Esther 9
1 Igitur duodecimi mensis, quem Adar vocari ante jam diximus, tertiadecima die, quando cunctis Judæis interfectio parabatur, et hostes eorum inhiabant sanguini, versa vice Judæi superiores esse cœperunt, et se de adversariis vindicare.
Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, when the king's law and decree were about to be carried out, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain power over them, it was reversed. The Jews gained power over those 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 in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to lay hands on those who tried to bring disaster on them. No one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all the peoples.
3 Nam et provinciarum judices, et duces, et procuratores, omnisque dignitas quæ singulis locis ac operibus præerat, extollebant Judæos timore Mardochæi,
All the officials of the provinces, the provincial governors, the governors, and the king's administrators, helped the Jews because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
4 quem principem esse palatii, et plurimum posse cognoverant: fama quoque nominis ejus crescebat quotidie, et per cunctorum ora volitabat.
For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai was becoming great.
5 Itaque percusserunt Judæi inimicos suos plaga magna, et occiderunt eos, reddentes eis quod sibi paraverant facere:
The Jews attacked their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them.
6 in tantum ut etiam in Susan quingentos viros interficerent, extra decem filios Aman Agagitæ hostis Judæorum: quorum ista sunt nomina:
In the fortress of Susa itself the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
7 Pharsandatha, et Delphon, et Esphatha,
They killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 et Phoratha, et Adalia, et Aridatha,
Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9 et Phermesta, et Arisai, et Aridai, et Jezatha.
Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, Vaizatha,
10 Quos cum occidissent, prædas de substantiis eorum tangere noluerunt.
and the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder.
11 Statimque numerus eorum, qui occisi erant in Susan, ad regem relatus est.
That day the number of those killed in the fortress of Susa, was reported to the king.
12 Qui dixit reginæ: In urbe Susan interfecerunt Judæi quingentos viros, et alios decem filios Aman: quantam putas eos exercere cædem in universis provinciis? quid ultra postulas, et quid vis ut fieri jubeam?
The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed five hundred men in the fortress of Susa, including the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be granted you. What is your request? It will be granted to you.”
13 Cui illa respondit: Si regi placet, detur potestas Judæis, ut sicut fecerunt hodie in Susan, sic et cras faciant, et decem filii Aman in patibulis suspendantur.
Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be permitted to carry out this day's decree tomorrow also, and let the bodies of Haman's ten sons be hanged on gallows.”
14 Præcepitque rex ut ita fieret. Statimque in Susan pependit edictum, et decem filii Aman suspensi sunt.
So the king commanded that this be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.
15 Congregatis Judæis quartadecima die mensis Adar, interfecti sunt in Susan trecenti viri: nec eorum ab illis direpta substantia est.
The Jews who were in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and killed three hundred more men in Susa, but laid no hands on the plunder.
16 Sed et per omnes provincias quæ ditioni regis subjacebant, pro animabus suis steterunt Judæi, interfectis hostibus ac persecutoribus suis: in tantum ut septuaginta quinque millia occisorum implerentur, et nullus de substantiis eorum quidquam contingeret.
The rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces came together to defend their lives, and they got relief from their enemies and killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them, but they did not lay their hands on the valuables of those they killed.
17 Dies autem tertiusdecimus mensis Adar primus apud omnes interfectionis fuit, et quartadecima die cædere desierunt. Quem constituerunt esse solemnem, ut in eo omni tempore deinceps vacarent epulis, gaudio, atque conviviis.
This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness.
18 At hi, qui in urbe Susan cædem exercuerant, tertiodecimo et quartodecimo die ejusdem mensis in cæde versati sunt: quintodecimo autem die percutere desierunt. Et idcirco eumdem diem constituerunt solemnem epularum atque lætitiæ.
But the Jews who were in Susa assembled together on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days. On the fifteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
19 Hi vero Judæi, 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.
That is why the Jews of the villages, who make their homes in the rural towns, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of gladness and feasting, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
20 Scripsit itaque Mardochæus omnia hæc, et litteris comprehensa misit ad Judæos qui in omnibus regis provinciis morabantur, tam in vicino positis, quam procul,
Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,
21 ut quartamdecimam et quintamdecimam diem mensis Adar pro festis susciperent, et revertente semper anno solemni celebrarent honore:
obligating them to keep the fourteenth and the fifteenth day of Adar every year.
22 quia in ipsis diebus se ulti sunt Judæi 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.
These were the days when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and the month when their sorrow turned to joy, and mourning into a day of celebration. They were to make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending gifts of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.
23 Susceperuntque Judæi in solemnem ritum cuncta quæ eo tempore facere cœperant, et quæ Mardochæus litteris facienda mandaverat.
So the Jews continued the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them.
24 Aman enim, filius Amadathi stirpis Agag, hostis et adversarius Judæorum, cogitavit contra eos malum, ut occideret illos atque deleret: et misit phur, quod nostra lingua vertitur in sortem.
At that time Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and he threw Pur (that is, he threw lots), to crush and destroy them.
25 Et postea ingressa est Esther ad regem, obsecrans ut conatus ejus litteris regis irriti fierent, et malum quod contra Judæos cogitaverat, reverteretur in caput ejus. Denique et ipsum et filios ejus affixerunt cruci,
But when the matter came before the king, he gave orders by letters that the wicked plan Haman developed against the Jews should come back on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on 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 hujus volumine, continentur:
Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Because of everything that was written in this letter, and everything that they had seen and that had happened to them,
27 quæque sustinuerunt, et quæ deinceps immutata sunt, susceperunt Judæi super se et semen suum, et super cunctos qui religioni eorum voluerunt copulari, ut nulli liceat duos hos dies absque solemnitate transigere, quos scriptura testatur, et certa expetunt tempora, annis sibi jugiter succedentibus.
the Jews accepted a new custom and duty. This custom would be for themselves, their descendants, and everyone who joined them. It would be that they would celebrate these two days every year. They would celebrate them in a certain way and at the same time each 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 Judæis, et ab eorum progenie, quæ his cæremoniis obligata est.
These days were to be celebrated and observed in every generation, every family, every province, and every city. These Jews and their descendants would never cease to faithfully observe these days of Purim, so that they should never forget them.
29 Scripseruntque Esther regina filia Abihail, et Mardochæus Judæus, etiam secundam epistolam, ut omni studio dies ista solemnis sanciretur in posterum:
Queen Esther daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority and confirmed this second letter about Purim.
30 et miserunt ad omnes Judæos qui in centum viginti septem provinciis regis Assueri versabantur, ut haberent pacem, et susciperent veritatem,
Letters were sent to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, wishing the Jews safety and truth.
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, jejunia, et clamores, et sortium dies,
These letters confirmed the days of Purim at their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated the Jews. The Jews accepted this obligation for themselves and their descendants, just as also they accepted times of fasting and lamenting.
32 et omnia quæ libri hujus, qui vocatur Esther, historia continentur.
The command of Esther confirmed these regulations regarding Purim, and it was written in the book.
