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 these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him to a place above all the officials who were with him.
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.
All the king’s courtiers who were in the king’s gate used to bow down before Haman, for so the king had commanded, but Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself.
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?”
Then the king’s courtiers, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, ‘Why do you disobey 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.
When they had spoken to him day after day without his listening to them, they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s acts would be tolerated, 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.
When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself before him, he was furious.
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.
But it seemed to him beneath his dignity to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who Mordecai’s people were. Instead Haman sought to destroy all the people of Mordecai, all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
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 (the month of Nisan) in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahasuerus, Haman had “pur” (which means “lot”) cast before him to determine the best day and best month for his actions. The lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month – the month of 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.
So Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, whose laws differ from those of every other and who do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not right for the king to tolerate them.
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 seems best to the king, let an order be given to destroy them, and I will pay ten thousand silver coins into the royal 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.
So the king took off his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the 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.”
‘The money is yours,’ the king said to Haman, ‘and the people also to do with them as you wish.’
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 so, on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king’s secretaries were summoned and as Haman instructed an edict was issued to the king’s satraps and provincial governors and the rulers of each of the peoples in their own script and their own language. The edict was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and 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.
Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, saying: Destroy, kill, put an end to all the Jews, young and old, little children and women, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, and plunder their possessions.
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.”
A copy of the edict was to be published as a decree in every province – publicly displayed so that everyone might be ready for that 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.
By command of the king the couriers raced off, and the edict was published in Susa itself. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.
