Esther 9
1 Igitur duodecimi mensis, quem Adar vocari ante iam diximus, tertiadecima die, quando cunctis Iudæis interfectio parabatur, et hostes eorum inhiabant sanguini, versa vice Iudæi superiores esse cœperunt, et se de adversariis vindicare.
And, in the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the word of the king and his edict arrived to be put in execution, —on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it, was changed, so that the Jews themselves should have power over them who hated them,
2 Congregatique sunt per singulas civitates, oppida, et loca ut extenderent manum contra inimicos, et persecutores suos. Nullusque ausus est resistere, eo quod omnes populos magnitudinis eorum formido penetrarat.
the Jews assembled themselves together in their cities, throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to thrust forth a hand against them who were seeking their hurt, and, no man, stood before them, for the dread of them had fallen upon all the peoples.
3 Nam et provinciarum iudices, et duces, et procuratores, omnisque dignitas, quæ singulis locis ac operibus præerat, extollebant Iudæos timore Mardochæi:
And, all the rulers of the provinces, and the satraps and the pashas, and the doers of business that pertained to the king, were extolling the Jews, —for the dread of Mordecai, had fallen upon them;
4 quem principem esse palatii, et plurimum posse cognoverant: fama quoque nominis eius crescebat quotidie, et per cunctorum ora volitabat.
since great was Mordecai, in the house of the king, and, his fame, was going forth throughout all the provinces, —for, the man Mordecai, went on waxing great.
5 Itaque percusserunt Iudæi inimicos suos plaga magna, et occiderunt eos, reddentes eis quod sibi paraverant facere:
So then the Jews smote all their enemies, with the smiting of the sword and slaughter, and destruction, —and they dealt with them who hated them according to their pleasure.
6 in tantum ut etiam in Susan quingentos viros interficerent, extra decem filios Aman Agagitæ hostis Iudæorum: quorum ista sunt nomina:
Yea, in Shusan the palace, did the Jews slay and destroy five hundred men.
7 Pharsandatha, et Delphon, et Esphatha,
And Parshandatha and Dalphon, and Aspatha;
8 et Phoratha, et Adalia, et Aridatha,
and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha;
9 et Phermesta et Arisai, et Aridai, et Iezatha.
and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha; —
10 Quos cum occidissent, prædas de substantiis eorum tangere noluerunt.
the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the adversary of the Jews, slew they, —but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.
11 Statimque numerus eorum, qui occisi erant in Susan, ad regem relatus est.
On that day, came in the number of the slain into Shusan the palace, before the king.
12 Qui dixit reginæ: In urbe Susan interfecerunt Iudæi quingentos viros, et alios decem filios Aman: quantam putas eos exercere cædem in universis provinciis? Quid ultra postulas, et quid vis ut fieri iubeam?
Then said the king unto Esther the queen, In Shusan the palace, have the Jews slain and caused to perish five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman, —in the rest of the provinces of the king, what have they done? What, then, is thy petition, that it may be granted thee? and what is thy request further, that it may he performed?
13 Cui illa respondit: Si regi placet, detur potestas Iudæis, ut sicut fecerunt hodie in Susan, sic et cras faciant, et decem filii Aman in patibulis suspendantur.
Then said Esther, If, unto the king, it seem good, let it be granted, to-morrow also, unto the Jews who are in Shusan, to do according to the edict of to-day, —and that, the ten sons of Haman, be hanged upon the gallows.
14 Præcepitque rex ut ita fieret. Statimque in Susan pependit edictum, et decem filii Aman suspensi sunt.
And the king commanded it to be done so, and there was given an edict, in Shusan, —and, the ten sons of Haman, they hanged.
15 Congregatis Iudæis quartadecima die mensis Adar, interfecti sunt in Susan trecenti viri: nec eorum ab illis direpta substantia est.
So the Jews who were in Shusan assembled themselves together, on the fourteenth day also, of the month Adar, and slew in Shusan three hundred men, —but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.
16 Sed et per omnes provincias, quæ ditioni regis subiacebant, pro animabus suis steterunt Iudæi, interfectis hostibus ac persecutoribus suis: in tantum ut septuagintaquinque millia occisorum implerentur, et nullus de substantiis eorum quidquam contingeret.
And, the remainder of the Jews who were in the provinces of the king, assembled themselves together and stood for their life, and then had rest from their enemies, having slain of them that hated them seventy-five thousand, —but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand:
17 Dies autem tertiusdecimus mensis Adar primus apud omnes interfectionis fuit, et quartadecima die cædere desierunt. Quem constituerunt esse sollemnem, ut in eo omni tempore deinceps vacarent epulis, gaudio atque conviviis.
on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, —and then had rest on the fourteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.
18 At hi, qui in urbe Susan cædem exercuerant, tertiodecimo et quartodecimo die eiusdem mensis in cæde versati sunt: quintodecimo autem die percutere desierunt. Et idcirco eundem diem constituerunt sollemnem epularum atque lætitiæ.
