Ester 3
1 Le nu siawo megbe la, Fia Ahasuerus do Haman, ame si nye Hamedata, Agagitɔ ƒe vi la, ɖe ŋgɔ wòzu dukɔkplɔlawo dometɔ gãtɔ. Eyae nye ame si kplɔ fia la ɖo le ŋusẽkpɔkpɔ me le fiaɖuƒe blibo la me.
After this, king Artaxerxes exalted Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who was of Agag lineage, and he set his throne above all the rulers whom he had.
2 Azɔ la, ame sia ame si le fiasã la ƒe agbo nu la bɔbɔna, dea ta agu na Haman ne eva yina, le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe sedede nu. Mordekai ya gbe, mebɔbɔna dea ta agu na Haman o.
And all the king’s servants, who passed by the doors of the palace, bent their knees and adored Haman, for so the ruler had instructed them. Only Mordecai did not bend his knee, nor adore him.
3 Esia ta, dɔnunɔla siwo nɔ fia la ƒe agbo nu la bia Mordekai be, “Nu ka ta nèle fia la ƒe se dzi dam ɖo?”
The king’s servants, who presided over the doors of the palace, said to him, “Why do you, more than the others, not observe the king’s command?”
4 Azɔ gbe sia gbe woƒonɛ ɖe enu, gake egbe be yemawɔe o. Ale wogblɔ nya la na Haman ne woakpɔe ɖa be, Mordekai ƒe wɔnawo ado dzidzɔ nɛ hã, elabena Mordekai na wonya be Yudatɔe yenye.
And when they were saying this frequently, and he would not listen to them, they reported it to Haman, desiring to know whether he would continue in his resolution, for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5 Esi Haman kpɔ be Mordekai mele klalo be yeade ta agu na ye alo ade bubu ye ŋu o la, dzi kui vevie ŋutɔ.
Now when Haman had heard this, and had proved by a test that Mordecai did not bend his knee to him, nor adore him, he was very angry.
6 Ke esi wònya Mordekai kple eƒe amewo ta la, susu be woawu eya ɖeka la nye nu sue aɖe ko nɛ, eya ta Haman di mɔ nyuitɔ si dzi wòato atsrɔ̃ Yudatɔwo katã, ame siwo nye Mordekai ƒe amewo le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuƒe la katã me.
And he considered it pointless to lay his hands on Mordecai alone, for he had heard that he was part of the Jewish people. And so he wanted more: to destroy the entire nation of the Jews, who were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes.
7 Le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe wuievelia me le ɣleti gbãtɔ, Nisan me la, woda akɔ si woyɔna be, pur la le Haman ŋkume be woatia ɣleti aɖe kple eƒe ŋkeke aɖe. Wotia ɣleti wuievelia si nye Adar.
In the first month, which is called Nisan, in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, the lot was cast into an urn, which in Hebrew is called Pur, in the presence of Haman, to determine on what day and in which month the Jewish people should be destroyed. And it turned out to be the twelfth month, which is called Adar.
8 Tete Haman te ɖe Fia Ahasuerus ŋu, eye wògblɔ nɛ be, “Dukɔ tɔxɛ aɖe me tɔwo kaka ɖe wò fiaɖuƒe la ƒe nutowo katã me. Woƒe sewo to vovo tso dukɔ ɖe sia ɖe tɔ gbɔ. Gawu la, womewɔa fia la ƒe sewo dzi o, eya ta mede fia la dzi ne wòaɖe asi le wo ŋu be woanɔ agbe o.
And Haman said to king Artaxerxes, “There is a people dispersed throughout all the provinces of your kingdom and separated one from another, who make use of unusual laws and ceremonies, and who, in addition, show contempt for the king’s ordinances. And you know very well that it is not expedient for your kingdom that they should become insolent through independence.
