1 Ngelanga letshumi lantathu ngenyanga yetshumi lambili, inyanga ethiwa ngu-Adari, isimemezelo somlayo wenkosi kwakufanele senziwe. Ngalelilanga izitha zamaJuda zazisithi zizakuwanqoba, kodwa akusayanga njengokucabangela kwabo ngoba amaJuda aba yiwo anqobayo. 2 AmaJuda abuthana emadolobheni awo kuzozonke izabelo zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru ukuhlasela labo ababefuna ukubachitha. Kakho owayengamelana labo, ngoba abantu bezizwe zonke ezinye babebesaba. 3 Ngakho zonke izikhulu zezabelo, iziphathamandla, ababusi kanye lezisebenzi zenkosi bancedisa amaJuda, ngoba besesaba uModekhayi.

4 UModekhayi wayesengumuntu omkhulu esigodlweni; udumo lwakhe lwamemetheka kuzozonke izabelo, waba lamandla amakhulu kakhulu.

5 AmaJuda acakaza izitha zawo zonke ngenkemba, enza intando yawo ezitheni ezaziwazonda.

6 Esigodlweni saseSusa, amaJuda abulala njalo achitha amadoda angamakhulu amahlanu.

7 Abulala njalo uPharishandatha, uDalifoni, u-Asiphatha, 8 uPhoratha, u-Adaliya, u-Aridatha, 9 uPharimashitha, u-Arisayi, u-Aridayi loVayizatha, 10 amadodana alitshumi kaHamani indodana kaHamedatha, isitha samaJuda. Kodwa abazange bayithathe impango.

11 Inani lalabo ababulawayo esigodlweni saseSusa labikwa enkosini ngalelolanga.

12 Inkosi yathi eNdlovukazini u-Esta, “AmaJuda asebulale njalo achitha amadoda angamakhulu amahlanu kanye lamadodana kaHamani alitshumi enqabeni yaseSusa. Kuyini asebekwenze kwezinye izabelo zenkosi? Tshono, siyini isicelo sakho? Uzakunikwa. Kuyini okucelayo na? Lakho uzakwenzelwa.”

13 U-Esta wathi, “Nxa kuyithokozisa inkosi, phana imvumo kubaJuda abaseSusa ukuthi benze isimiso somlayo lo kusasa njalo uvumele ukuba amadodana kaHamani alitshumi alengiswe esakhiweni sokulengisa.”

14 Inkosi yalaya ukuba kwenziwe lokho. Isimiso somlayo samenyezelwa eSusa, alengiswa amadodana kaHamani alitshumi. 15 AmaJuda aseSusa ahlangana ndawonye ngelanga letshumi lane ngenyanga ethiwa ngu-Adari, abulala amadoda angamakhulu amathathu eSusa, kodwa abazange bayithinte impango.

16 Kusenjalo, amaJuda ayesele ezabelweni zenkosi ahlangana ukuba azivikele lokuthi athole ukuphumula ezitheni zawo. Abulala izinkulungwane ezingamatshumi ayisikhombisa lanhlanu kodwa kawazange ayithinte impango.

17 Lokhu kwenzakala ngelanga letshumi lantathu ngenyanga ethiwa ngu-Adari, kwathi ngelanga letshumi lane aphumula alenza ilanga lentokozo ledili.

18 AmaJuda aseSusa wona ayehlangene ngelanga letshumi lantathu leletshumi lane, kwathi ngeletshumi lanhlanu aphumula alenza laba lilanga lentokozo lokudla.

19 Yikho amaJuda ahlala emaphandleni lemizini engelamithangala ethakazelela usuku lwetshumi lane olwenyanga ka-Adari njengelanga lentokozo ledili, ilanga lokuphana izipho.

20 UModekhayi wabhala ngalezizinto, wasethumela izincwadi kuwo wonke amaJuda kuzozonke izabelo zeNkosi u-Ahasuweru, eziseduze lezikhatshana, 21 ukuthi babeledili lokuthokoza minyaka yonke ngamalanga etshumi lane letshumi lanhlanu enyangeni ethiwa ngu-Adari 22 kube yisikhumbuzo sesikhathi lapho amaJuda athola khona ukuphumula ezitheni zawo, njalo kuyinyanga lapho usizi lwaba yintokozo lokulila kwaba lilanga lokujabula. Wawabhalela ukuba akhumbule lawo malanga abe zinsuku zokuthokoza lamadili njalo aphanane izipho zokudla kanye lokupha abayanga izipho.

23 Ngakho amaJuda avuma ukuqhubeka ngamadili entokozo ayewaqalile, esenza lokho uModekhayi ayewabhalele ngakho.

24 Ngoba uHamani indodana kaHamedatha, umʼAgagi, isitha samaJuda wonke, wayecebe ukuwachitha amaJuda njalo wayenze inkatho okuthiwa yiphuri eyadala ukubhujiswa lencithakalo yawo. 25 Kodwa kwathi icebo lelo selivelile enkosini, yathumela imilayo ebhaliweyo ukuthi amaqhinga amabi kaHamani ayekade ewamisele amaJuda acine esephendukela yena, njalo yena lamadodana akhe balengiswe endaweni eyakhelwe lokho.

26 (Ngakho amalanga lawo athiwa yiPhurimi, kusuka ebizweni elithi phuri.) Ngenxa yakho konke okubhalwe encwadini le lakho konke ababekubonile lokwakwenzakale kubo, 27 amaJuda akwenza umlandu wawo ukuthi aqalise umkhuba wokuthi wona kanye lezizukulwane zawo labo bonke abahlanganyela lawo kumele loba kutheni baphumule ngezinsuku lezi ezimbili minyaka yonke, ngendlela eyayimisiwe langesikhathi esasiqanjiwe. 28 Amalanga la kumele akhunjulwe njalo alandelwe kuzozonke izizukulwane zezimuli zonke, ezifundeni zonke lemadolobheni wonke. Akumelanga amalanga ePhurimi la ayekelwe ukuthakazelelwa ngamaJuda, loba ukuthi isikhumbuzo sawo sikhohlakale kumbe sitshabalale kuzizukulwane zawo.

29 Ngakho, iNdlovukazi u-Esta, indodakazi ka-Abhihayili, kanye loModekhayi umJuda, babhala ngegunya langamandla amakhulu beqinisekisa incwadi yesibili eyayimayelana lePhurimi. 30 UModekhayi wathumela izincwadi kubo bonke abangamaJuda ezifundeni ezilikhulu elilamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa (127) embusweni ka-Ahasuweru, amazwi okubafisela ukuthula lokubaqinisa, 31 ukuba lezinsuku zePhurimi ngezikhathi ezazimisiwe, njengokumemezela kukaModekhayi umJuda leNdlovukazi u-Esta, lanjengalokhu ababeziqalisele khona kanye lezizukulwane zabo mayelana lezikhathi zokuzila lokulila. 32 Isimemezelo sika-Esta saqinisa imithetho le emayelana lePhurimi, kwalotshwa phansi emibhalweni.