Esther - Chapter 1

Verse 1: Kwathi emihleni ka-Ahashiveroshi yena ungu-Ahashiveroshi lowo owabusa kusukela e-Indiya kuze kube seKushe phezu kwezifunda eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa

Verse 2: yebo, ngaleyo mihla lapho inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ihlezi esihlalweni sobukhosi sombuso wayo, esasiseShushani endlini yenkosi,

Verse 3: ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwayo, yenzela izikhulu zayo zonke nezinceku zayo idili, amaqhawe asePheresiya naseMediya, nabakhulu nezikhulu zezifunda bephambi kwayo,

Verse 4: lapho iyibonakalisa ingcebo yombuso wayo odumileyo, nobukhosi nobuhle bobukhulu bayo izinsuku eziningi, izinsuku eziyikhulu namashumi ayisishiyagalombili.

Verse 5: Seziphelile lezo zinsuku, inkosi yenzela abantu bonke ababe khona eShushani endlini yenkosi, abakhulu nabancane, idili izinsuku eziyisikhombisa egcekeni lensimu yendlu yenkosi.

Verse 6: Kwakukhona izilenge ezimhlophe neziluhlaza, ziboshelwe ngezintambo zelineni elicolekileyo nezibubende emasongweni esiliva nasezinsikeni zamatshe amhlophe; imibhede yayiyigolide nesiliva phezu kwendawo egandaywe ngamatshe abomvu, nangamaparele, nangamatshe amnyama.

Verse 7: Baphuziswa ngezitsha zegolide, izitsha zahlukene, ezinye nezinye, iwayini lamakhosi eliningi njengokwesandla senkosi.

Verse 8: Ukuphuza kwaya ngomthetho wokuba kungacindezelwa muntu, ngokuba inkosi yayiyalile zonke izinduna zendlu yayo ukuba zenze njengokuthanda kwabantu abanye ngabanye.

Verse 9: Naye uVashiti, inkosikazi, wenzela abesifazane idili endlini yenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.

Verse 10: Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, lapho inhliziyo yenkosi isithokoza ngewayini, yayala oMehumani, noBizitha, noHaribona, noBigitha, no-Abagitha, noZethari, noKarikasi, izinduna eziyisikhombisa ezazikhonza ebusweni buka-Ahashiveroshi inkosi

Verse 11: ukuba zimlethe uVashiti inkosikazi phambi kwenkosi, abe nomqhele wobukhosi ukuba abonise abantu nezikhulu ubuhle bakhe, ngokuba wayebukeka kahle.

Verse 12: Kepha inkosikazi uVashiti yenqaba ukuza ngesiyalezo senkosi ngesandla sezinduna; ngalokho inkosi yathukuthela kakhulu, ulaka lwayo lwashisa phakathi kwayo.

Verse 13: Yayisisho inkosi kwabahlakaniphileyo abazazi izikhathi ngokuba yayinendlela enjalo inkosi phambi kwabo bonke ababewazi umthetho nokwahlulela;

Verse 14: ababe seduze naye kwakungoKarishena, noShethari, no-Adimatha, noTharishishi, noMeresi, noMarisena, noMemukhani, izikhulu eziyisikhombisa zasePheresiya naseMediya ezaziphambi kobuso benkosi, zihlala emqoka embusweni

Verse 15: yathi: “Siyakwenze njani kuyo inkosikazi uVashiti njengomthetho, ngokuba ayenzanga izwi lenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ngesandla sezinduna, na?”

Verse 16: UMemukhani wathi phambi kwenkosi nezikhulu: “UVashiti, inkosikazi, akonanga enkosini kuphela, kepha nakuzo zonke izikhulu nakubantu bonke abasezifundeni zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi.

Verse 17: Ngokuba le ndaba yenkosikazi iyakuphumela kubo bonke abesifazane ukuba amadoda abo adeleleke emehlweni abo, lapho kuthiwa inkosi u-Ahashiveroshi yamyala uVashiti, inkosikazi, ukuba alethwe phambi kwayo, kepha akafikanga.

Verse 18: Namuhla amakhosikazi asePheresiya naseMediya ayizwile le ndaba yenkosikazi ayakukusho ezikhulwini zenkosi, kube ngukudelela nentukuthelo enkulu.

Verse 19: “Uma kukuhle enkosini, makuphume izwi lobukhosi, lilotshwe phakathi kwemithetho yamaPheresiya namaMede, lingalahlwa, lokuba uVashiti angabe esangena phambi kwenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, inkosi inike omunye omuhle kunaye ubukhosikazi bakhe.

Verse 20: Lapho isimemezelo senkosi eyakusenza sesiyakuzwakala embusweni wayo wonke, ngokuba mkhulu bonke abafazi bayakuwahlonipha amadoda abo, amakhulu namancane.”

Verse 21: Laba lihle lelo zwi emehlweni enkosi nasezikhulwini; yenza-ke inkosi njengezwi likaMemukhani;

Verse 22: yathuma izincwadi ezifundeni zonke zenkosi, ezifundeni ngezifunda njengokubhala kwazo nasezizweni ngezizwe njengezilimi zazo ukuba yilowo nalowo muntu abuse endlini yakhe, akhulume ngolimi lwesizwe sakubo.