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.
The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews
1That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.
3Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. 4Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.
5“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”
7King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. 8Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”
9At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.8:9 That is, the upper Nile region These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. 10Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.
11The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,8:11 Or province, together with their women and children, who might attack them; and to plunder the property of their enemies. 12The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 13A 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 the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.
The Triumph of the Jews
15When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. 16For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. 17In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
