Esta 8
1 Nʼotu ụbọchị ahụ, Ahasuerọs bụ eze, nyefere Esta nwunye eze akụnụba niile Heman onye iro ndị Juu nwere. E mekwara ka Mọdekai bịa nʼihu eze, nʼihi na Esta agwala eze na ọ bụ nwanne nna ya.
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 Mgbe ahụ, eze wepụtara ọlaaka ikike ya, nke a gbapụtara site nʼaka Heman nye ya Mọdekai. Esta mekwara Mọdekai onye nlekọta akụnụba Heman.
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 Ọzọkwa, Esta bịara nʼihu eze daa nʼala nʼụkwụ eze rịọ ya arịrịọ nʼanya mmiri ka ọ kwụsị echiche ọjọọ ahụ Heman onye Agag, chere megide ndị Juu.
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 Eze setịpụrụ mkpara ọlaedo ya nye Esta. Esta biliri, guzo nʼihu eze,
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 ọ sịrị, “Ọ bụrụ na ọ dị eze mma, ọ bụrụkwa na m hụtara amara nʼihu ya, bụrụkwa ihe ziri ezi nʼanya eze, ọ bụrụkwa na ihe m masịrị ya, ka ede iwu nʼakwụkwọ ịkagbu ozi Heman nwa Hamedata, onye Agag, nke o chepụtara dee ime ka a laa ndị Juu nʼiyi nʼala niile eze na-achị.
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 Nʼihi na m ga-esi aṅaa nagide ya, ịhụ ka a na-egbu ndị m, na-alakwa ụmụnna m nʼiyi?”
For how will I be able to endure the murder and execution of my people?”
7 Mgbe ahụ, eze bụ Ahasuerọs gwara Esta nwunye eze na Mọdekai onye Juu okwu sị ha, “Enyela m Esta akụnụba Heman, ha akwụgbukwaala Heman nʼosisi, nʼihi na ọ chọrọ ịla ndị Juu nʼiyi.
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 Ugbu a, deenụ akwụkwọ ozi banyere ndị Juu niile, dee ihe ọbụla dị mma nʼanya unu nʼaha eze. Werekwa ọlaaka ikike eze kaa ya akara, nʼihi na ọ dịghị akwụkwọ ọbụla e dere nʼaha eze, kaakwa ya akara mgbaaka eze nke a pụrụ imegharị.”
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 Otu mgbe ahụ, akpọrọ ndị ode akwụkwọ eze. Ọ bụ nʼiri abalị na atọ nke ọnwa atọ nʼafọ nke bụ ọnwa Sivan ka ihe ndị a mere. Ha dere iwu niile Mọdekai nyere banyere ndị Juu, ndịisi ọchịchị niile na ndị ọchịchị niile na-elekọta mpaghara alaeze niile site nʼIndia ruo Kush. Ọnụọgụgụ ha niile dị otu narị na iri abụọ na asaa. E depụtasịrị iwu ahụ nʼodide akwụkwọ nke ala ọbụla a na-achị achị si dị, na dịka asụsụ ndị ọbụla si dị, ma nyekwa ndị Juu dịka odide akwụkwọ na asụsụ ha si dị.
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 Mọdekai dere akwụkwọ ahụ nʼaha eze, bụ Ahasuerọs, werekwa ọlaaka ikike eze kaa ya akara, zipụ akwụkwọ ndị a site nʼaka ndị ọgba ọsọ ndị ịnyịnya na-ebu, bụ ndị na-agba ịnyịnya ụkwụ ọsọ nke e leziri anya nke ọma zụọ maka ije ozi dịrị eze.
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 Akwụkwọ nke iwu eze a, nyere ndị Juu niile nọ nʼobodo ọbụla ike izukọta nʼotu maka ịzọ ndụ ha, nyekwa ha ikike ibibi, gbuo ma laa nʼiyi ndị agha nke mba ọbụla, maọbụ ala ndị ahụ a na-achị achị bụ ndị nwere ike ịla ha, ndị inyom ha na ụmụntakịrị ha nʼiyi, na ịpụnara ha akụnụba ha.
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 Ụbọchị a akara aka maka ndị Juu ime ihe ndị a nʼobodo niile nʼalaeze eze Ahasuerọs bụ nʼabalị iri na atọ nke ọnwa Ada.
And one day of retribution was established throughout all the provinces, namely, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
13 E kwukwara nʼakwụkwọ iwu ahụ na a ghaghị ịnabata iwu eze ahụ nʼobodo ọbụla dị nʼalaeze ya. E kwukwara na a ga-agụpụtara ya mmadụ niile, kọwazie ya ime ka ndị Juu niile nọdụ na njikere imeri ndị iro ha.
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 Ndị ahụ na-agba ọsọ, bụ ndị na-ebu akwụkwọ ozi, nọkwasịrị nʼelu ịnyịnya eze mee ngwangwa pụọ, ebe iwu eze kwaliri ha. E nyekwara iwu a na Susa.
And so the swift couriers departed in haste, carrying through the announcement, and the king’s edict was hung up in Susa.
15 Mgbe Mọdekai si nʼihu eze pụọ, o yi uwe ndị eze nke na-acha ọcha, na nke na-achakwa anụnụ anụnụ, kpurukwa okpueze ọlaedo dị ukwuu, na uwe mwụda e ji ezi akwa nke na-acha odo odo dụọ nʼahụ ya. Obodo Susa tiri mkpu ṅụrịakwa ọṅụ.
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 Nye ndị Juu nʼonwe ha, ọ bụ oge ịṅụrị ọnụ, obi ụtọ na nsọpụrụ.
But for the Jews, a new light seemed to rise; there was joy, honor, and dancing.
17 Na mpaghara alaeze ahụ niile, na nʼobodo ọbụla nke iwu eze ahụ bịaruru, e nwere ọṅụ na obi ụtọ nʼetiti ndị Juu niile, nweekwa oke oriri na ọṅụṅụ. Ọtụtụ mmadụ nʼime ndị si mba dị iche iche ghọrọ ndị Juu, nʼihi egwu ndị Juu dakwasịrị ha.
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.
