwe izinto zabo zokuhlanjululwa; 4 Intombi ethe tye emehlweni enkosi mayibe yindlovukazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti. Lalokho kwaba kuhle enkosini; wenza njalo. 5 Kwakukhona eShushani endlini yenkosi umJuda othile ogama lakhe lalinguMoridekayi indodana kaJayire kaShimeyi kaKishi wakwaBenjamini; 6 owayethunjwe eJerusalema kanye nabathunjwa ababethunjwe noJekoniya inkosi yakwaJuda, lowo uNebukadinesari inkosi yaseBhabhiloni ayemthumbile. 7 Wayesondla uHadasa ongu-Esteri indodakazi kayisekazi, ngokuba wayengenayise noma unina; esefile uyise nonina uMoridekayi wamthatha baba indodakazi yakhe. 8 Kwathi lapho izwi lenkosi nesimemezelo sayo sekuzwakele, nezintombi eziningi sezibuthene eShushani endlini yenkosi, esandleni sikaHegayi, u-Esteri naye walethwa endlini yenkosi esandleni sikaHegayi, umgcini wabesifazane. 9 Intombi yamjabulisa, wayenzela umusa; washesha wamnika izinto zokuzihlambulula, nezinto zakhe ezingezikho, nezintombi eziyisikhombisa okufanele azinikwe, ziphuma endlini yenkosi, wakhetha yona nezincekukazi zayo endaweni engcono kakhulu yendlu yabesifazane. 10 U-Esteri wayengakhulumanga ngabantu bakubo nangezihlobo zakhe, ngokuba uMoridekayi wayemyalile ukuba angakusho.