U-Esta
5 Ngelanga lesithathu+ u-Esta wagqoka ezesikhosini wayakuma maqondana lendlu yenkosi egumeni elingaphakathi, esigodlweni senkosi.* Inkosi yona yayihlezi esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi endlini yayo ikhangele emnyango. 2 Inkosi yathi imbona u-Esta emi egumeni yathokoza ngaye, yelulela kuye intonga yayo yegolide+ eyayiyiphethe. U-Esta wasesondela wathinta isihloko sentonga.
3 Inkosi yambuza yathi: “Kutheni Ndlovukazi Esta? Kuyini okucelayo? Lanxa kungaba yingxenye yombuso wami, uzakuphiwa!” 4 U-Esta waphendula wathi: “Nxa inkosi ithanda, bengicela ukuthi inkosi kanye loHamani+ babuye lamuhla edilini engilenzele inkosi.” 5 Yikho inkosi yathi ezincekwini zayo: “Tshelani uHamani abuye masinyane ukuze kwenziwe okucelwa ngu-Esta.” Inkosi loHamani basebesiya edilini elalenziwe ngu-Esta.
6 Bathi besanatha iwayini edilini, inkosi yathi ku-Esta: “Tshono okufunayo. Uzakuphiwa! Kuyini okucelayo? Lanxa kungaba yingxenye yombuso wami, uzakuphiwa okucelayo!”+ 7 U-Esta waphendula wathi, “Isikhalazo sami lesicelo sami yilesi: 8 Nxa ngithole umusa kuwe nkosi njalo nxa kuyithokozisa inkosi ukuzwa isikhalazo sami lokwenza engikucelayo, inkosi loHamani kababuye kusasa edilini engizabenzela lona. Kusasa ngizakwenza lokho inkosi ekutshoyo.”
9 Mhlalokho uHamani wahamba ethabe efile, inhliziyo yakhe ichelesile. Kodwa uHamani wathi ebona uModekhayi egedini lenkosi njalo enanzelela ukuthi kasukumi nxa embona lokuthi kamqhuqhi ngitsho, wamzondela kakhulu uModekhayi.+ 10 Kodwa uHamani wazibamba waya endlini yakhe, wasethumela ilizwi ebiza abangane bakhe lomkakhe uZereshi.+ 11 UHamani wazitshaya isifuba ngenotho yakhe enengi langamadodana akhe amanengi+ langokuthi inkosi yayimphakamisile yamnika isikhundla esiphezu kwazo zonke iziphathamandla lezinceku zenkosi.+
12 UHamani waphinda wathi: “Phezu kwalokho yimi ngedwa zwi enginxuswe yiNdlovukazi u-Esta ukuthi ngizokuba lenkosi edilini elenzileyo.+ Lakusasa nginxusiwe futhi ukuthi ngizokuba layo kanye lenkosi.+ 13 Kodwa konke lokhu akungisuthisi ngitsho nxa ngilokhu ngibona uModekhayi umJuda ehlezi egedini lenkosi.” 14 Ngakho umkakhe uZereshi labo bonke abangane bakhe bathi kuye: “Wothi kumiswe ugodo, lube zingalo ezingu-50* ubude. Ekuseni utshele inkosi ukuthi uModekhayi alengiswe kulo,+ ubusuzihambela-ke lenkosi uyezikholisela edilini.” UHamani walibona lilihle kakhulu icebo leli wasehlela ukuthi ugodo lolo lumiswe.