¹Zvino Modhekai akati achinzwa zvose zvaitwa, Modhekai ndokubvarura nguvo dzake, akafuka masaga nokuisa madota pamusoro wake, akapinda pakati peguta, akachema nokuchema kukuru kunorwadza moyo;

²akasvikawo pamberi pesuwo ramambo; nekuti akafuka masaga haana kutenderwa kupinda pasuwo ramambo.

³Naparutivi rumwe norumwe rwenyika pose pakasvika murayiro wamambo nechirevo chake, pakanga panokuchema kukuru pakati pavaJudha, nokutsanya, nokuchema misodzi, nokuungudza; vazhinji vakavata pasi vakafuka masaga nokuzviisa madota pamisoro.

⁴Zvino vasikana vaEsiteri navaranda vake vakandomuudza izvozvo; vahosi vakabatwa neshungu kwazvo, vakatumira Modhekai nguvo, kuti adzifuke, abvise masaga; asi wakaramba kudzigamuchira.

⁵Ipapo Esiteri akadana Hataki, mumwe wavaranda vamambo, waakanga araira kumubatira, akamuraira kuti aende kuna Modhekai kundonzwa kuti chinyi, uye mhaka yeiko.

⁶Ipapo Hataki akaenda kuna Modhekai padare reguta, rakanga riri pamberi pesuwo ramambo.

⁷Modhekai akamuudza zvose zvaakaitirwa, nokuwanda kwemari yakanzi naHamani kuti achaiisa muzvivigiro zvamambo kuti vaJudha vaparadzwe.

⁸Akamupawo mashoko orunyoro rwechirevo chakanga chatemwa paShushani chokuti vaparadzwe, kuti achiratidze Esiteri nokumuzivisa izvozvo; akamurairawo kuti apinde kuna mambo amunyengetere nokukumbirira vanhu vake kwaari.

⁹Hataki akandoudza Esiteri mashoko aModhekai.

¹⁰Ipapo Esiteri akataura naHataki, akamupa shoko rokundoudza Modhekai, akati,

¹¹Varanda vose vamambo navanhu vamativi enyika dzamambo vanoziva kuti ani naani, kunyange murume kana mukadzi, akapinda kuna mambo muruvanze rwomukati asina kudamwa, kunongova nomurau mumwe woga kwaari, kuti aurawe; asi kana mambo akamutambanudzira tsvimbo yendarama, achararama hake; asi ini handina kudamwa kuti ndipinde kuna mambo mazuva ano ana makumi matatu.

¹²Vakaudza Modhekai mashoko aEsiteri.

¹³Ipapo Modhekai akavaraira kuti vapindure Esiteri, vati, Usati iwe uchapukunyuka mumba mamambo kupfuura vamwe vaJudha vose.

¹⁴Nekuti kana iwe ukanyarara chose nenguva ino, vaJudha vachabatsirwa nokurwirwa nomumwe mutowo, asi iwe neimba yababa vako muchaparadzwa; handiti, zvimwe wakasvika paushe nokuda kwenguva inenge seino here?

¹⁵Ipapo Esiteri akaraira kuti vapindure Modhekai, vati,

¹⁶Endai mukokere vaJudha vose vari paShushani, muzvinyime zvokudya nokuda kwangu; regai kudya kana kumwa mazuva matatu, usiku namasikati; neniwo navasikana vangu tichatsanya saizvozvo; ipapo ndichapinda kuna mambo, kunyange zvisina kutenderwa nomurau; kana ndikaparara, ndaparara hangu.

¹⁷Naizvozvo Modhekai akaenda hake akandoita zvose zvaakarairwa naEsiteri.