The King Allows the Jews to Fight for Their Lives
1That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther everything Haman had owned. Haman had been the enemy of the Jews. Esther had told the king that Mordecai was her cousin. So Mordecai came to see the king. 2The king took his ring off. It had his royal mark on it. He had taken it back from Haman. Now he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther put Mordecai in charge of everything Haman had owned.
3Esther made another appeal to the king. She fell at his feet and wept. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman, the Agagite. He had decided to kill the Jews. 4The king reached out his gold scepter toward Esther. She got up and stood in front of him.
5She said, “King Xerxes, I hope you will think what I’m asking is the right thing to do. I hope you are pleased with me. If you are, and if it pleases you, let an order be written. Let it take the place of the messages Haman wrote. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. He planned to kill the Jews. He wrote orders to destroy us in all your territories. 6I couldn’t stand by and see the horrible trouble that would fall on my people! I couldn’t stand to see my family destroyed!”
7King Xerxes gave a reply to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew. He said, “Haman attacked the Jews. So I’ve given Esther everything he owned. My men have stuck a pole through his dead body. And they’ve set it up where everyone can see it. 8Now write another order in my name. Do it for the benefit of the Jews. Do what seems best to you. Stamp the order with my royal mark. Nothing that is written in my name and stamped with my mark can ever be changed.”
9Right away the king sent for the royal secretaries. It was the 23rd day of the third month. That was the month of Sivan. They wrote down all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews. They also wrote them to the royal officials, the governors and the nobles of the 127 territories in his kingdom. The territories reached from India all the way to Cush. The orders were written down in the writing of each territory. They were written in the language of each nation. They were also written to the Jews in their own writing and language. 10Mordecai wrote the orders in the name of King Xerxes. He stamped them with the king’s royal mark. He sent them by messengers on horseback. They rode fast horses that were raised just for the king.
11The Jews in every city could now gather together and fight for their lives. The king’s order gave them that right. But suppose soldiers from any nation or territory attacked them, their women or children. Then the Jews could destroy, kill and wipe out those soldiers. They could also take the goods that belonged to their enemies. 12A day was appointed for the Jews to do that in all the king’s territories. It was the 13th day of the 12th month. That was the month of Adar. 13A copy of the order was sent out as law in every territory. It was announced to the people of every nation. So the Jews would be ready on that day. They could pay back their enemies.
14The messengers rode on the royal horses. They raced along. That’s what the king commanded them to do. The order was also sent out in the fort of Susa.
The Jews Win the Battle Over Their Enemies
15Mordecai left the king and went on his way. Mordecai was wearing royal clothes when he went. They were blue and white. He was also wearing a large gold crown. And he was wearing a purple coat. It was made out of fine linen. The city of Susa celebrated with great joy. 16The Jews were filled with joy and happiness. They were very glad because now they were being honored. 17They celebrated and enjoyed good food. They were glad and full of joy. That was true everywhere the king’s order came. It was true in every territory and every city. Many people from other nations announced that they had become Jews. That’s because they were so afraid of the Jews.
Àṣẹ ọba nítorí àwọn Júù
1Ní ọjọ́ kan náà ni ọba Ahaswerusi fún Esteri ayaba ní ilé e Hamani, ọ̀tá àwọn Júù. Mordekai sì wá síwájú ọba, nítorí Esteri ti sọ bí ó ṣe jẹ́ sí ọba. 2Ọba sì bọ́ òrùka dídán an rẹ̀, èyí tí ó ti gbà lọ́wọ́ Hamani ó sì fi fún Mordekai, Esteri sì yàn án gẹ́gẹ́ bí olórí ilé e Hamani.
3Esteri sì tún bẹ ọba lórí ìkúnlẹ̀, pẹ̀lú omijé lójú. Ó bẹ̀ ẹ́ kí ó fi òpin sí ètò búburú Hamani ará Agagi, èyí tí ó ti pète fún àwọn Júù. 4Nígbà náà ni ọba na ọ̀pá aládé wúrà sí Esteri ó sì dìde, ó dúró níwájú rẹ̀.
5Ó wí pé, “Bí ó bá wu ọba, tí ó bá sì bọ̀wọ̀ fún mi pẹ̀lú ojúrere tí ó sì rò pé ohun tí ó dára ni láti ṣe, tí ó bá sì ní inú dídùn pẹ̀lú mi, jẹ́ kí a kọ ìwé àṣẹ láti yí ète tí Hamani ọmọ Hammedata, ará Agagi, tí ó kọ́ pàṣẹ pé kí a pa àwọn Júù tí wọ́n wà ní gbogbo àgbáyé ìjọba ọba run. 6Nítorí báwo ni èmi yóò ṣe fi ara dà á tí èmi yóò sì rí kí ibi máa ṣubú lu àwọn ènìyàn mi? Báwo ni èmi yóò ṣe fi ara dà á, tí èmi yóò sì máa wo ìparun àwọn ìdílé mi?”
