Ester 9
1 Le ɣleti wuievelia alo Ada ƒe ŋkeke wuietɔ̃lia dzi la, wowɔ ɖe se si fia la de la dzi. Le ŋkeke sia dzi la, Yudatɔwo ƒe futɔwo kpɔ mɔ be yewoaɖu wo dzi, gake azɔ la, nuwo trɔ bubui, eye Yudatɔwo ƒe alɔ yi dzi ɖe ame siwo lé fu wo la ŋu.
The first law that the king had commanded was to be made effective on March 7th. On that day the enemies of the Jews hoped to get rid of them. But instead, on that same day the Jews defeated their enemies.
2 Yudatɔwo ƒo ƒu ɖe du vovovo siwo me wonɔ la me le nuto siwo katã nɔ Fia Ahasuerus ƒe dziɖuɖu te la me be woawɔ avu kple ame siwo katã nɔ woƒe gbegblẽ dim. Ame aɖeke mete ŋu nɔ te ɖe wo nu o, elabena ame siwo tso gbegbɔgblɔ bubuwo me la nɔ vɔvɔ̃m na wo.
Throughout the empire, the Jews gathered together in their cities to attack those who wanted to get rid of them. No one could fight against the Jews, because all the other people in the areas where the Jews lived were afraid of them, [so they did not want to help anyone who attacked the Jews].
3 Bubume siwo katã nɔ nutoawo me, dumegãwo, mɔmefiawo kple fia la ƒe dɔnunɔlawo kpe ɖe Yudatɔwo ŋu, elabena Mordekai ƒe ŋɔdzi lé wo katã.
All the governors and [other] officials and important people in all the provinces helped the Jews, because they were afraid of Mordecai.
4 Mordekai nye ame ŋkuta aɖe le fiasã la me, eƒe ŋkɔ ɖi de fiaɖuƒe la ƒe akpa sia akpa, eye eƒe ŋusẽ ganɔ dzi dem ɖe edzi ɣe sia ɣi.
They were afraid of him because in all the provinces [they knew that] Mordecai was now the king’s most important official, [with the authority that Haman previously had]. Mordecai was becoming more famous because [the king was giving him] more and more power.
5 Yudatɔwo ƒo woƒe futɔwo katã ƒu anyi, eye wowu wo kple yi hetsrɔ̃ wo. Ale wowɔ nu si dze wo ŋu la na woƒe futɔwo.
[On March 7th, ] the Jews attacked and killed with their swords all of their enemies. They did whatever they wanted to do, to the people who hated them.
6 Le Susa mɔ gã la me la, Yudatɔwo wu, eye wotsrɔ̃ ŋutsu alafa atɔ̃.
[Just] in Susa alone, the capital city, they killed 500 people.
7 Wowu Parsandata, Dalfon, Aspata,
Among those whom they killed were the ten sons of Haman. [Their names were] Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 Porata, Adalia, Aridata,
Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9 Parmasta, Arisai, Aridai kple Vaizata,
Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.
10 ame siwo nye Hamedata ƒe viwo, Haman, Yudatɔwo ƒe futɔ la ƒe viŋutsu ewoawo, gake womeha woƒe afunyinu aɖeke o.
Those were grandsons of Hammedatha and sons of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. The Jews killed them, but they did not take the things that belonged to the people whom they killed.
11 Gbe ma gbe fiẽ la, wogblɔ ame siwo wowu le Susa mɔ gã la me ƒe xexlẽme na Fia Ahasuerus.
[At the end of] that day someone reported to the king the number of people whom the Jews killed in Susa.
12 Fia la gblɔ na Fianyɔnu Ester be, “Yudatɔwo wu ame alafa atɔ̃ sɔŋ le Susa mɔ gã la me, ame siwo dome Haman ƒe viŋutsu ewoawo hã le. Ne miewɔ alea le afi sia la, mekpɔ nu si miewɔ le nye fiaɖuƒe la ƒe akpa bubuawo ɖa! Ke azɔ la, nu bubu ka dim nègale? Mawɔe na wò, gblɔe nam ko, ekema mawɔe.”
Then the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed 500 people here in Susa, including the ten sons of Haman! [So I think that] they must have killed many more people in the rest of my empire [RHQ]! [But okay], now what else do you want me to do for you. You tell me, and I will do it.”
13 Ale Ester gblɔ be, “Ne edze ŋuwò la, ekema nàɖe mɔ be Yudatɔ siwo le Susa le afii la, nagawɔ nu si wowɔ egbe la etsɔ hã, eye nàna woatsi Haman ƒe viŋutsuwo ƒe kukuawo ɖe kadeveti la ŋu.”
