< Esther 3 >

1 And after this king Artaxerxes highly honored Aman [son] of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.
Emva kwalezizindaba inkosi uAhasuwerusi yamkhulisa uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, yamphakamisa, yabeka isihlalo sakhe phezu kwazo zonke iziphathamandla ezazilaye.
2 And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mardochaeus did not do him obeisance.
Ngakho zonke inceku zenkosi ezazisesangweni lenkosi zakhothama zamkhonza uHamani, ngoba inkosi yayilaye ngokunjalo ngaye. Kodwa uModekhayi kakhothamanga kakhonzanga.
3 And they in the king's palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why do you transgress the commands of the king?
Izinceku zenkosi ezazisesangweni lenkosi zasezisithi kuModekhayi: Kungani useqa umlayo wenkosi?
4 [Thus] they spoke daily to him, but he listened not to them; so they represented to Aman that Mardochaeus resisted the commands of the king: and Mardochaeus had shown to them that he was a Jew.
Kwasekusithi zikhuluma laye insuku ngensuku, kodwa engazizwanga, zamtshela uHamani ukuze zibone ukuthi amazwi kaModekhayi azakuma yini; ngoba wayezitshelile ukuthi ungumJuda.
5 And when Aman understood that Mardochaeus did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,
UHamani esebonile ukuthi uModekhayi kakhothamanga njalo kakhonzanga kuye, uHamani wagcwala intukuthelo.
6 and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.
Wesedelela emehlweni akhe ukumthela isandla uModekhayi yedwa, ngoba babemtshelile abantu bakibo kaModekhayi, ngakho uHamani wadinga ukuchitha wonke amaJuda, ayesembusweni wonke kaAhasuwerusi, abantu bakibo kaModekhayi.
7 And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to kill in one day the race of Mardochaeus: and the lot fell on the fourteenth [day] of the month which is Adar.
Ngenyanga yokuqala, eyinyanga uNisani, ngomnyaka wetshumi lambili wenkosi uAhasuwerusi, baphosa iPuri, eliyinkatho, phambi kukaHamani, kusukela osukwini kusiya osukwini, njalo kusukela enyangeni kusiya enyangeni yetshumi lambili, eyinyanga uAdari.
8 And he spoke to king Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered among the nations in all your kingdom, and their laws differ from [those of] all the [other] nations; and they disobey the laws of the king; and it is not expedient for the king to let them alone.
UHamani wasesithi enkosini uAhasuwerusi: Kukhona abantu abathile abahlakazeke basabalala phakathi kwabantu ezabelweni zonke zombuso wakho; lemilayo yabo yehlukile kweyabo bonke abantu, lemilayo yenkosi kabayenzi; ngakho kakufanelanga enkosini ukuthi ibayekele bahlale.
9 If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree to destroy them: and I will remit into the king's treasury ten thousand talents of silver.
Uba kulungile enkosini, kakubhalwe ukuthi bachithwe, njalo ngizalinganisa amathalenta esiliva azinkulungwane ezilitshumi ezandleni zabenzi bomsebenzi, ukuze afakwe kokuligugu kwenkosi.
10 And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.
Inkosi yasikhupha indandatho yophawu lwayo esandleni sayo, yayinika uHamani indodana kaHamedatha umAgagi, isitha samaJuda.
11 And the king said to Aman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as you will.
Inkosi yasisithi kuHamani: Isiliva usinikiwe, labantu, ukwenza ngabo njengokuhle emehlweni akho.
12 So the king's recorders were called in the first month, on the thirteenth [day], and they wrote as Aman commanded to the captains and governors in every province, from India even to Ethiopia, to a hundred and twenty-seven provinces; and to the rulers of the nations according to their [several] languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes.
Kwasekubizwa ababhali benkosi ngenyanga yokuqala ngosuku lwetshumi lantathu lwayo; kwasekubhalwa njengakho konke uHamani ayekulayile, ezikhulwini zenkosi lakubabusi ababephezu kwesabelo lesabelo, lakuziphathamandla zesizwe lesizwe sesabelo lesabelo, njengokombhalo waso, labantu ngabantu ngokolimi lwabo; kwabhalwa ebizweni lenkosi uAhasuwerusi, kwananyathiselwa ngendandatho yophawu lwenkosi.
13 And [the message] was sent by posts throughout the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to destroy utterly the race of the Jews on the first day of the twelfth month, which is Adar, and to plunder their goods.
Incwadi zathunyelwa ngesandla sezigijimi kuzo zonke izabelo zenkosi ukuchitha, ukubulala, lokubhubhisa wonke amaJuda, kusukela komutsha kusiya komdala, abantwanyana labesifazana, ngasuku lunye, ngolwetshumi lantathu lwenyanga yetshumi lambili, eyinyanga uAdari, lokuthi kuphangwe impahla yawo.
14 And the copies of the letters were published in every province; and an order was given to all the nations to be ready against that day.
Ikhophi yombhalo yokuthi umlayo unikwe kuso sonke isabelo ngesabelo yayisobala kubo bonke abantu ukuze balungele lolosuku.
15 And the business was hastened, and [that] at Susa: and the king and Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled.
Izigijimi zaphuma ziphangisiswa yilizwi lenkosi, lomthetho wanikwa eShushani isigodlo. Inkosi loHamani basebehlalela ukunatha, kodwa umuzi iShushani wawusanganisekile.

< Esther 3 >