< Ester 3 >

1 Nogen Tid efter gav Kong Ahasverus Agagiten Haman, Hammedatas Søn, en høj Stilling og udmærkede ham og gav ham Forsædet blandt alle Fyrsterne, som var hos ham.
AFTER these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.
2 Og alle Kongens Tjenere, som var i Kongens Port, faldt paa Knæ og kastede sig til Jorden for Haman, thi den Ære havde Kongen paabudt at vise ham. Men Mordokaj faldt ikke paa Knæ og kastede sig ikke til Jorden.
And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman: for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence.
3 Kongens Tjenere, som var i Kongens Port, sagde da til Mordokaj: »Hvorfor overtræder du Kongens Bud?«
Then the king’s servants, which were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king’s commandment?
4 Og da de havde sagt det til ham flere Dage i Træk, uden at han ænsede det, meldte de Haman det for at se, om Mordokajs Ord vilde blive taget for gyldige; thi han havde gjort gældende over for dem, at han var Jøde.
Now it came to pass, when they spake daily unto him, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s matters would stand: for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5 Da nu Haman saa, at Mordokaj hverken faldt paa Knæ eller kastede sig til Jorden for ham, blev han saare opbragt.
And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
6 Og da det blev fortalt ham, hvilket Folk Mordokaj tilhørte, var han ikke tilfreds med kun at lægge Haand paa Mordokaj, men satte sig til Maal at faa alle Jøderne i hele Ahasverus's Rige udryddet, fordi det var Mordokajs Folk.
And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai.
7 I den første Maaned, det er Nisan Maaned, i Kong Ahasverus's tolvte Regeringsaar kastede man i Hamans Paasyn Pur, det er Lod, om hver enkelt Dag og hver enkelt Maaned, og Loddet traf den trettende Dag i den tolvte Maaned, det er Adar Maaned.
In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.
8 Haman sagde derpaa til Kong Ahasverus: »Der findes et Folk, som bor spredt og lever for sig selv iblandt Folkene i alle dit Riges Dele; deres Love er anderledes end alle andre Folks, og Kongens Love holder de ikke. Derfor er det ikke Kongen værdigt at lade dem være i Fred.
And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king’s laws: therefore it is not for the king’s profit to suffer them.
9 Hvis Kongen synes, lad der saa udgaa skriftlig Befaling til at udrydde dem; jeg vil da kunne tilveje Embedsmændene 10 000 Talenter Sølv til at lægge i Kongens Skatkamre.«
If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.
10 Da tog Kongen Seglringen af sin Haand og gav den til Agagiten Haman, Hammedatas Søn, Jødernes Fjende,
And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
11 og Kongen sagde til Haman: »Sølvet skal tilhøre dig, og med Folket kan du gøre, hvad du finder for godt!«
And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.
12 Kongens Skrivere blev saa tilkaldt den trettende Dag i den første Maaned; og ganske som Haman bød, affattedes Skrivelser til de kongelige Satraper og Statholdere over hver enkelt Landsdel og til hvert enkelt Folks Fyrster, til hver Landsdel med dens egen Skrift og til hvert Folk paa dets eget Sprog. I Kong Ahasverus's Navn blev de skrevet, og de forsegledes med Kongens Seglring.
Then were the king’s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language; in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written, and sealed with the king’s ring.
13 Skrivelser sendtes saa ved Ilbud ud i alle Kongens Lande med Befaling til at udrydde, ihjelslaa og tilintetgøre alle Jøder, unge og gamle, Børn og Kvinder, paa een Dag, den trettende Dag i den tolvte Maaned, det er Adar Maaned, og at prisgive deres Ejendele.
And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.
14 En Afskrift af Skrivelsen, der skulde udstedes som Forordning i alle Rigets Dele, blev kundgjort for alle Folkene, for at de kunde være rede til den Dag.
The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, that they should be ready against that day.
15 Ilbudene skyndte sig af Sted paa Kongens Bud, saa snart Forordningen var udgaaet i Borgen Susan. Kongen og Haman satte sig saa til at drikke; men Byen Susan var rædselsslagen.
The posts went out, being hastened by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city Shushan was perplexed.

< Ester 3 >