Esther replied, “If it pleases you, allow the Jews here in Susa to do again tomorrow what [you] commanded [them] to do today. And command that the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows/poles.”
14 Fia la lɔ̃, woɖe gbeƒã se si ɖe mɔ le nu sia ŋu la le Susa. Ale wotsi Haman ƒe viŋutsu ewoawo ƒe kukuawo ɖe kadeveti la ŋu.
So the king commanded that the Jews be permitted to kill more of their enemies the next day. After he issued [another] order in Susa, the bodies of Haman’s ten sons were hanged.
15 Yudatɔ siwo nɔ Susa la ƒo ƒu le ɣleti wuievelia alo Ada ƒe ŋkeke wuienea gbe, eye wogawu ame alafa etɔ̃. Ke womeha ame kukuawo ƒe nuwo o.
On the next day, the Jews in Susa gathered together and killed 300 more people. But [again, ] they did not take the things that belonged to the people whom they killed.
16 Le ɣeyiɣi sia me la, Yudatɔ siwo nɔ fiaɖuƒe la ƒe akpa bubuawo la ƒo ƒu, eye wotsrɔ̃ woƒe futɔwo katã. Wowu woƒe futɔ akpe blaadre-vɔ-atɔ̃, gake womeha woƒe nuwo o.
That happened on March 8th. On the following day, the Jews [in Susa] rested and celebrated. In all the other provinces, the Jewish people gathered together to defend themselves, and they killed 75,000 people who hated them, but [again] they did not take the things that belonged to the people whom they killed.
17 Wowɔ nu sia le nutoawo me le ɣleti wuievelia alo Ada ƒe ŋkeke wuietɔ̃lia dzi. Le ŋkeke wuienea gbe la, wodzudzɔ wo ɖokuiwo, eye wowɔe wònye nuɖuɖu kple nunono kpakple dzidzɔkpɔgbe.
That occurred on March 7th, and on the following day they rested and celebrated.
18 Ke Yudatɔ siwo nɔ Susa la ƒo ƒu le ɣleti la ƒe ŋkeke wuietɔ̃a kple wuienea gbe, eye wodzudzɔ wo ɖokuiwo le ŋkeke wuiatɔ̃a gbe hewɔe wònye nuɖuɖu kple nunono kpakple dzidzɔkpɔgbe.
After the Jews in Susa gathered together [and killed their enemies] on March 7th and 8th, they rested and celebrated on March 9th.
19 Esia tae Yudatɔ siwo le kɔƒewo me la, ɖoa ŋku Ada alo ɣleti wuievelia ƒe ŋkeke wuienelia dzi heɖunɛ le dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ kple nuɖuɖu kple nunono me. Wonaa nunana wo nɔewo hã le ŋkeke ma dzi.
That is why [every year], on March 8th, the Jews who live in villages now celebrate [defeating their enemies]. They have feasts and give gifts [of food] to each other.
20 Mordekai ŋlɔ nu tso nya siawo katã ŋuti, eye wòɖo agbalẽ la ɖe Yudatɔwo le kpuiƒe kple didiƒe siaa le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuƒe la me.
Mordecai wrote down all the things that had happened. Then he sent letters to the Jews who lived throughout the empire of King Xerxes.
21 Edo ŋusẽ wo be woaɖu ŋkekenyui sia ƒe sia ƒe le ɣleti wuievelia, Ada ƒe ŋkeke wuienelia kple wuiatɔ̃lia dzi.
He told them that every year they should celebrate on the 8th and 9th of March,
22 Woaɖu ŋkeke la abe ŋkeke si dzi woɖe Yudatɔwo tso woƒe futɔwo ƒe asi me ene, woagaɖui abe ɣleti si me woƒe vevesese trɔ zu dzidzɔkpɔkpɔ, eye woƒe konyifagbe zu aseyetsogbe la ene. Eŋlɔ na wo be woaɖu ŋkekeawo abe nuɖugbe, nunogbe kple dzidzɔkpɔgbe ene, woana nuɖuɖu wo nɔewo, eye woana nu ame dahewo hã.
because those were the days when the Jews got rid of their enemies. He also told them that they should celebrate on those days by feasting and giving gifts [of food] to each other and to poor people. They would remember it as the month in which they changed from being very sorrowful to being very joyful, from crying to celebrating.
23 Ale Yudatɔwo lɔ̃ heɖua ŋkeke la abe ale si wodze egɔmee ene ɖe nu si Mordekai ŋlɔ na wo la nu.
So the Jews agreed to do what Mordecai wrote. They agreed to celebrate on those days [every year].
