Haman’s plot to destroy the Jews
1After these events, King Xerxes honoured Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him and giving him a seat of honour higher than that of all the other nobles. 2All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honour to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour.
3Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, ‘Why do you disobey the king’s command?’ 4Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behaviour would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
5When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honour, he was enraged. 6Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
7In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on3:7 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have And the lot fell on. the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. 9If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents3:9 That is, about 340 metric tons of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.’
10So the king took his signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11‘Keep the money,’ the king said to Haman, ‘and do with the people as you please.’
12Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed with his own ring. 13Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews – young and old, women and children – on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. 14A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that they would be ready for that day.
15The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was bewildered.
Chiwembu cha Hamani Chopha a Yuda
1Zitachitika izi, mfumu Ahasiwero anamukweza Hamani mwana wa Hamedata Mwagagi, anamulemekeza ndikumupatsa mpando wa ulemu kuposa nduna zina zonse. 2Atumiki onse a mfumu amene anali pa chipata cha nyumba ya mfumu ankagwadira ndi kuweramira Hamani monga mwa lamulo la mfumu. Koma Mordekai sankamugwadira kapena kumuweramira.
3Kenaka atumiki a mfumu amene anali pa chipata anafunsa Mordekai kuti, “Kodi nʼchifukwa chiyani sumvera lamulo la mfumu?” 4Tsiku ndi tsiku ankayankhula naye koma iye sanamverebe. Choncho anamuwuza Hamani kuti aone ngati angavomereze khalidwe lotere la Mordekai, popeza anawawuza kuti anali Myuda.
5Hamani ataona kuti Mordekai sankamugwadira kapena kumuweramira, anapsa mtima kwambiri. 6Hamani atamva kuti Mordekai anali Myuda, anatsimikiza kuti ndi kosakwanira kulanga Mordekai yekha. Mʼmalo mwake anapeza njira yowonongera Ayuda onse okhala mʼdziko lonse limene mfumu Ahasiwero ankalamulira.
7Mwezi woyamba, umene ndi mwezi wa Nisani, chaka cha khumi ndi chiwiri cha ufumu wa Ahasiwero anachita maere, otchedwa Purimu pamaso pa Hamani kuti apeze tsiku ndi mwezi woyenera. Ndipo maere anagwera pa mwezi wa khumi ndi chiwiri ndiwo mwezi wa Adara.
8Kenaka Hamani anakawuza mfumu Ahasiwero kuti, “Pali mtundu wina wa anthu umene unabalalika ndipo wamwazikana pa mitundu ina mʼzigawo zonse za ufumu wanu umene miyambo yawo ndi yosiyana ndi ya anthu ena onse ndiponso amene safuna kumvera malamulo a mfumu, kotero si chinthu cha phindu kuti mfumu iwalekerere anthu otere. 9Ngati chingakukomereni mfumu, ikani lamulo kuti tiwawononge, ndipo ndidzalipira matalente 10,000 asiliva mosungiramo chuma cha mfumu za anthu amene adzachite ntchito imeneyi.”
10Choncho mfumu inavula mphete yodindira ku chala chake ndi kumupatsa Hamani mwana wa Hamedata Mwagagi, mdani wa Ayuda. 11Mfumu inati kwa Hamani, “Sunga ndalamazo, ndipo uchite ndi anthuwo monga ufunira.”
12Alembi analemba zonse zimene Hamani analamula mʼmakalata opita kwa akazembe a mfumu, abwanamkubwa a zigawo zonse ndi kwa oyangʼanira mtundu uliwonse wa anthu. Kalatazo zinali za mʼchiyankhulo cha mtundu uliwonse ndipo zinalembedwa mʼdzina la Mfumu Ahasiwero ndi kusindikizidwa ndi mphete yake. 13Makalatawa anawatumiza amithenga ku zigawo zonse za mfumu kuti awononge, aphe ndi kufafaniziratu a Yuda onse, anyamata, anthu okalamba, ana ndi amayi, pa tsiku limodzi la 13 la mwezi wa Adara ndipo alande katundu wawo. 14Mwachidule kalatayi inanena kuti mawu olembedwamowo anayenera kuperekedwa ngati lamulo mʼchigawo chilichonse ndi kuti anthu a mtundu uliwonse adziwe ndi kukhala okonzeka pa tsikulo.
15Potsata lamulo la mfumu, amithenga aja anapita mwachangu ndipo lamuloli linaperekedwanso ku Susa, likulu la dziko. Mfumu ndi Hamani anakhala pansi ndikumamwa, koma mzinda onse wa Susa unasokonezeka.
