UEstere Chapter 3

1. Emveni kwezo zinto, ukumkani uAhaswerosi wamenza mkhulu uHaman unyana kaHamedata, umAgagi; wamphakamisa, wasimisa isihlalo sakhe ngaphezu kwabathetheli bonke ababenaye.

2. Bonke abakhonzi bokumkani, ababesesangweni lokumkani, babeguqa, baqubude kuHaman; kuba wenjenjalo ukumkani ukuwisa umthetho ngaye; ke yena uMordekayi akaguqa, akaqubuda kuye.

3. Abakhonzi bokumkani, ababesesangweni lokumkani, bathi kuMordekayi, Yini na ukuba uwugqithe umthetho wokumkani?

4. Kwathi ke, bakumana ukutsho kuye imihla ngemihla, engaphulaphuli kubo, bamxelela uHaman, ukukhangela ukuba aya kuma na amazwi kaMordekayi. Kuba ubebaxelele ukuba yena ungumYuda.

5. Wabona uHaman ukuba uMordekayi akaguqi, akaqubudi kuye; wasuka uHaman wazala ngumsindo.

6. Wakucekisa ukuba amse izandla uMordekayi yedwa; kuba ubebaxelelwe abantu bakuloMordekayi; wangxamela ke uHaman ukuwatshabalalisa onke amaYuda abesebukumkanini bonke buka-Ahaswerosi, abantu bakuloMordekayi.

7. Ngenyanga yokuqala (yinyanga enguNisan ke leyo), ngomnyaka weshumi elinesibini wokumkani uAhaswerosi, kwawiswa iPuri (liqashiso ke elo) phambi koHaman, imini ngemini, inyanga ngenyanga, yada yaba yeyeshumi elinesibini; yinyanga enguAdare ke leyo.

8. Wathi uHaman kukumkani uAhaswerosi, Kukho abantu abathile abathe saa, abangene phakathi kwezizwe emazweni onke obukumkani bakho; nemithetho yabo yahlukile kweyabantu bonke, abayenzi imithetho yokumkani; akufanelekile kukumkani ukubayeka.

9. Ukuba kuthe kwalunga kukumkani, makubhalwe batshatyalaliswe. Ndolinganisela ezandleni zabawenzayo loo msebenzi wokumkani amawaka alishumi eetalente zesilivere, ukuba ziziswe ebutyebini bokumkani.

10. Ukumkani wawukhulula umsesane wakhe esandleni sakhe, wawunika uHaman unyana kaHamedata, umAgagi, umbandezeli wamaYuda.

11. Wathi ukumkani kuHaman, Uyinikiwe isilivere leyo, nabantu abo; makwenziwe kubo ngoko kulungileyo emehlweni akho.

12. Kwabizwa ke ababhali bokumkani ngenyanga yokuqala, ngomhla weshumi elinesithathu kuyo. Kwabhalwa ngokomthetho wonke kaHaman, kwiirhuluneli zokumkani, nakumabamba abephethe amazwe ngamazwe, nakubathetheli babantu ngabantu, kumazwe ngamazwe ngokokubhala kwawo, kubantu ngabantu ngokweentetho zabo. Kwabhalwa egameni lokumkani uAhaswerosi, kwatywinwa ngomsesane wokumkani.

13. Zathunyelwa iincwadi ngezigidimi kumazwe onke okumkani, ukuba kutshatyalaliswe, kubulawe, kusingelwe phantsi onke amaYuda, kuthabathele kumfana, kuse kwindoda enkulu, iintsana nabafazi, ngamini-nye, ngomhla weshumi elinesithathu wenyanga yeshumi elinesibini (yinyanga enguAdare ke leyo); kuphangwe amaxhoba awo.

14. Intetho yencwadi leyo, yokuze awiselwe umthetho onke amazwe ngamazwe, yaya yathunyelwa kwizizwe zonke, ukuba zihlale ziwulungiselelwe loo mhla.

15. Izigidimi zaphuma zingxamile ngelizwi lokumkani; umthetho lowo wawiswa eShushan komkhulu. Ke ukumkani noHaman bahlala phantsi, basela; wona umzi waseShushan wadideka.