24 Hamedata ƒe vi, Haman, Agagitɔ, Yudatɔwo ƒe futɔ, ɖo nugbe ɖe Yudatɔwo ŋu be yeatsrɔ̃ wo, eye woka nu kple pur be yeagblẽ wo dome, atsrɔ̃ wo,
They would remember how Haman, son of Hammedatha, a descendant of [King] Agag, became an enemy of all the Jews. [They would remember] how he had made an evil plan to kill the Jews, and that he had (cast lots/thrown small marked stones) to choose the day to kill [DOU] them.
25 gake esi nugbeɖoɖo la dze go to Ester dzi na fia la, ena woŋlɔ agbalẽ, ɖe gbe be nu vɔ̃ɖi si Haman ɖo ɖe Yudatɔwo ŋu la, neva eya ŋutɔ ƒe ta dzi, eye be eya kple viawo la, woade ka ve na wo,
[They would remember] that when Esther told the king about Haman’s plan, the king arranged that the evil plan that Haman had made to kill the Jews would fail, and that he [would be killed] instead of the Jews, and that Haman and that his sons were hanged.
26 eya ta wona ŋkɔ ŋkekenyui sia be Purim, elabena woyɔa nukaka le Persiagbe me be pur. Le nu sia nu si woŋlɔ ɖe agbalẽ sia me kple nu si wokpɔ kple nu si va dzɔ ɖe wo dzi ta la,
[Because the (lot/small marked stone) that Haman threw was called] Pur, the Jews called these days Purim. And, because of everything that ([Mordecai] wrote/was written) in that letter, and because of all that happened to them,
27 Yudatɔ siwo katã nɔ fiaɖuƒe la me la lɔ̃ ɖe edzi be yewoadze kɔnu sia wɔwɔ gɔme, eye yewoatsɔe ade asi na yewoƒe dzidzimeviwo kple ame siwo katã azu Yudatɔwo. Woɖo be yewomagbe ŋkekenyui sia ɖuɖu le ŋkeke eve siawo dzi le ɣeyiɣi ɖoɖo la dzi ƒe sia ƒe o.
the Jews [throughout the empire] agreed to celebrate in that manner on those two days every year. They said that they would tell their descendants and those people who became Jews to be certain to celebrate this festival every year. They should celebrate just as [Mordecai] told them to do [in the letter] that he wrote.
28 Woɖo be wòanye nu si woawɔ ƒe sia ƒe, tso dzidzime yi dzidzime, woaɖui le ƒome ɖe sia ɖe me, le kɔƒewo kple du gãwo siaa me le fiaɖuƒe la me, ale be ŋkuɖoɖo nya si dzɔ dzi la mabu le Yudatɔwo dome alo le woƒe dzidzimeviwo dome o.
They said that they would remember and celebrate on those two days every year, in each family, in every city, and in every province. They solemnly declared that they and their descendants would never stop remembering and celebrating those days called Purim.
29 Fianyɔnu Ester, Abihail ƒe vi hã ŋlɔ agbalẽ helɔ̃ ɖe agbalẽ si Mordekai ŋlɔ tso Purim ŋuti la dzi.
Then Mordecai and Queen Esther, who was the daughter of Abihail, wrote a second letter about the Purim feast. Esther used the authority that she had because of being the queen to confirm that what Mordecai had written in the first letter was true.
30 Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, wogaŋlɔ agbalẽ na Yudatɔwo katã, eye woɖoe ɖe nuto alafa ɖeka kple blaeve-vɔ-adreawo katã me le Fia Ahasuerus ƒe fiaɖuƒe la me, hedi nyui kple ŋutifafa na ame sia ame.
What they wrote [in the second letter] was, “We wish that all of you will be living peacefully and safely/righteously. We want you and your descendants to celebrate Purim each year on the days that we two established, and to do the things that we two told you to do.” In that letter, Queen Esther and Mordecai also gave them instructions about (fasting/abstaining from eating food) and being sorrowful. Then copies of that letter were sent to all the Jews who were living in the 127 provinces of the empire.
31 Wodi tomefafa kple dedinɔnɔ na wo, eye woɖo na wo kple woƒe dzidzimeviwo be woaɖu Purim ŋkekenyui la le eɖuɣi tututu abe ale si wowɔa se siwo ku ɖe nutsitsidɔ kple konyifaɣiwo ŋu la dzi ene. Mordekai kple Fianyɔnu Ester siaae de se sia.
32 Ale Ester ƒe sedede ɖo kpe ŋkeke sia dzi, eye woŋlɔe ɖe nyadzɔdzɔgbalẽ la me.
The letter that Esther wrote about the manner in which they should celebrate the Purim feast was also written in an official record.