7Ọba Ahaswerusi dá Esteri ayaba àti Mordekai ará a Júù náà lóhùn pé, “Nítorí Hamani kọlu àwọn ará a Júù, èmi ti fi ilé e rẹ̀ fún Esteri, wọ́n sì ti ṣo ó kọ́ sórí igi. 8Nísinsin yìí, kọ ìwé àṣẹ mìíràn ní orúkọ ọba bí àwọn Júù ṣe jẹ́ pàtàkì sí ọ, kí o sì fi òrùka ọba ṣe èdìdì dì í, nítorí kò sí àkọsílẹ̀ tí a bá ti kọ ní orúkọ ọba tí a sì fi òrùka ọba ṣe èdìdì tí a lè yìí padà.”
9Lẹ́sẹ̀kan náà àwọn akọ̀wé ọba péjọ ní ọjọ́ kẹtàlélógún oṣù kẹta, oṣù Sifani. Wọ́n kọ gbogbo àṣẹ Mordekai sí àwọn Júù, àti sí àwọn alákòóso baálẹ̀ àti àwọn ọlọ́lá ìgbèríko mẹ́tà-dínláàádóje tí ó lọ láti India títí ó fi dé Kuṣi. Kí a kọ àṣẹ náà ní ìlànà bí ìgbèríko kọ̀ọ̀kan ṣe ń kọ̀wé àti bí èdè olúkúlùkù àti pẹ̀lú sí àwọn Júù ní ìlànà bí wọ́n ṣe ń kọ̀wé àti èdè e wọn. 10Mordekai sì fi àṣẹ ọba Ahaswerusi kọ̀wé, ó sì fi òrùka ọba ṣe èdìdì i rẹ̀, ó rán an lọ ní kíákíá, ó sì rán àwọn ìránṣẹ́ ayaba, tiwọn yára bí àṣà àwọn tí wọ́n ń gun ẹṣin tí ó yára, ní pàtàkì èyí tí a ń bọ́ fún ọba.
11Àṣẹ ọba sì dé ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn Júù ní gbogbo ìlú láti kó ara wọn jọ kí wọn sì dáàbò bo ara wọn; láti pa, láti run àti láti kọlu ogunkógun orílẹ̀-èdè kórílẹ̀ èdè kankan tàbí ìgbèríko tí ó bá fẹ́ kọlù wọ́n, àwọn obìnrin àti àwọn ọmọ wọn; kí ẹ sì kó gbogbo ohun ìní àwọn ọ̀tá wọn. 12Ọjọ́ tí a yàn fún àwọn Júù ní gbogbo agbègbè ọba Ahaswerusi láti ṣe nǹkan yìí ni ọjọ́ kẹtàlá èyí tí í ṣe oṣù kejìlá, oṣù Addari. 13Ọkàn ìwé àṣẹ náà ni kí a gbé jáde gẹ́gẹ́ bí òfin ní gbogbo ìgbèríko kí ẹ sì jẹ́ kí ó di mí mọ̀ fún gbogbo ènìyàn ìlú nítorí àwọn Júù yóò le è múra ní ọjọ́ náà láti gbẹ̀san fún ara wọn lára àwọn ọ̀tá wọn.
14Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni àwọn ìránṣẹ́ ayaba tiwọn yára bí àṣà tí wọ́n ń gun ẹṣin ọba, sáré jáde, wọ́n sáré lọ nípa àṣẹ ọba. A sì tún gbé àṣẹ náà jáde ní ilé ìṣọ́ ti Susa.
15Mordekai sì kúrò níwájú ọba, ó wọ aṣọ aláró àti funfun, ó dé adé e wúrà ńlá pẹ̀lú ìgbànú elése àlùkò dáradára, ìlú Susa sì ṣe àjọyọ̀ ńlá. 16Àsìkò ìdùnnú àti ayọ̀, inú dídùn àti ọlá ni ó jẹ́ fún àwọn Júù. 17Ní gbogbo ìgbèríko àti ní gbogbo ìlú, ní gbogbo ibi tí àṣẹ ọba dé, ni ayọ̀ àti inú dídùn ti wà láàrín àwọn Júù, wọ́n sì ń ṣe àsè àti àjọyọ̀. Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ àwọn ìlú tókù sọ ara wọn di Júù nítorí ẹ̀rù àwọn Júù bà wọ́n.
