1 Ngalobobusuku inkosi yaswela ubuthongo; ngakho yalaya ukuba kulethwe kuyo ugwalo lwemiLando, imibhalo yombuso wayo, izobalelwa. 2 Kwatholakala emibhalweni ukuba uModekhayi wayeveze ukuba uBhigithani loThereshi, abathenwa benkosi ababelinda entubeni, babecebe ukubulala inkosi u-Ahasuweru.

3 Inkosi yathi, “UModekhayi wazuza dumo bani lokwaziwa ngalokhu?” Izinceku zenkosi zathi, “Akulalutho alwenzelwayo.”

4 Inkosi yasisithi, “Ngubani osenkundleni na?” UHamani wayesanda kungena enkundleni yangaphandle yesigodlo ezokhuluma lenkosi mayelana lokulengisa uModekhayi endaweni ayeyakhele lokho.

5 Izinceku zayo zathi, “UHamani umi enkundleni.” Inkosi yalaya yathi, “Mngeniseni.”

6 UHamani esengenile, inkosi yathi kuye, “Kuyini okungenzelwa umuntu inkosi ethokoza ngaye ukuba imuphe udumo?”

UHamani wacabanga ngaphakathi wathi, “Kambe ngubani ongaphiwa udumo yinkosi ngaphandle kwami?” 7 Ngakho waphendula inkosi wathi, “Emuntwini inkosi ethokoza ngaye ukuba imuphe udumo, 8 kabamlethele isembatho sobukhosi esesake sagqokwa yinkosi kanye lebhiza eselake lagadwa yinkosi, elilomqhele wobukhosi ekhanda lalo. 9 Isembatho leso kanye lebhiza kakube sezandleni zesinye sezikhulu zenkosi ezihloniphekayo kakhulu. Umuntu lo inkosi ethokoza ngaye efuna ukumupha udumo kagqokiswe lezozembatho, abesekhokhelwa edabula phakathi kwemigwaqo yedolobho egade ibhiza, kumenyezwe phambi kwakhe ukuthi, ‘Lokhu yikho okwenziwa emuntwini inkosi ethokoza ngaye ukuba imuphe udumo!’ ”

10 Inkosi yasilaya uHamani yathi, “Hamba khona manje uyethatha izembatho kanye lebhiza wenze njengokucebisa kwakho kuModekhayi umJuda ohlezi esangweni lenkosi. Ungaze watshiya loba yikuphi okuqambileyo.”

11 UHamani wasethatha izembatho kanye lebhiza. Wamgqokisa uModekhayi, wasemkhokhela ephezu kwebhiza, wadabula imigwaqo yedolobho, ehamba ememeza esithi, “Lokhu yikho okwenziwa emuntwini inkosi ethokoza ngaye ukuba imuphe udumo!”

12 Ngemva kwalokho uModekhayi wabuyela esangweni lenkosi. Kodwa uHamani watshitsha waya ngekhaya, emboze ikhanda ngosizi, 13 watshela uZereshi umkakhe kanye labangane bakhe bonke ngakho konke okwakumehlele. Abeluleki bakhe lomkakhe uZereshi bathi kuye, “Njengoba uModekhayi osuqale ukuwa phambi kwakhe engumJuda ngokwemvelo, awungeke umelane laye, uzatshabalala ngempela.” 14 Kwathi besakhuluma laye, kwafika abathenwa benkosi bamthatha masinyane ukuya edilini elalilungiswe ngu-Esta.

<- U-Esta 5U-Esta 7 ->