< Esta 3 >

1 Mgbe ihe ndị a gasịrị, eze bụ Ahasuerọs mere Heman nwa Hamedata onye Agag ka ọ bụrụ onye ukwu, o nyere ya ugwu site nʼinye ya oche dị elu karịa nke ndị ọzọ niile a na-asọpụrụ.
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 Ndịisi ọchịchị eze niile na-egbu ikpere nʼala nye Heman nsọpụrụ mgbe ọbụla o si nʼọnụ ụzọ ama ụlọeze na-agafe, nʼihi na ọ bụ otu a ka eze nyere nʼiwu. Ma Mọdekai ekweghị egbu ikpere nye ya, ọ kwekwaghị enye ya nsọpụrụ.
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 Mgbe ahụ, ndị ozi eze ndị nọ nʼọnụ ụzọ ama eze jụrụ Mọdekai ajụjụ si ya, “Gịnị mere i ji na-enupu isi nʼiwu eze nyere?”
Then the king’s courtiers, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”
4 Ha na-agwa ya okwu kwa ụbọchị kwa ụbọchị, ma o geghị ha ntị. Nʼihi nke a, ha gwara Heman ihe banyere ya, ịhụ ma ọ ga-anabata omume Mọdekai, ebe ọ gwara ha na ya bụ onye Juu.
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 Ihe a were Heman iwe nke ukwuu mgbe ọ chọpụtara na Mọdekai jụrụ igbu ikpere nʼihu ya, maọbụ ịsọpụrụ ya.
When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself before him, he was furious.
6 Mgbe ọ matara ndị Mọdekai ha bụ, ọ dị ya ka ihe ileda anya ma o gbuo naanị Mọdekai. Kama Heman chọrọ ụzọ ọ ga-esi laa ndị Mọdekai niile, bụ ndị Juu nọ nʼalaeze niile nke Sekses nʼiyi.
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 Nʼọnwa mbụ, nke bụ ọnwa Nisan, nʼafọ nke iri na abụọ nke ọchịchị eze Ahasuerọs. Ha fere nza (nke bụ Pua) nʼihu Heman iji họpụta ụbọchị na ọnwa. Ma nza ahụ danyere nʼụbọchị nke iri na atọ nʼọnwa nke iri na abụọ, nke bụ ọnwa Aada.
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 Mgbe ahụ Heman sịrị eze Sekses, “O nwere otu ndị gbasara ebe niile, nʼetiti ndị bi nʼobodo dị iche iche niile nke alaeze gị, ha kepụrụ onwe ha iche. Iwu ha dị iche site nʼiwu nke ndị mba ọzọ. Ha adịghị edebekwa iwu eze, ọ gaghị abara eze uru i hapụ ha ka ha nọdụrụ onwe ha.
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 Ọ bụrụ na ọ masịrị eze, ya nye iwu ka a laa ha nʼiyi, aga m akwụnye puku talenti ọlaọcha iri nʼaka ndị nlekọta nʼihi ụlọakụ eze.”
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 Ya mere, eze gbapụtara ọlaaka ikike ya nye ya Heman nwa Hamedata onye Agag, onye iro ndị Juu
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 Eze gwara Heman, “Enyela m gị ọlaọcha ahụ, ya na ndị a. Mee ha dịka o si dị gị mma.”
“The money is yours,” the king said to Haman, “and the people also to do with them as you wish.”
12 Nʼabalị iri na atọ nke ọnwa mbụ, a kpọkọrọ ndị ode akwụkwọ eze niile. Ha depụtara nʼakwụkwọ isi obodo dị iche iche, nakwa nʼasụsụ ndị ọbụla, ihe niile Heman nyere nʼiwu nye ndị nnọchị anya eze niile, ndị ọchịchị nke ala niile ha na-achị, na ndịisi nke ndị ọbụla nọ nʼime alaeze a. E ji aha Ahasuerọs dee akwụkwọ ndị ahụ, werekwa mgbaaka eze nʼonwe ya kaa ya akara.
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 E zipụrụ ndị ọgba ọsọ ozi eze ka ha gaa nʼisi obodo ọbụla nʼalaeze ahụ, na-enye iwu a edere nʼakwụkwọ ka a laa nʼiyi, gbuo, ma kpochapụkwa ndị Juu niile, ma nwantakịrị ma okenye, ma nwanyị, ma ụmụntakịrị, nʼotu ụbọchị, nʼabalị iri na atọ nke ọnwa iri na abụọ, nke bụ ọnwa Aada, nakwa ịpụnara ha akụnụba ha nʼike.
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 Ihe ndepụta nke otu akwụkwọ ahụ bụ nke a ga-enye dịka iwu nʼobodo niile ọbụla site na nkwupụta, mee ka ndị mba niile mara maka ya, nọọkwa na njikere nʼihi ụbọchị ahụ.
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 Ọ bụ ndị ozi eze na-agba ọsọ nke ọma ka e nyere ozi ahụ, ka ha jiri ya jee nʼobodo niile. E mekwara ka iwu ahụ baa mmadụ niile bi na Susa ntị. Emesịa, eze na Heman nọdụrụ ala ịṅụ ihe ọṅụṅụ nʼoge ndị niile bi na Susa nọ nʼegwu nʼihi okwu ibibi ndị Juu ahụ.
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.

< Esta 3 >