< Ester 8 >

1 Samme Dag gav Kong Ahasverus Dronning Ester Hamans, Jødernes Fjendes, Hus. Og Mordokaj fik Foretræde hos Kongen, thi Ester havde fortalt, hvad han havde været for hende.
On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.
2 Og Kongen tog sin Seglring, som han havde frataget Haman, og gav Mordokaj den. Og Ester satte Mordokaj over Hamans Hus.
And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
3 Men Ester henvendte sig atter til Kongen, og hun kastede sig ned for hans Fødder og græd og bønfaldt ham om at afværge de onde Raad, Agagiten Haman havde lagt op imod Jøderne.
And Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and sought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
4 Kongen rakte det gyldne Scepter ud imod Ester, og Ester rejste sig op og traadte hen til Kongen
Then the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,
5 og sagde: »Hvis Kongen synes, og hvis jeg har fundet Naade for hans Ansigt og Kongen holder det for ret, og han har Behag i mig, lad der saa blive givet skriftlig Befaling til at tilbagekalde de Skrivelser, Agagiten Haman, Hammedatas Søn, udpønsede, og som han lod udgaa for at udrydde Jøderne i alle Kongens Lande;
And said, If it please the king, and if I have favor in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces:
6 thi hvor kan jeg udholde at se den Ulykke, som rammer mit Folk, og hvor kan jeg udholde at se min Slægts Undergang!«
For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come to my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?
7 Da sagde Kong Ahasverus til Dronning Ester og Jøden Mordokaj: »Hamans Hus har jeg givet Ester, og han selv er blevet hængt i Galgen, fordi han stod Jøderne efter Livet.
Then the king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged on the gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews.
8 Nu kan I selv i Kongens Navn affatte en Skrivelse om Jøderne, som I finder det for godt, og sætte det kongelige Segl under; thi en Skrivelse, der een Gang er udgaaet i Kongens Navn og forseglet med det kongelige Segl, kan ikke kaldes tilbage.«
Write you also for the Jews, as it likes you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.
9 Saa blev Kongens Skrivere med det samme tilkaldt paa den tre og tyvende Dag i den tredje Maaned, det er Sivan Maaned, og der blev skrevet, ganske som Mordokaj bød, til Jøderne og til Satraperne og Statholderne og Fyrsterne i Landene fra Indien til Ætiopien, 127 Landsdele, til hver Landsdel med dens egen Skrift og til hvert Folk paa dets eget Sprog, ogsaa til Jøderne med deres egen Skrift og paa deres eget Sprog.
Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
10 Han affattede Skrivelser i Kong Ahasverus's Navn og forseglede dem med Kongens Seglring; derefter sendte han dem ud ved ridende Ilbud, der red paa Gangere fra de kongelige Stalde, med Kundgørelse om,
And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus’ name, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
11 at Kongen tilstedte Jøderne i hver enkelt By at slutte sig sammen og værge deres Liv og i hvert Folk og hvert Land at udrydde, ihjelslaa og tilintetgøre alle væbnede Skarer, som angreb dem, tillige med Børn og Kvinder, og at plyndre deres Ejendele,
Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
12 alt paa en og samme Dag i alle Kong Ahasverus's Lande, paa den trettende Dag i den tolvte Maaned, det er Adar Maaned.
On one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
13 En Afskrift af Skrivelsen, der skulde udgaa som Forordning i alle Rigets Dele, blev kundgjort for alle Folkene, for at Jøderne den Dag kunde være rede til at tage Hævn over deres Fjender.
The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published to all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 Saa snart Forordningen var givet i Borgen Susan, skyndte Ilbudene, som red paa de kongelige Gangere, sig paa Kongens Bud af Sted saa hurtigt, de kunde.
So the posts that rode on mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.
15 Men Mordokaj gik fra Kongen i en kongelig Klædning af violet Purpur og hvidt Linned, med et stort Gulddiadem og en Kappe af fint Linned og rødt Purpur, medens Byen Susan jublede og glædede sig.
And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
16 Jøderne havde nu Lykke og Glæde, Fryd og Ære;
The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.
17 og i hver eneste Landsdel og i hver eneste By, hvor Kongens Bud og Forordning naaede hen, var der Fryd og Glæde blandt Jøderne med Gæstebud og Fest. Og mange af Hedningerne gik over til Jødedommen, thi Frygt for Jøderne var faldet paa dem.
And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell on them.

< Ester 8 >