¹ Ngemuva kwaletintfo leti, lapho intfukutseli yenkhosi Ahasuerus lwehla, wacabanga nga Vashti kanye nalakwentile. Waphindze wacabanga ngalesivumelwano lasente kuye. ² Kwase emadvodza lamancane enkhosi lamsebentelako atsi, ''Vumelani kwentiwe lucwaningo lwenkhosi lwemajiji lamahle lamancane. ³ Vumelani inkhosi ibeke bogadzi kulo lonkhe live lelingephansi kwembuso wakhe, batohlanganyela ndzawonye onkhe ematjitji lamahle lamancane lakuhlala khona bafati besitsembu ehlashaneni e Susa. Bafakeni phansi kwenakekelo ya Hegai, sitfunywa senkhosi, lobuke labafati, ebese ubanika tintfo tabo. ⁴ Bese lentfombatane lencane letfokotisa inkhosi ibe indlovukati esikhundleni sa Vashti.'' Leseluleko sayitfokotisa inkhosi, futsi wase wenta njalo. ⁵ Bekunemu Juda mumbe kulelihlashana lase Suse libito lakhe lebekungu Mordecai indvodzana ya Jair indvodzana ya Shimei indvodzana ya Kish, lobeka ngumBenjamin. ⁶ Lowasuswa eJerusalema nalabacoshwa kanye nalabo labatsatfwa nema Jehoiachin, inkhosi yaka Juda, lona inkhosi Nebuchadnezzar inkhosi yema Babylonia wabatsatsa. ⁷ Abenakekela Hadassah, lokungu, Esther, indvodzakati yemnakaboyise, ngoba ebete uyise nobe unina. Lentfombatane lencane beyinesitfombo lesihle utsi beyitsandzeka. Mordecai wamtsatsa kuhle kwemtfwanakhe. ⁸ Latsi luhlelo nemtsetfo wenkhosi wakhishwa, lamanyenti emantfombatana lamancane aletfwa kulelihlashana la Susa. Babekwa phansi kwenakekelo ya Hegai. Esther waphindze watsatfwa wayiswa esigodleni senkhosi wabekwa phansi kwenakekelo ya Hegai, umboni webesifazane. ⁹ Lentfombatama lencane yamtfokotisa, yase itfola bubele naye. Ngekushesha wanika titsako nencenye yekudla. Wamunika tisebenti temantfombatan lasikhombisa lasuka esigodlweni senkhosi, wase uyayisusa kanye naletisebenti temantfombatane wabayisa endzaweni lencono kulendlu webesifazane. ¹⁰ Esther abekangaka tjeli muntfu ngebantfu bakhe nobe tinini takhe kutsi bobani, ngoba Mordecai babemtjele kutsi angasho. ¹¹ Onkhe malanga Mordecai abehamba aya emuva nasembili kulelibala ngaphandle kwendlu yebesifazane, kufundza kutsi Esther uphila kanjani, futsi nekutsi kutawentiwani kuye. ¹² Uma kufuka kuncandzeka kwanyayinye nyayinye intfombatana kuya enkhosini Ahasuerus-kumatanisa ngemitsetfo webesifazana, intfombatanye nyayinye bekumele icedze tinyanga letilishumi nakubili yekutakha, tinyanga letisitfupha ¹³ ngesigcobo ¹⁴ Ebusuku bekumele angene, bese ekuseni abuyele emuva endlini yesibili yebesifazane, phansa Shaashgaz, sitfunywa senkhosi, lobekabuke tigcili temantfombatane. Angeke phindze abuyele enkhosini ngaphandle nakatfokote kakhulu ngaye phindze amubite. ¹⁵ Nyalo kwefika sikhatsi ku Esther (indvodzakati ya Abihail, malume wa Mordecai, lamfaka esiswini) kutsi aye enkhosini, akavelanga lutfo kodvwa Hegai sitfunwa senkhosi, lobeka buke besifazana, wabeka umbono. nyalo Esther wamukela bubele babo bonkhe lebebambonile. ¹⁶ Esther watsatfwa wayiswa enkhosini Ahasuerus ekhatsi esigodlweni enyangeni yelishumi, lokuyinyanga ya Tebeth, emyakeni wesikhombisa wekubusa kwakhe. ¹⁷ Inkhosi beyimtsandza Esther kakhulu kunalabanye bafati wase utfola kwamukelwa kanye nebubele phambi kwakhe, ngetulu kwawo onkhe ematjitji. Ngako wabeka umchele webukhosi enhloko yakhe wase umbeka waba yindlovukati esikhundleni sa vashti. ¹⁸ Inkhosi yanika sidlo lesikhulu setitfunwa kanye netisebenti takh etonkhe, '''Sodlo sa Esther'' wase ukhokha kukhululeka emtselweni kulemimango. Wase unika tipho ngemuso webukhosi. ¹⁹ Nyalo njengoba ematjitji bese abutsiswe ndzawonye kwesibili, Mordecai abehleti esangweni lenkhosi. ²⁰ Esther abengakatisi muntfu ngesinini sakhe nobe bantfu bakhe, njengoba Mordecai alayetele. Wachubeka walandzela seluleko sa Mordecai, njengoba enta nakasamkhulisa. ²¹ Kulawo malanga, uma Mordecai ahleli esangweni lenkhosi, timbili titfunywa tenkhosi, Bigthana kanye na Teresh, lababuka umnyango, batfukutsela basonga kulimata inkhosi Ahasueerus. ²² Uma lendzaba bayiveta ku Mordecai, watjela indlovukati Esther, wase Esther ukhuluma enkhosini egameni la Mordecai. ²³ Lombiko wacwaningwa wase uyavinwa, kwase omabili emadvodza alengiswa kumagaloni. Lombhalo wabhalwa encwadzini yema khronikephambi kwenkhosi.