1Kwathi ngosuku lwesithathu, u-Esteri wagqoka ingubo yobundlovukazi, wema egcekeni lesigodlo senkosi elingaphakathi, eliqondene nendlu yenkosi. Inkosi yayihleli esihlalweni sayo sobukhosi, iqondene nesango elingenela esigodlweni.
2Ithe ukuba inkosi ibone indlovukazi u-Esteri imi egcekeni, yaba nomusa kuyo. Yayikhomba ngentonga yegolide eyayiyiphethe ngesandla. U-Esteri waya kuyo, wathinta isihloko sentonga yobukhosi.
3Inkosi yathi kuye: “Kwenzenjani, ndlovukazi Esteri na? Ukhala ngani? Noma yini oyicelayo, ngisho kungaba yingxenye yombuso, uyoyinikwa.”
4U-Esteri wathi: “Uma kukuhle enkosini, mayize inkosi noHamani namuhla edilini engiyilungisele lona.”
5Inkosi yathi: “Phuthumani nibize uHamani ukuze sikwazi ukwenza lokho okucelwe ngu-Esteri.” Inkosi noHamani base beya edilini elalilungiswe ngu-Esteri.
6Besaphuza iwayini, inkosi yathi ku-Esteri: “Ucelani na? Uzoyenzelwa. Ukhala ngani? Ngisho ingxenye yombuso uyoyinikwa.”
7U-Esteri wayesephendula wathi: “Nasi isicelo sami nengikunxusayo:
8uma ngingathola umusa kuwe nkosi, ungenzele engikucelayo nengikunxusayo, makuthi inkosi noHamani beze kusasa edilini engizobe ngibalungisele lona, ngizobe sengenza njengokusho kwenkosi.”
9UHamani waphuma esigodlweni ejabule, umoya wakhe uthe cosololo ngalolo lusuku, kodwa kuthe lapho ebona uMoridekhayi esangweni lesigodlo, engamsukumeli noma athuthumele lapho embona, wagcwala intukuthelo, ethukuthelela uMoridekhayi,
10kodwa wazibamba, wahamba waqonda emzini wakhe, wathumela, waqoqa abangani bakhe nomkakhe uZereshi,
11waqhosha ngomcebo wakhe omkhulu, namadodana amaningi, nezikhundla zonke inkosi embeke kuzo, nokuthi imenze wamkhulu phezu kwezikhulu nabaholi.
12UHamani wathi: “Ngisho nendlovukazi u-Esteri ayimemanga muntu omunye edilini ngaphandle kwami nenkosi, nakusasa ngiyaphindela, mina nenkosi isimemile,
13kodwa konke lokho akungenelisi uma nje ngisabona uMoridekhayi, umJuda, ehleli esangweni lesigodlo senkosi.”
14Umkakhe uZereshi nabo bonke abangani bakhe bathi kuye: “Tshela abantu bagxumeke isigxobo sokuphanyeka esingamakhubhithi angama-50 ubude, bese ucela enkosini ekuseni ukuba kulengiswe kuso uMoridekhayi, uhambe nenkosi uyozitika ukhululekile.” Leso seluleko samthokozisa uHamani, wayesesenza isiphanyeko.