Ester 8
1 Gbe ma gbe ke la, Fia Ahasuerus tsɔ Haman, Yudatɔwo ƒe futɔ la ƒe nunɔamesiwo katã na Fianyɔnu Ester. Woyɔ Mordekai va fia la ŋkume, elabena Ester gblɔ ale si eya kple Mordekai wodo ƒomee la nɛ.
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.
2 Fia la ɖe eƒe ŋkɔsigɛ si wògbugbɔ xɔ le Haman si la, eye wòtsɔe na Mordekai. Fianyɔnu Ester tsɔe ɖo Haman ƒe kesinɔnuwo katã nu.
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.
3 Ester gava fia la ŋkume, dze klo ɖe eƒe afɔ nu, eye wòɖe kuku nɛ kple avi be wòatsi nugbe si Haman, Agagitɔ la ɖo ɖe Yudatɔwo ŋu la nu.
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.
4 Fia la galé sikafiatikplɔ la do ɖe Ester gbɔ, ale Ester tsi tsitre ɖe fia la ŋkume.
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.
5 Egblɔ be, “Ne edze fia la ŋu, eye wòve nunye hebui be enye nu nyui yeawɔ, eye ne nye nu nyo fia la ŋu la, na be woaŋlɔ agbalẽ bubu atsɔ ate fli ɖe ɖoɖo si Hamedata ƒe vi, Haman, Agagitɔ la wɔ heŋlɔ agbalẽ ɖo ɖe amewo le fiaɖuƒe la katã me be woatsrɔ̃ Yudatɔwo la me,
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.
6 elabena nyemate ŋu atsɔ gbegblẽ si ava nye amewo dzi alo atsɔ nye ƒometɔwo ƒe tsɔtsrɔ̃ o.”
For how will I be able to endure the murder and execution of my people?”
7 Fia Ahasuerus ɖo eŋu na Fiasrɔ̃ Ester kple Mordekai, Yudatɔ la be, “Esi Haman tso ɖe Yudatɔwo ŋuti ta la, mexɔ eƒe nunɔamesiwo katã tsɔ na Ester, eye mena wode ka ve na eya ŋutɔ.
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.
8 Azɔ la, ŋlɔ agbalẽ ɖe fia la ƒe ŋkɔ me ɖe Yudatɔwo katã nu; ŋlɔ nya sia nya si nàdi be yeagblɔ la le fia la ƒe ŋkɔ me, eye nàtre agbalẽ la nu kple nye ŋkɔsigɛ ale be womagate ŋu atrɔe o, elabena nu sia nu si woŋlɔ ɖe fia la ƒe ŋkɔ me, eye wotre enu kple eƒe ŋkɔsigɛ la, womate ŋu atrɔe gbeɖe o.”
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.
9 Enumake woyɔ agbalẽŋlɔla siwo le fia la ƒe dɔ me la vɛ le ɣleti etɔ̃lia si woyɔna be, Sivan la ƒe ŋkeke blaeve-vɔ-etɔ̃a gbe. Azɔ woŋlɔ Mordekai ƒe gbedeasi siwo ɖom wòle ɖe Yudatɔwo, dumegãwo, mɔmefiawo kple bubume siwo le nuto alafa ɖeka kple blaeve-vɔ-adre si keke tso India yi ɖase ɖe Kus ƒe liƒowo dzi ke la me. Woŋlɔ gbedeasi siawo ɖe nuto ɖe sia ɖe ƒe gbegbɔgblɔ me, eye woŋlɔe na Yudatɔwo hã ɖe woƒe degbe me.
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.
10 Mordekai ŋlɔ agbalẽ la ɖe Fia Ahasuerus ƒe ŋkɔ me, eye wòtsɔ eƒe ŋkɔsigɛ ɖo ete hetsɔe de asi na fia la ƒe dɔla siwo doa sɔ siwo ɖea abla, vevietɔ sɔ siwo womla koŋ hena fia la ƒe ŋu dɔ wɔwɔ.
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.
11 Fia la ƒe sedede ɖe mɔ na Yudatɔwo le du ɖe sia ɖe me be wokpɔ mɔ aƒo ƒu, eye woaʋli wo ɖokuiwo ta. Wokpɔ mɔ hã be woagblẽ nu, awu alo atsrɔ̃ asrafoha ɖe sia ɖe tso dukɔ alo to ɖe sia ɖe me, esiwo ke aho aʋa ɖe woawo ŋutɔ kple wo srɔ̃wo kple wo viwo ŋu, eye woaha woƒe futɔwo ƒe nunɔamesiwo.
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 Ŋkeke si woɖo hena Yudatɔwo ƒe nu sia wɔwɔ le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuƒe blibo la mee nye ɣleti wuievelia, Ada, ƒe ŋkeke wuietɔ̃a gbe.
And one day of retribution was established throughout all the provinces, namely, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
13 Wona be woawɔ fia la ƒe gbedeasi wòazu se le nuto ɖe sia ɖe me, eye woakakae na gbegbɔgblɔ ɖe sia ɖe ale be Yudatɔwo anɔ klalo le ŋkeke ma dzi ne woabia hlɔ̃ woƒe futɔwo.
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 Ale fia la ƒe dɔtsɔlawo do fia la ƒe sɔ ɖeablawo kple du le fia la ƒe gbeɖeɖe nu. Woɖe gbeƒã sea le Susa mɔ gã la hã me.
And so the swift couriers departed in haste, carrying through the announcement, and the king’s edict was hung up in Susa.
15 Mordekai do fiawu ɣitɔ kple blɔtɔ kple awu ʋlaya si wowɔ kple aklala kple aɖabɛ dzĩtɔ, eye wòɖɔ sikafiakuku gã la. Edzo le fia la gbɔ, eye wòyi ablɔwo dzi. Amewo nɔ ablɔawo dzi fũu, eye wonɔ dzidzɔɣli dom.
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.
16 Le Yudatɔwo gome ya la, enye dzidzɔ, aseyetsotso, aglotutu kple bubu ƒe ɣeyiɣi na wo.
But for the Jews, a new light seemed to rise; there was joy, honor, and dancing.
17 Esi fia la ƒe sedede la va ɖo du sia du kple nuto ɖe sia ɖe me la, Yudatɔwo katã kpɔ dzidzɔ, woɖu ŋkekenyui, eye womewɔ dɔ aɖeke gbe ma gbe o. Ame geɖewo wɔ wo ɖokuiwo Yudatɔwoe, elabena Yudatɔwo ƒe ŋɔdzi lé wo.
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.
