Ester 8
1 In quello stesso giorno il re Assuero donò alla regina Ester la casa di Haman, il nemico dei Giudei. E Mardocheo si presentò al re, al quale Ester avea dichiarato la parentela che l’univa a lui.
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 E il re si cavò l’anello che avea fatto togliere a Haman, e lo diede a Mardocheo. Ed Ester diede a Mardocheo il governo della casa di Haman.
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 Poi Ester parlò di nuovo in presenza del re, gli si gittò ai piedi, e lo supplicò con le lacrime agli occhi d’impedire gli effetti della malvagità di Haman l’Agaghita, e delle trame ch’egli aveva ordite contro i Giudei.
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 Allora il re stese lo scettro d’oro verso Ester; ed Ester s’alzò, rimase in piedi davanti al re,
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 e disse: “Se così piace al re, se io ho trovato grazia agli occhi suoi, se la cosa gli par giusta, e se io gli sono gradita, si scriva per revocare le lettere scritte da Haman, figliuolo di Hammedatha, l’Agaghita, col perfido disegno di far perire i Giudei che sono in tutte le province del re.
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 Perché come potrei io reggere a vedere la calamità che colpirebbe il mio popolo? Come potrei reggere a vedere la distruzione della mia stirpe?”
For how will I be able to endure the murder and execution of my people?”
7 Allora il re Assuero disse alla regina Ester e a Mardocheo, il Giudeo: “Ecco, io ho dato a Ester la casa di Haman, e questi e stato appeso alla forca, perché avea voluto metter la mano addosso ai Giudei.
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 Scrivete dunque, a pro de’ Giudei, come vi parrà meglio, nel nome del re, e suggellate coll’anello reale; perché ciò ch’è scritto in nome del re e sigillato con l’anello reale, è irrevocabile?”
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 Senza perder tempo, il ventitreesimo giorno del terzo mese, ch’è il mese di Sivan, furon chiamati i segretari del re e fu scritto, seguendo in tutto l’ordine di Mardocheo, ai Giudei, ai satrapi, ai governatori e ai capi delle centoventisette province, dall’India all’Etiopia, a ogni provincia secondo il suo modo di scrivere, a ogni popolo nella sua lingua, e ai Giudei secondo il loro modo di scrivere e nella loro lingua.
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 Fu dunque scritto in nome del re Assuero, si sigillaron le lettere con l’anello reale, e le si mandarono per mezzo di corrieri che cavalcavano veloci corsieri usati per il servizio del re, nati da stalloni reali.
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 In esse il re permetteva ai Giudei, in qualunque città si trovassero, di radunarsi e di difendere la loro vita, di distruggere, uccidere, sterminare, non esclusi i bambini e le donne, tutta la gente armata, di qualunque popolo e di qualunque provincia si fosse, che li assalisse, e di abbandonare al saccheggio i suoi beni;
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 e ciò, in un medesimo giorno, in tutte le province del re Assuero: il tredici del dodicesimo mese, ch’è il mese di Adar.
And one day of retribution was established throughout all the provinces, namely, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
13 Queste lettere contenevano una copia dell’editto che doveva esser bandito in ogni provincia e pubblicato fra tutti i popoli, perché i Giudei si tenessero pronti per quel giorno a vendicarsi dei loro nemici.
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 Così i corrieri che montavano veloci corsieri usati per il servizio del re partirono tosto, in tutta fretta, per ordine del re; e il decreto fu promulgato nella residenza reale di Susa.
And so the swift couriers departed in haste, carrying through the announcement, and the king’s edict was hung up in Susa.
15 Mardocheo uscì dalla presenza del re con una veste reale di porpora e di lino bianco, con una grande corona d’oro, e un manto di bisso e di scarlatto; la città di Susa mandava gridi di gioia, ed era in festa.
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 I Giudei poi erano raggianti di gioia, d’allegrezza, di gloria.
But for the Jews, a new light seemed to rise; there was joy, honor, and dancing.
17 E in ogni provincia, in ogni città, dovunque giungevano l’ordine del re e il suo decreto, vi furon, tra i Giudei gioia, allegrezza, conviti, e giorni lieti. E molti appartenenti ai popoli del paese si fecero Giudei, perché lo spavento dei Giudei s’era impossessato di loro.
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.
