< 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 things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and placed his seat of authority 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 servants who were at the king's gate always knelt and prostrated themselves to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai neither knelt nor prostrated 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 servants who were at 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.
They spoke with him day after day, but he refused to comply with their demands. So they spoke with Haman to see if the matter about Mordecai would remain like that, 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 kneel and bow down to him, Haman was filled with rage.
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.
He had contempt for the idea of killing only Mordecai, for the king's servants had told him who Mordecai's people were. Haman wanted to exterminate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the entire 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 (which is the month of Nisan), in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, the Pur—that is the lot—was thrown before Haman, to select a day and month. They cast the lot over and over until the lot fell on the twelfth month (which is 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.
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and distributed among all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so it is not suitable for the king to let them stay.
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 please the king, give a command to kill them, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king's business, for them to put it into the king's 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.
Then the king took the 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 king said to Haman, “I will see that the money is given back to you and your people. You will do with it whatever 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.
Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree containing all that Haman had commanded was written to the king's provincial governors, those who were over all the provinces, to the governors of all the various peoples, and to the officials of all the people, to every province in their own writing, and to every people in their own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was 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.
Documents were hand-delivered by couriers to all the king's provinces, to annihilate, kill, and destroy all Jews, from young to old, children and women, in one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of Adar)—and to 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 letter was made law in every province. In every province it was made known to all the people that they should prepare for this 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 went out and hurried to distribute the king's order. The decree was also distributed within the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.

< Ester 3 >