¹ Emva kwalokho lapho ulaka lwenkosi u -Ahashiveroshi selubohlile , yamkhumbula uVashiti nalokho akwenzileyo , nalokho okumenyezelwe ngaye. ² Zase zithi izinceku zenkosi ezaziyikhonza : Inkosi mayifunelwe izintombi ezibukekayo, ³ inkosi imise ababonisi ezifundeni zonke zombuso wakho ukuba babuthele ndawonye zonke izintombi ezibukekayo eShushani endlini yenkosi endlini yabesifazane phansi kwesandla sikaHegayi induna yenkosi , umgcini wabesifazane, zinikwe izinto zazo zokuqhola. ⁴ Intombi enhle emehlweni enk osi mayib e yinkosikazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti. Yaba nhle leyo nto emehlweni enkosi, yenze njalo. ⁵ Kwakukhona umuntu womJuda eShushani endlini yenkosi ogama lakhe lalinguMoridekayi kaJayire kaShimeyi kaKishi wakwaBenjamini, ⁶ owayethunjiwe eJerusalema kanye nabathu njwa ababethunjwe noJekoniya , inkosi yakwaJuda, owathunjwa nguNebukadinesari, inkosi yaseBabele. ⁷ Wayelokhu emondla uHadasa ongu -Esteri, indodakazi kayisekazi , ngokuba wayengenayise, engenanina; intombi yayiyinhle , yayibukeka; sebefile uyise nonina, uMoridekayi wayithatha yaba yindodakazi yakhe. ⁸ Kwathi lapho izwi lenkosi nesimemezelo sayo sekuzwakele , nalapho izintombi eziningi zibuthene eShushani endlini yenkosi phansi kwesandla sikaHegayi, u-Esteri wangeniswa endl ini yenkosi phansi kwesandla sikaHegayi, umgcini wabesifazane. ⁹ Intombi yayiyinhle emehlweni akhe , yafumana umusa kuye ; washesha wayinika izinto zokuqhola , nezabelo zayo , nezintombi eziyisikhombisa ezazikhethelwe yona zivela endlini yenkosi , wayiyisa yona nezintombi zayo endaweni enhle yendlu yabesifazane. ¹⁰ Kepha u-Esteri wayengakhulumanga ngabantu bakubo nangezihlobo zakhe , ngokuba uMoridekayi wayeyiyalile ukuba ingakusho. ¹¹ UMoridekayi wayehamba zonke izinsuku phambi kwegceke lendlu yabesifazane ukuba azi impilo ka-Esteri nokuthi kwenziwe njani kuye. ¹² Lapho kufika isikhathi sezintombi ngezintombi sokuba zingene enkosini u - Ahashiveroshi emva kokuba kwenziwe kuzo njengomthetho wabesifazane izinyanga eziyishumi nambili ngokuba zagcwalis wa kanjalo izinsuku zokuqholwa kwazo , izinyanga eziyisithupha ngamafutha emure nezinyanga eziyisithupha ngamakha nangezinto zokuqhola abesifazane ¹³ intombi yangena ngaleyo ndlela enkosini , nakho konke eyakushoyo yakunikwa ukuba iphume nakho endlini yabesifazane, iye endlini yenkosi. ¹⁴ Yangena khona kusihlwa ; ekuseni yabuyela endlini yesibili yabesifazane phansi kwesandla sikaShahashigazi , induna yenkosi , umgcini wezancinza , ingaphindi ingene enkosini , uma inkosi ingathokozanga ngayo , ibizwe ngegama. ¹⁵ Lapho sesifikile isikhathi sika -Esteri, indodakazi ka -Abihayili, uyisekazi kaMoridekayi omthathe ukuba abe yindodakazi yakhe sokuba angene enkosini, akafunanga lutho , kuphela lokho akushoyo uHegayi induna yenkosi, umgcini wabesifazane . U-Esteri wafumana umusa emehlweni abo bonke abambonayo. ¹⁶ U-Esteri wayeseyiswa enkosini u-Ahashiveroshi endlini yakhe yobukhosi ngenyanga yeshumi , eyinyanga kaThebeti , ngomnyaka wesikhombisa wokubusa kwayo. ¹⁷ Inkosi yamthanda u -Esteri phezu kwabo bonke abesifazane, wafumana umusa nesihe emehlweni ayo kunazo zonke izintombi , wamfaka umqhele wobukhosi, wamenza inkosikazi esikhundleni sikaVashiti. ¹⁸ Inkosi yayisizenzela zonke izikhulu zayo nezinceku zayo idili elikhulu , idili lika-Esteri, wanika izifunda uk uphumula, waphana ngezipho njengokupha kwenkosi. ¹⁹ Lapho izintombi sezibuthwa ngokwesibili , uMoridekayi wahlala esangweni lenkosi. ²⁰ U-Esteri wayengakalandi lutho ngezihlobo zakhe nangabantu bakhe , njengalokho uMoridekayi amyala ngakho , ngokuba u-Esteri wenza okushiwo nguMoridekayi njengalapho esondliwa nguye. ²¹ Ngalezo zinsuku uMoridekayi esahlezi esangweni lenkosi, izinduna ezimbili zenkosi oBigithani noThereshi kubalindisango zazithukuthele , zafuna ukubeka izandla enkosini u-Ahashiveroshi. ²² Leyo ndaba yaziwa nguMoridekayi , wayitshela u-Esteri inkosikazi; u-Esteri wayisho enkosini egameni likaMoridekayi. ²³ Lapho indaba iphenywa , kufunyanwa ukuthi injalo , zaphanyekwa zombili emthini; kwalotshwa encwadini yezindaba zemihla ngemihla phambi kwenkosi.