9 Ne edze fia ŋu la, ekema nàɖe gbe be woatsrɔ̃ wo katã. Mada klosalo tɔn alafa etɔ̃ kple blaene-vɔ-atɔ̃ atsɔ ade fia la ƒe gakotoku me ne woatsɔ axe fee na ŋutsu gadzraɖoƒe la dzikpɔla be woatsɔ axe fe na ame siwo awɔ dɔ sia.”
If it pleases you, declare that they may be destroyed, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents to the keepers of your treasury.”
10 Fia la lɔ̃ ɖe susu sia dzi. Eɖe eƒe ŋkɔsigɛ le eƒe asibidɛ ŋu hetsɔ na Haman, Hamedata, Agagitɔ la ƒe vi, Yudatɔwo ƒe futɔ la, abe kpeɖoɖo nya sia dzi ƒe dzesi ene.
And so the king took the ring that he used, from his own hand, and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha, of Agag lineage, enemy of the Jews.
11 Fia la gblɔ na Haman be, “Wò ga la nenɔ anyi ko, gake wɔ nu si dze ŋuwò, eye wònyo na wò kple ame siawo la.”
And he said to him, “Let the silver, which you promise, be for yourself. As for the people, do with them as it pleases you.”
12 Le ɣleti gbãtɔ ƒe ŋkeke wuietɔ̃lia dzi la, woyɔ agbalẽŋlɔla siwo katã le fiasã me la ƒo ƒu, woŋlɔ agbalẽ ɖe nuto ɖe sia ɖe ƒe gbegbɔgblɔ me kple gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe si wogblɔna le fiaɖuƒe la me la me. Wowɔe ɖe Haman ƒe sedede nu na fia la ƒe dɔnunɔlawo, mɔmefia siwo le nutowo me dzi kpɔm kple gbegbɔgblɔ vovovowo ƒe ame ŋkutawo. Woŋlɔ lɛta la ɖe Fia Ahasuerus ƒe ŋkɔ me, eye wotsɔ eƒe ŋkɔsigɛ de ete.
And the scribes of the king were summoned, in the first month Nisan, on the thirteenth day of the same month. And it was written, as Haman had commanded, to all the king’s governors, and to the judges of the provinces, and to various peoples, so that each people could read and hear according to their various languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes. And the letters were sealed with his ring.
13 Wotsɔ agbalẽa na dɔtsɔlawo be woatsɔ ayi nuto ɖe sia ɖe me le fiaɖuƒe blibo la me, ale be woaɖe gbe be woawu Yudatɔwo katã, ɖeviwo kple ame tsitsiwo, nyɔnuwo kple vidzĩwo siaa le ɣleti wuievelia, Ada ƒe ŋkeke wuietɔ̃lia dzi, eye woaha woƒe nuwo abe afunyinuwo ene.
These were sent by the king’s messengers to all the provinces, so as to kill and destroy all the Jews, from children all the way to the elderly, even little children and women, on one day, that is, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is called Adar, and to plunder their goods, even their necessities.
14 Wogblɔ kpe ɖe ɖoɖo sia ŋu be, “Miɖe gbeƒã se sia le miaƒe nuto ɖe sia ɖe me, eye miana ame sia ame nanya nu tso eŋu, ale be wòawɔ eƒe dɔdeasi le ŋkeke ɖoɖo la dzi.”
And the effect of the letters was this: that all provinces would know and prepare for the prescribed day.
15 Woɖo agbalẽwo ɖa to fia la ƒe dɔtsɔla zazɛ̃tɔwo dzi le gbeƒãɖeɖe le Susa du la me megbe. Fia Ahasuerus kple Haman wonɔ anyi nɔ aha nom esime vɔvɔ̃ lé amewo, eye ʋunyaʋunya dzɔ le du blibo la me.
The couriers, who had been sent, hurried to complete the king’s command, but the edict was hung up in Susa immediately. And the king and Haman celebrated a feast, while all the Jews in the city were weeping.
