< 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 Assuerus gave the house of Aman, the Jews’ enemy, to queen Esther, and Mardochai came in before the king. For Esther had confessed to him that he was her 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 commanded to be taken again from Aman, and gave it to Mardochai. And Esther set Mardochai 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.
And not content with these things, she fell down at the king’s feet and wept, and speaking to him besought him, that he would give orders that the malice of Aman the Agagite, and his most wicked devices which he had invented against the Jews, should be of no effect.
4 Fia la galé sikafiatikplɔ la do ɖe Ester gbɔ, ale Ester tsi tsitre ɖe fia la ŋkume.
But he, as the manner was, held out the golden sceptre with his hand, which was the sign of clemency: and she arose 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 said: If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and my request be not disagreeable to him, I beseech thee, that the former letters of Aman the traitor and enemy of the Jews, by which he commanded that they should be destroyed in all the king’s provinces, may be reversed by new letters.
6 elabena nyemate ŋu atsɔ gbegblẽ si ava nye amewo dzi alo atsɔ nye ƒometɔwo ƒe tsɔtsrɔ̃ o.”
For how call I endure the murdering and slaughter 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 Assuerus answered Esther the queen, and Mardochai the Jew: I have given Aman’s house to Esther, and I have commanded him to be hanged on a gibbet, because he durst 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.”
Write ye therefore to the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the king’s name, and seal the letters with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durst gainsay the letters which were sent in the king’s name, and were sealed with his ring.
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 king’s scribes and secretaries were called for (now it was the time of the third month which is called Siban) the three and twentieth day of the month, and letters were written, as Mardochai had a mind, to the Jews, and to the governors, and to the deputies, and to the judges, who were rulers over the hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India even to Ethiopia: to province and province, to people and people, according to their languages and characters, and to the Jews, according as they could 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, were sealed with his ring, and sent by posts: who were to run through all the provinces, 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.
And the king gave orders to them, to speak to the Jews in every city, and to command them to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives, and to kill and destroy all their enemies with their wives and children and all their houses, and to take 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 revenge was appointed through all the provinces, to wit, 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 this was the content of the letter, that it should be notified in all lands and peoples that were subject to the empire of king Assuerus, that the Jews were ready to be revenged 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.
So the swift posts went out carrying the messages, and the king’s edict was hung up in Susan.
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.
And Mardochai going forth out of the palace, and from the king’s presence, shone in royal apparel, to wit, of violet and sky colour, wearing a golden crown on his head, and clothed with a cloak of silk and purple. And all the city rejoiced and was glad.
16 Le Yudatɔwo gome ya la, enye dzidzɔ, aseyetsotso, aglotutu kple bubu ƒe ɣeyiɣi na wo.
But to the Jews a new light seemed to rise, joy, honour, 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.
And in all peoples, cities, and provinces, whithersoever the king’s commandments came, there was wonderful rejoicing, feasts and banquets, and keeping holy day: insomuch that many of other nations and religion, joined themselves to their worship and ceremonies. For a great dread of the name of the Jews had fallen upon all.

< Ester 8 >