Esther 8
1 die illo dedit rex Asuerus Hester reginae domum Aman adversarii Iudaeorum et Mardocheus ingressus est ante faciem regis confessa est enim ei Hester quod esset patruus suus
[Later] on that same day, King Xerxes declared that everything that Haman, the enemy of the Jews, owned, would now belong to Queen Esther. Esther told the king that Mordecai was her cousin. [When] the king [heard that, he sent a message to tell] Mordecai to come in.
2 tulitque rex anulum quem ab Aman recipi iusserat et tradidit Mardocheo Hester autem constituit Mardocheum super domum suam
When Mordecai came in, the king took off the ring that had his official seal on it, the ring that he had [previously] given to Haman, and gave it to Mordecai, [to indicate that Mordecai was now his most important official]. And Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of everything that had belonged to Haman.
3 nec his contenta procidit ad pedes regis flevitque et locuta ad eum oravit ut malitiam Aman Agagitae et machinationes eius pessimas quas excogitaverat contra Iudaeos iuberet irritas fieri
Esther again [came to] talk to the king. She prostrated herself at his feet, crying. She [wanted to] plead for him to stop what Haman had planned, to kill all the Jews.
4 at ille ex more sceptrum aureum protendit manu quo signum clementiae monstrabatur illaque consurgens stetit ante eum
The king held out his gold scepter/staff toward Esther, so Esther arose and stood in front of him.
5 et ait si placet regi et inveni gratiam coram oculis eius et deprecatio mea non ei videtur esse contraria obsecro ut novis epistulis veteres Aman litterae insidiatoris et hostis Iudaeorum quibus eos in cunctis regis provinciis perire praeceperat corrigantur
She said, “Your majesty, if you are pleased with me, and if you think that it is the right thing to do, make a new law to cancel what Haman decreed, that all the Jews in all the provinces in your empire should be killed.
6 quomodo enim potero sustinere necem et interfectionem populi mei
I cannot bear seeing all my family and [all the rest of] my people killed.”
7 responditque rex Asuerus Hester reginae et Mardocheo Iudaeo domum Aman concessi Hester et ipsum iussi adfigi cruci qui ausus est manum in Iudaeos mittere
King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and Mordecai, “Because Haman tried to get rid of all the Jews, I have given to Esther everything that belonged to Haman, and I have ordered [my soldiers] to hang Haman.
8 scribite ergo Iudaeis sicut vobis placet ex regis nomine signantes litteras anulo meo haec enim consuetudo erat ut epistulis quae ex regis nomine mittebantur et illius anulo signatae erant nemo auderet contradicere
So now I am also permitting you to write other letters, to [save] your people. You may put my name [on the letters], and use my ring to seal them because no letter that has my name on it and which is sealed with my ring can ever be changed.”
9 accitisque scribis et librariis regis erat autem tempus tertii mensis qui appellatur siban vicesima et tertia illius die scriptae sunt epistulae ut Mardocheus voluerat ad Iudaeos et ad principes procuratoresque et iudices qui centum viginti septem provinciis ab India usque Aethiopiam praesidebant provinciae atque provinciae populo et populo iuxta linguas et litteras suas et Iudaeis ut legere poterant et audire
Then the king summoned his secretaries, on June 25th, and [Mordecai told them to] write letters to the Jews and to all the governors and other officials in all of the 127 provinces, which extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west]. They wrote these letters in all the languages that the people in each area spoke. They also wrote letters to the Jewish people, in their language.
10 ipsaeque epistulae quae ex regis nomine mittebantur anulo illius obsignatae sunt et missae per veredarios qui per omnes provincias discurrentes veteres litteras novis nuntiis praevenirent
They wrote in those letters that the Jews in every city were permitted by the king to gather together to protect themselves. They also were permitted to kill any group of soldiers who attacked them. They were also permitted to kill the women and children of those who attacked them, and to take the possessions of the people whom they killed.
11 quibus imperavit rex ut convenirent Iudaeos per singulas civitates et in unum praeciperent congregari ut starent pro animabus suis et omnes inimicos suos cum coniugibus ac liberis et universis domibus interficerent atque delerent
12 et constituta est per omnes provincias una ultionis dies id est tertiadecima mensis duodecimi adar
[All this was to be done] on March 7th of the following year. Mordecai signed the king’s name on the letters, and sealed them with the seal that was on the king’s ring. Then he gave them to messengers, who rode on fast horses that had been raised especially for the king.
13 summaque epistulae fuit ut in omnibus terris ac populis qui regis Asueri imperio subiacebant notum fieret paratos esse Iudaeos ad capiendam vindictam de hostibus suis
Copies of this law were to be nailed to posts in every province and read to all the people, in order that the Jews would be ready to (get revenge on/fight against) their enemies on March 7th.
14 egressique sunt veredarii celeres nuntios perferentes et edictum regis pependit in Susis
The king commanded the men who took these letters [to all the provinces] to ride quickly on the king’s horses. And copies of the letter were also posted and read to the people in [the capital city, ] Susa.
15 Mardocheus autem de palatio et de conspectu regis egrediens fulgebat vestibus regiis hyacinthinis videlicet et aerinis coronam auream portans capite et amictus pallio serico atque purpureo omnisque civitas exultavit atque laetata est
Before Mordecai left the palace, he put on the blue and white robe and a large gold crown that the king had given him. He also put on a coat made of fine purple cloth. When the people in Susa heard the new law, they all shouted and cheered.
16 Iudaeis autem nova lux oriri visa est gaudium honor et tripudium
The Jews in Susa were very happy, and [other people] honored [them].
17 apud omnes populos urbes atque provincias quocumque regis iussa veniebant mira exultatio epulae atque convivia et festus dies in tantum ut plures alterius gentis et sectae eorum religioni et caerimoniis iungerentur grandis enim cunctos iudaici nominis terror invaserat
And when the new law arrived in every city and province, the Jews there celebrated and prepared feasts and were very joyful. And many men throughout the empire [were circumcised and] became Jews, because they were now afraid of [what] the Jews [would do to them if they were not Jews].
