Esteri 9

¹Ngenyanga yeshumi nambili eyinyanga ka-Adari ngosuku lweshumi nantathu lwayo, lapho kusondela izwi lenkosi nomthetho wayo ukuba kwenziwe, ngosuku izitha zabaJuda ezazethembile ngalo ukubusa phezu kwabo nokho kwaguqulwa ukuze abaJuda babuse phezu kwababazondayo.

²AbaJuda babuthana emizini yabo ezifundeni zonke zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi ukuba babeke izandla kulabo ababefuna ukubalimaza; akubangakho ongamelana nabo, ngokuba abantu bonke babehlelwe yingebhe ngabo.

³Zonke izikhulu zezifunda, nawothulasizwe, nababusi, nabenza umsebenzi wenkosi, babasiza abaJuda, ngokuba babehlelwe yingebhe ngoMoridekayi.

⁴Ngokuba uMoridekayi wayemkhulu endlini yenkosi, nodumo lwakhe lwahamba ezifundeni zonke, ngokuba lowo muntu uMoridekayi wayelokhu ekhula njalo.

⁵AbaJuda baceka zonke izitha zabo ngokuceka kwenkemba, nangokubulala, nangokuchitha, benza kwababazondayo njengokuthanda kwabo.

⁶EShushani endlini yenkosi abaJuda babulala, bachitha abantu abangamakhulu ayisihlanu.

⁷Babulala noParishanidatha, noDalifoni, no-Asiphatha,

⁸noPhoratha, no-Adaliya, no-Aridatha,

⁹noPharimashita, no-Arisayi, no-Aridayi, noVayizatha,

¹⁰amadodana ayishumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, isitha sabaJuda, kepha ababekanga izandla zabo empangweni.

¹¹Ngalolo suku inani lababuleweyo eShushani endlini yenkosi lalethwa phambi kwenkosi.

¹²Inkosi yayisithi ku-Esteri inkosikazi: “AbaJuda babulele bachitha abantu abangamakhulu ayisihlanu eShushani endlini yenkosi namadodana ayishumi kaHamani; pho, benzeni kwezinye izifunda zenkosi? Isicelo sakho siyini? Uyakusenzelwa. Yini oyifunayo na? Kuyakwenziwa.”

¹³U-Esteri wathi: “Uma kukuhle enkosini, abaJuda abaseShushani mabavunyelwe nakusasa ukwenza njengomthetho wanamuhla, aphanyekwe amadodana ayishumi kaHamani emthini.”

¹⁴Inkosi yasho ukuba kwenziwe kanjalo; umthetho washaywa eShushani; bawaphanyeka amadodana ayishumi kaHamani.

¹⁵AbaJuda ababe seShushani babuthana nangosuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga ka-Adari, babulala abantu abangamakhulu amathathu eShushani, kepha ababekanga izandla zabo empangweni.

¹⁶Abanye abaJuda ababe sezifundeni zenkosi babuthana, bamela ukuphila kwabo, baphumula ezitheni zabo, babulala abayizinkulungwane ezingamashumi ayisikhombisa nanhlanu ababazondayo, kepha ababekanga izandla zabo empangweni.

¹⁷Lokho kwakungosuku lweshumi nantathu lwenyanga ka-Adari; ngosuku lweshumi nane lwayo baphumula, balwenza lwaba lusuku lwedili nolokuthokoza.

¹⁸Kepha abaJuda ababe seShushani babuthana ngolweshumi nantathu lwayo nangolweshumi nane lwayo; ngolweshumi nanhlanu lwayo baphumula, balwenza lwaba lusuku lwedili nolokuthokoza.

¹⁹Ngalokho abaJuda basemaphandleni ababehlezi emizaneni engabiyelwe benza usuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga ka-Adari lube ngolokuthokoza nolwedili nosuku oluhle nolokuthumelana izipho omunye komunye.

²⁰UMoridekayi waziloba lezo zindaba, wathuma izincwadi kubo bonke abaJuda ababe sezifundeni zonke zenkosi u-Ahashiveroshi, abaseduze nabakude,

²¹ukumisa ukuba bagcine usuku lweshumi nane lwenyanga ka-Adari nosuku lweshumi nanhlanu lwayo iminyaka yonke

²²njengezinsuku abaJuda abathola ngazo ukuphumula ezitheni zabo nenyanga eyaguqulwa kubo osizini yaba ngeyokuthokoza nasekulileni kwaba lusuku oluhle, bazenze zibe yizinsuku zedili nezokuthokoza nezokuthumelana izipho omunye komunye, kanye nezipho kwabampofu.

²³AbaJuda bakwamukela ukwenza lokho abakuqalileyo, nalokho ayekulobe kubo uMoridekayi,

²⁴ngokuba uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, isitha sabo bonke abaJuda, wayecebile ngabaJuda ukuba abachithe, waphonsa iPhure elinyinkatho ukuba abanqobe, abachithe;

²⁵kepha lapho lokho kwafika phambi kwenkosi, yasho ngencwadi ukuba lelo cebo elibi ayelicebe ngabaJuda libuyele ekhanda lakhe, yena namadodana akhe baphanyekwe emthini.

²⁶Ngalokho babiza lezo zinsuku ngokuthi iPhurimi ngegama lePhure. Ngalokho ngenxa yawo onke amazwi aleyo ncwadi, nangenxa yalokho abebekubonile ngale ndaba, nalokho okubehleleyo,

²⁷abaJuda banquma bamukela, bona nenzalo yabo, nabo bonke ababezihlanganisa nabo, ukuthi bayakugcina lezo zinsuku zombili njengokubhalwa kwazo nanjengesikhathi sazo esinqunyiweyo iminyaka yonke, bangaphuthi,

²⁸zikhunjulwe lezo zinsuku, zigcinwe ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane, emindenini ngemindeni, ezifundeni ngezifunda, emizini ngemizi, lezo zinsuku zePhurimi, zingaphuthi phakathi kwabaJuda, nesikhumbuzo sazo singapheli enzalweni yabo.

²⁹U-Esteri inkosikazi, indodakazi ka-Abihayili, noMoridekayi umJuda base beloba ngamandla onke ukuba baqinise le ncwadi yesibili yePhurimi.

³⁰Wathuma izincwadi kubo bonke abaJuda ezifundeni eziyikhulu namashumi amabili nesikhombisa zombuso ka-Ahashiveroshi, zinamazwi okuthula neqiniso,

³¹ukuba aqinise lezo zinsuku zePhurimi ngezikhathi zazo ezinqunyiweyo njengokuzimisa kukaMoridekayi umJuda no-Esteri inkosikazi, nanjengalokho bezimisele bona nenzalo yabo ngendaba yokuzila ukudla nokukhala kwabo.

³²Izwi lika-Esteri laqinisa lezo zindaba zePhurimi, kwalotshwa encwadini.