< U-Esta 6 >

1 Ngalobobusuku ubuthongo benkosi babaleka; yasisithi kakulethwe ugwalo lwezikhumbuzo lwemilando; yasibalwa phambi kwenkosi.
On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.
2 Kwasekutholakala kubhaliwe ukuthi uModekhayi wabika ngoBigithana loTereshi, abathenwa ababili benkosi, abalindi bombundu, ababedinge ukwelulela isandla enkosini uAhasuwerusi.
It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
3 Inkosi yasisithi: Dumo lobukhulu bani obenziwa kuModekhayi ngalokhu? Izinceku zenkosi ezaziyikhonza zasezisithi: Kakwenziwanga lutho kuye.
The king said, “What honour and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4 Inkosi yasisithi: Ngubani osegumeni? UHamani wayesengene egumeni elingaphandle lendlu yenkosi ukukhuluma enkosini ukuthi ilengise uModekhayi egodweni ayemlungisele lona.
The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 Izinceku zenkosi zasezisithi kuyo: Khangela, uHamani umi egumeni. Inkosi yasisithi: Kangene.
The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman stands in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.”
6 UHamani wasengena; inkosi yasisithi kuye: Kwenziweni kumuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe? UHamani wasesithi enhliziyweni yakhe: Ngubani inkosi engathokoza ukumnika udumo okwedlula mina?
So Haman came in. The king said to him, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honour?” Now Haman said in his heart, “Who would the king delight to honour more than myself?”
7 UHamani wasesithi enkosini: Umuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe,
Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honour,
8 kakulethwe isembatho sobukhosi inkosi uqobo esigqokayo, lebhiza inkosi eligadayo, lokuthi umqhele wobukhosi ubekwe enhlokweni yalo;
let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.
9 lesembatho lebhiza kunikwe esandleni somunye weziphathamandla zenkosi ezihloniphekayo, lokuthi bagqokise lowomuntu inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe, bamgadise ibhiza adabule igceke lomuzi, bamemeze phambi kwakhe bathi: Kwenziwa nje emuntwini inkosi ethokoza ngodumo lwakhe.
Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honour with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honour!’”
10 Inkosi yasisithi kuHamani: Phangisa thatha isembatho lebhiza njengokutsho kwakho, wenze njalo kuModekhayi umJuda ohlala esangweni lenkosi; kungawi lalizwi kukho konke okukhulumileyo.
Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.”
11 UHamani wasethatha isembatho lebhiza, wagqokisa uModekhayi, wamgadisa wadabula igceke lomuzi, wamemeza phambi kwakhe wathi: Kwenziwa nje emuntwini inkosi ethokoza kudumo lwakhe.
Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honour!”
12 Wasebuyela uModekhayi esangweni lenkosi, kodwa uHamani wahaluzela waya endlini yakhe elila embomboze ikhanda.
Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
13 UHamani wasetshela uZereshi umkakhe labo bonke abangane bakhe konke okumehleleyo. Abahlakaniphileyo bakhe loZereshi umkakhe basebesithi kuye: Uba uModekhayi engowenzalo yamaJuda, osuqalise ukuwa phambi kwakhe, kawuyikumelana laye, kodwa uzakuwa lokuwa phambi kwakhe.
Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.”
14 Besakhuluma loHamani, abathenwa benkosi basondela, bahaluzela ukuletha uHamani edilini uEsta ayelenzile.
While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

< U-Esta 6 >