But, the Jews who were in Shusan, assembled themselves together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth day thereof, —and then had rest on the fifteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.
19 Hi vero Iudæi, qui in oppidis non muratis ac villis morabantur, quartumdecimum diem mensis Adar conviviorum et gaudii decreverunt, ita ut exultent in eo, et mittant sibi mutuo partes epularum et ciborum.
For this cause, the country Jews, who dwelt in the country towns, were making the fourteenth day of the month Adar one of rejoicing and banqueting, and a day of happiness, —and of sending portions every one to his neighbour.
20 Scripsit itaque Mardochæus omnia hæc, et litteris comprehensa misit ad Iudæos, qui in omnibus regis provinciis morabantur, tam in vicino positis, quam procul,
And Mordecai wrote these things, —and sent letters unto all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near, and far off;
21 ut quartamdecimam et quintamdecimam diem mensis Adar pro festis susciperent, et revertente semper anno sollemni celebrarent honore:
to establish for them, that they should continue to observe the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day thereof, —always year by year;
22 quia in ipsis diebus se ulti sunt Iudæi de inimicis suis, et luctus atque tristitia in hilaritatem gaudiumque conversa sunt, essentque dies isti epularum atque lætitiæ, et mitterent sibi invicem ciborum partes, et pauperibus munuscula largirentur.
according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day, —that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.
23 Susceperuntque Iudæi in sollemnem ritum cuncta quæ eo tempore facere cœperant, et quæ Mardochæus litteris facienda mandaverat.
And the Jews took upon them that which they had begun to do, —and that which Mordecai had written unto them;
24 Aman enim, filius Amadathi stirpis Agag, hostis et adversarius Iudæorum, cogitavit contra eos malum, ut occideret illos, atque deleret: et misit phur, quod nostra lingua vertitur in sortem.
because, Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews, to cause them to perish, —and had cast Pur, the same, is the Lot, to terrify them, and to destroy them;
25 Et postea ingressa est Esther ad regem, obsecrans ut conatus eius, litteris regis irriti fierent: et malum, quod contra Iudæos cogitaverat, reverteretur in caput eius. Denique et ipsum et filios eius affixerunt cruci,
but, by [Esther’s] going in before the king, he commanded by letter, that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews, should return, upon his own head, —and that he and his sons should be hanged upon the gallows.
26 atque ex illo tempore dies isti appellati sunt phurim, id est sortium: eo quod phur, id est sors, in urnam missa fuerit. Et cuncta, quæ gesta sunt, epistolæ, id est libri huius volumine continentur:
For this cause, called they these days Purim, after the name Pur, for this cause, —for all the words of this epistle, —and what they had seen concerning such a matter, and what had reached unto them.
27 quæque sustinuerunt, et quæ deinceps immutata sunt, susceperunt Iudæi super se et semen suum, et super cunctos, qui religioni eorum voluerunt copulari, ut nulli liceat duos hos dies absque sollemnitate transigere: quos scriptura testatur, et certa expetunt tempora, annis sibi iugiter succedentibus.
The Jews established and took upon themselves—and upon their seed, and upon all who should join themselves unto them, that it might not pass away, that they would continue to keep these two days, according to the writing concerning them and at their set time, —always year by year.
28 Isti sunt dies, quos nulla umquam delebit oblivio: et per singulas generationes cunctæ in toto orbe provinciæ celebrabunt: nec est ulla civitas, in qua dies phurim, id est sortium, non observentur a Iudæis, et ab eorum progenie, quæ his ceremoniis obligata est.
And, these days, were to be remembered and to be kept, always from generation to generation, by every family, every province, and every city, —that, these days of Purim, should not pass away, out of the midst of the Jews, and, the memorial of them, not cease from their seed.
29 Scripseruntque Esther regina filia Abihail, et Mardochæus Iudæus etiam secundam epistolam, ut omni studio dies ista solemnis sanciretur in posterum.
Then wrote Esther the queen daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew, with all authority, —to confirm this second epistle concerning the Purim;
30 et miserunt ad omnes Iudæos, qui in centum viginti septem provinciis regis Assueri versabantur, ut haberent pacem, et susciperent veritatem,
and he sent letters unto all the Jews, throughout the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, —words of peace and stability:
31 observantes Dies sortium, et suo tempore cum gaudio celebrarent: sicut constituerant Mardochæus et Esther, et illi observanda susceperunt a se, et a semine suo ieiunia, et clamores, et Sortium dies,
to establish these days of the Purim, in their set times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined upon them, and according as they had enjoined upon their own soul, and upon their seed, —the story of the fastings and of their outcry.
32 et omnia, quæ libri huius, qui vocatur Esther, historia continentur.
And, the command of Esther, confirmed the story of these Purim, —and it was written in a book.
