Esther 8
1 On that day king, Artaxerxes gave the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews, to queen Esther, and Mordecai entered before the king. For Esther had confessed to him that he was her paternal uncle.
Pada hari itu juga, Raja Ahasweros menyerahkan kepada Ratu Ester semua harta benda milik Haman— musuh besar orang Yahudi. Ester memberitahukan kepada raja bahwa Mordekai adalah saudara sepupunya. Ketika raja mendengar hal itu, dia menyuruh supaya Mordekai datang untuk menghadapnya.
2 And the king took the ring, which he had ordered to be taken from Haman, and he handed it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over her house.
Ketika Mordekai datang menghadap, raja melepaskan dan memberikan cincin meterai yang sebelumnya sudah diberikan kepada Haman, kepada Mordekai. Ester mengangkat Mordekai untuk mengurus semua harta benda milik Haman.
3 Not content with these things, she threw herself down at the king’s feet and wept, and, speaking to him, pleaded that he would give orders that the malice of Haman the Agagite, and his most wicked schemes, which he had contrived against the Jews, would be made ineffective.
Sesudah itu Ester menghadap raja lagi. Sambil menangis dia bersujud dan memohon agar raja membatalkan rencana jahat untuk membunuh semua orang Yahudi yang sudah dibuat oleh Haman.
4 But he, as was the custom, extended the golden scepter with his hand, which was the sign of clemency, and she rose up and stood before him.
Raja mengulurkan tongkat emasnya kepada Ester, maka Ester pun bangkit dan berkata,
5 And she said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his eyes, and my request is not seen to be disagreeable to him, I beg you that the former letters of Haman, the traitor and enemy of the Jews, by which he instructed them to be destroyed in all the king’s provinces, may be corrected by new letters.
“Bila Tuanku berkenan dan menganggap benar, dan hamba mendapatkan kemurahan hati Tuanku Raja, hamba mohon keluarkanlah surat perintah untuk mencabut dan membatalkan surat perintah Haman— yaitu hukuman mati bagi semua yang berketurunan Yahudi, di seluruh wilayah kerajaan Tuanku.
6 For how will I be able to endure the murder and execution of my people?”
Hambamu ini tidak tega melihat seluruh bangsa serta sanak saudara hamba dibunuh.”
7 And king Artaxerxes answered Esther the queen and Mordecai the Jew, “I have granted Haman’s house to Esther, and I have ordered him to be fastened to a cross, because he dared to lay hands on the Jews.
Raja Ahasweros menjawab Ratu Ester dan Mordekai, “Karena Haman sudah berupaya untuk menghabisi seluruh bangsa Yahudi, aku sudah menyerahkan kepadamu Ester, semua harta benda milik Haman, dan aku pun sudah memerintahkan para prajuritku untuk menghukum mati Haman dengan cara digantung.
8 Therefore, write to the Jews, just as it pleases you, in the king’s name, sealing the letters with my ring.” For this was the custom, that letters which were sent in the king’s name and were sealed with his ring, no one would dare to contradict.
Maka sekarang tulislah surat untuk menyelamatkan bangsamu. Cantumkanlah namaku pada surat-surat tersebut, dan gunakanlah cincin meteraiku untuk mengesahkan surat keputusan tersebut, karena surat yang sudah dibubuhi nama serta disegel, selamanya tidak dapat diubah.”
9 Then the scribes and copyists were brought in, (now it was the time of the third month which is called Sivan, ) on the twenty-third day of the month, and letters were written, as Mordecai wanted, to the Jews, and to the governors, and procurators, and judges, who presided over the one hundred twenty-seven provinces, from India all the way to Ethiopia: to one province and another, to one people and another, in accordance with their languages and letters, and to the Jews, exactly as they were able to read and hear.
Maka pada hari itu juga— yaitu pada tanggal 23 bulan Siwa, Raja memanggil para sekretarisnya, dan Mordekai memerintahkan mereka untuk menulis surat kepada seluruh warga bangsa Yahudi dan kepada semua pejabat di seluruh wilayah kekuasaan Raja Ahasweros— mulai dari India di wilayah timur hingga ke Etiopia di wilayah barat. Para sekretaris menulis semua surat-surat dalam bahasa dan tulisan yang digunakan di setiap wilayah. Mereka pun menulis surat yang ditujukan kepada orang Yahudi di dalam bahasa Yahudi.
10 And these letters, which were sent in the king’s name, had been signed with his ring, and were sent by swift couriers who were to rush in every direction, through all the provinces, so as to prevent the former letters with new messages.
Surat-surat tersebut ditulis dan disahkan atas nama Raja Ahasweros, dan disegel dengan cincin raja, untuk dikirim dengan menggunakan kuda kerajaan yang dapat berlari cepat. Isi surat tersebut adalah raja mengizinkan orang Yahudi di setiap kota untuk bersatu dan membela diri. Selain diizinkan untuk membunuh kelompok tentara atau siapa pun yang menyerang, mereka juga diizinkan untuk mengambil harta benda serta membunuh kaum perempuan dan anak-anak dari para penyerang.
11 The king commanded them to bring together the Jews throughout each city, and to instruct them to join together, so as to make a stand for their lives, and to execute and destroy all their enemies, with their wives and children and their entire houses, and to plunder their spoil.
12 And one day of retribution was established throughout all the provinces, namely, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
Sesudah itu para kurir segera mengantarkan surat-surat itu ke seluruh penjuru kerajaan dengan menunggangi kuda milik raja yang dapat berlari dengan cepat. Salinan surat perintah itu dikeluarkan sebagai undang-undang dan diumumkan di setiap provinsi untuk diketahui, supaya orang Yahudi bersiaga untuk melawan musuh-musuh mereka pada hari ketiga belas bulan Adar, yaitu hari yang sebelumnya sudah ditetapkan Haman untuk membunuh orang-orang Yahudi. Salinan surat yang sama juga dibacakan kepada warga ibukota kerajaan.
13 And such was the content of the letter, so that it would be made known in all lands and nations, which are subject to the authority of king Artaxerxes, that the Jews have been made ready to be vindicated of their enemies.
14 And so the swift couriers departed in haste, carrying through the announcement, and the king’s edict was hung up in Susa.
15 But Mordecai, going forth from the palace and from the king’s presence, shone in royal apparel the color of hyacinth and of the sky, wearing a golden crown on his head, and clothed with a cloak of silk and purple. And all the city rejoiced and was joyful.
Mordekai kemudian meninggalkan istana, dengan memakai pakaian kebesaran pemberian raja berwarna biru putih. Dia juga memakai jubah ungu yang terbuat dari bahan kain linen yang halus, dan mahkota emas yang indah sekali. Warga ibukota Susan bersorak-sorai penuh suka cita ketika mendengar undang-undang baru itu.
16 But for the Jews, a new light seemed to rise; there was joy, honor, and dancing.
Semua warga Yahudi di Susan tidak lagi merasa takut, sebaliknya mereka bergembira dan menunjukkan rasa bangga mereka.
17 With all the peoples, cities, and provinces, wherever the king’s orders arrived, there was wonderful rejoicing, banquets and feasts, and a solemn holy day, so much so that many of the other nations joined themselves to their religious practices and ceremonies. For a great fear of the name of the Jews had overcome them all.
Hal serupa juga terjadi di setiap kota dan provinsi. Orang-orang Yahudi bergembira dan berpesta ketika perundang-undangan baru tersebut diumumkan. Warga lainnya pun menyatakan diri sebagai orang Yahudi, karena mereka takut apa yang akan menimpa mereka jika mereka tidak berbuat demikian.
