Ester 3
1 Sima na makambo oyo, mokonzi Kizerisesi apesaki lokumu epai ya Amani, mwana mobali ya Amedata, moto ya mboka Agagi; atombolaki ye mpe atiaki ye likolo ya bakalaka nyonso.
Some time later, King Xerxes (promoted/gave his most important job/work to) Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who was a descendant of [King] Agag. Haman became more important than all his other officials. [Only the king was more important.]
2 Bakalaka nyonso oyo bazalaki kosala na ndako ya mokonzi bakomaki kofukama mpe kopesa Amani lokumu, pamba te mokonzi atindaki ete basala bongo mpo na ye. Kasi Maridoshe azalaki kofukamela ye te mpe azalaki kopesa ye lokumu te.
Then the king commanded that all the other officials had to bow down in front of Haman to honor him [when he walked by]. But Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman.
3 Bakalaka oyo bazalaki kosala na ndako ya mokonzi batunaki Maridoshe: — Mpo na nini otosaka mitindo ya mokonzi te?
The [other] officials [saw that, and they] asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey what the king commanded?”
4 Bazalaki koloba na ye bongo mikolo nyonso, kasi Maridoshe azalaki kaka koboya koyoka bango. Boye, bayebisaki Amani makambo yango mpo na koyeba soki ezaleli ya Maridoshe ekondimama mpe soki akokangama kaka na maloba na ye, pamba te ayebisaki bango ete azali Moyuda.
Mordecai told them that he was a Jew, [and that Jews would bow down only to God]. Day after day the other officials spoke to Mordecai about that, but he still refused to obey. So they told Haman about it, to see if Haman would tolerate it.
5 Tango Amani asosolaki ete Maridoshe afukamelaka ye te mpe apesaka ye lokumu te, asilikaki makasi.
When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down to him, he became extremely angry.
6 Nzokande Amani asilaki koyoka ete Maridoshe azali Moyuda. Boye amonaki ete likanisi ya koboma kaka Maridoshe ekoki te; alukaki nzela ya koboma Bayuda nyonso, bato ya Maridoshe, kati na mokili mobimba ya mokonzi Kizerisesi.
[After he found out that Mordecai was a Jew, ] he decided that it would not be enough to get rid of only Mordecai. He decided to kill all the Jews in all the area that Xerxes ruled.
7 Na sanza ya liboso, sanza ya Nisani, na mobu ya zomi na mibale ya Mokonzi Kizerisesi, babetaki zeke oyo babengaka « Puri » liboso ya Amani mpo na kopona mokolo mpe sanza ya koboma Bayuda. Bongo zeke ekweyaki na sanza ya zomi na mibale, sanza ya Adari.
So, during the twelfth year that Xerxes was ruling, during the month of April, [Haman told his advisors to] (cast lots/throw small marked stones) to determine the best month and the best day to kill the Jews. Haman’s advisors did that, and the day that was selected was March 7th [during the following/next year].
8 Amani alobaki na mokonzi Kizerisesi: — Ezali na bato moko oyo bakeseni na bato mosusu, bapanzani kati na bato mpe kati na bituka nyonso ya mokili na yo ya bokonzi; bizaleli na bango ekeseni na bizaleli ya bato mosusu, bongo batosaka mibeko ya mokonzi te; ezali malamu te mpo na mokonzi kotika bango na kimia.
Then Haman [went to] the king [and] said to [him], “[Your majesty, ] there is a certain group of people who live in many areas [of your empire] whose customs are different from ours. They even refuse to obey your laws. So it would be good for you to get rid of them.
9 Soki esepelisi mokonzi, tika ete abimisa mobeko ya koboma bango; mpe ngai nakopesa na maboko ya bakalaka oyo batalaka makambo ya mokonzi mbongo ya bibende ya palata nkoto zomi mpo ete batia yango kati na libenga ya mokonzi.
If it pleases you, command that they should all be killed. [If you do that, ] I will give (375 tons/750,000 pounds) of silver to your administrators so that you can use it for your government.”
10 Mokonzi alongolaki lopete na ye na mosapi na ye mpe apesaki yango epai ya Amani, mwana mobali ya Amedata, moto ya mboka Agagi, monguna ya Bayuda.
The king liked [what Haman said, so, and to confirm what he decided], he gave the ring that had his official seal on it to Haman, who now hated the Jews.
11 Mokonzi alobaki na Amani: — Bomba palata na yo! Sala nyonso oyo olingi epai ya bato yango.
The king told Haman, “Keep your money, but do what you want to with those people [whom you talked about]!”
12 Boye, na mokolo ya zomi na misato ya sanza ya liboso, babengisaki bakomi mikanda ya mokonzi; mpe na mitindo ya Amani, bakomaki mitindo nyonso ya Amani epai ya bakalaka ya lokumu ya mokonzi, epai ya bayangeli ya etuka moko na moko mpe epai ya bakalaka ya ekolo moko na moko, kolanda lolenge ya kokoma ya etuka moko na moko mpe lokota ya ekolo moko na moko. Bakomaki yango na kombo ya mokonzi Kizerisesi mpe babetaki yango kashe ya mokonzi.
On April 17th Haman summoned the king’s secretaries, and he dictated a letter to them that they [translated and] wrote to all the governors and administrators and other officials in all the provinces. They wrote copies of the letter in every language and every kind of writing/alphabet that was used in the empire. They wrote that all the Jews, [including] young people and old people, women and children, had to be killed on one day. That day was March 7th of the following year. They also wrote that [those who killed the Jews] could take everything that belonged to the Jews. [They signed] the king’s name [at the end of] the letters. Then they sealed the letters [with wax, and stamped the wax by] using the king’s ring. Then they sent the letters swiftly to every province in the empire,
13 Bongo mikanda yango etindamaki na bituka nyonso ya mokonzi, na nzela ya bantoma, mpo na kobebisa, koboma mpe kolimwisa Bayuda nyonso, bilenge mpe mikolo, bana mpe basi, kaka na mokolo moko, mokolo ya zomi na misato ya sanza ya zomi na mibale, sanza ya Adari; mpe kobotola na makasi biloko na bango.
14 Basengelaki kopanza kati na bituka nyonso sango ya mobeko yango mpe kolakisa yango na bato ya bikolo nyonso mpo ete babongama mpo na mokolo wana.
The king [also commanded that] copies of these letters should be [nailed up] where [all the people] could see them, in every province, so that the people would be ready to do on the day the king had set [what was written in the letter].
15 Boye, na mitindo ya mokonzi, bantoma bakendeki na lombangu mpe bapanzaki kati na Size, engumba mokonzi, sango ya mobeko ya mokonzi. Wana mokonzi mpe Amani bavandaki mpo na komela masanga, engumba Size ezalaki kati na matanga.
Then, according to what the king commanded, men [riding horses] took those letters quickly to every province [in the empire]. And one of the letters was read [aloud to the people] in the capital city, Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down and drank [wine], but the people in Susa were very perplexed [about why this was going to happen].
