uEsta 1 - Ndebele Bible (iBhayibhili Elingcwele) 1978

Inkosikazi uVashiti uyala ukulalela inkosi uAhasuweru

1Ngensuku zikaAhasuweru, lowo owabusa kusukela eIndiya kuze kube seEtiyopiya, amazwe alikhulu lamatshumi amabili lesikhombisa,Ezra 4:6

2lapho esebusa esigodlweni sakhe iSusa,

3ngomnyaka wesithathu wokubusa kwakhe wenzela izikhulu zakhe lenceku zakhe zonke idili. Lapho induna zempi yakhe yasePerisiya laseMede, leziphathamandla zakhe, lababusi bamazwe, sebebuthene phambi kwakhe,

4watshengisa inotho yombuso wakhe lobukhulu lobucwazicwazi bobukhosi bakhe insuku ezinengi ezaba likhulu lamatshumi amaficaminwembili.

5Kwathi seziphelile lezonsuku, inkosi yenzela bonke abantu baseSusa umuzi omkhulu idili, bonke abakhulu labantukazana; lalenzelwe egumeni lendlu yenkosi, lathatha insuku eziyisikhombisa.

6Kwakulamaveli amhlophe lamakhetheni ayibubende elengiswe ngentambo zelembu elihle leliyibubende emasongweni esiliva ezinsikeni zelitshe elilukhuni. Kwakukhona lemibheda yegolide leyesiliva phezu kwendawo egandelweyo ngamtshe abomvu lamhlophe layibubende lamnyama.

7Banathela enkezweni zegolide, inkezo zenhlobo ezehlukeneyo, lewayini lenkosi laba linengi ngokuphana kwayo.

8Kwanathwa ngokomthetho, kungekho obanjwa ngamandla; ngoba inkosi yayilayile induna zonke zesigodlo sayo ukuba zenze njengokufisa kwabo bonke abantu.

9Inkosikazi uVashiti layo yenzela abesifazana idili esigodlweni senkosi uAhasuweru.

10Ngosuku lwesikhombisa, nxa inkosi isilomdlozela, yalaya oMehumani loBizitha loHaribona loBigitha loAbagitha loZethari loKarikasi, abathenwa abayisikhombisa ababeyisebenzela

11ukuba balethe inkosikazi uVashiti enkosini ethwele umqhele wakhe, ukuba itshengise abantu lezikhulu ubuhle bakhe, ngoba wayemuhle kakhulu.

12Kodwa inkosikazi uVashiti yala ukulilalela ilizwi lenkosi elalilethwe ngabathenwa. Inkosi yathukuthela ngalokhu, lolaka lwayo lwavutha.

13Inkosi yasicebisana lamadoda ahlakaniphileyo ayesazi imithetho, ngoba kwakungumkhuba wayo ukucebisana labo bonke abaziyo imithetho lokwahlulela,

14labo ababeseduze layo babengoKarishena loShethari loAdimatha loTarshishi loMeresi loMarisena loMemukani, beyizikhulu eziyisikhombisa zasePerisiya laseMede, ezaziyizo ezazivunyelwa ukuya enkosini, zilesikhundla esiphambili embusweni;

15yazibuza yathi: Umthetho uthi kungenziwani enkosikazini uVashiti ngokungalaleli kwayo ilizwi lenkosi uAhasuweru elalethwa kiyo ngabathenwa na?

16UMemukani wasephendula phambi kwenkosi lezikhulu esithi: Inkosikazi uVashiti wonile kungesikho enkosini kuphela, kodwa lasezinduneni zonke lebantwini bonke basemazweni wonke enkosi.

17Bonke abesifazana bazakuzwa lokhu inkosikazi ekwenzileyo, kubenze badelele omkabo, bathi: Inkosi uAhasuweru watshela inkosikazi uVashiti ukuba ize kuyo, kodwa kayizanga.

18Lamhlanje amakhosikazi amakhulu asePerisiya laseMede asezwile ngesenzo senkosikazi azatshela izikhulu zenkosi, kube khona ukungahloniphi lokuthukuthela okukhulu.

19Uba kulungile enkosini kayikhuphe umthetho wenkosi, kulotshwe emithethweni yamaPerisiya lamaMede, ungabuyi uphendulwe futhi, uthi uVashiti kasayikubuya eze enkosini uAhasuweru; inkosi inike isikhundla sakhe sobukhosikazi omunye owesifazana osifaneleyo kulaye.

20Kuzakuthi lapho umthetho wenkosi usumenyezelwe kuwo wonke umbuso wayo omkhulu, bonke abesifazana bazahlonipha omkabo, abakhulu labantukazana.

21Iseluleko sikaMemukani sayithokozisa inkosi lezikhulu; inkosi yenza njengokweluleka kwakhe.

22Kwathunyelwa izincwadi kuwo wonke amazwe enkosi, kuwo wonke amazwe ngokugwala kwawo lakubo bonke abantu ngolimi lwabo, ukuze ileyo laleyondoda ibuse umuzi wayo.