Книга Есфири 8
1 И в той день царь Артаксеркс дарова Есфири, елика бяху Амана клеветника (Иудейска): и Мардохеи призван бысть от царя, поведа бо Есфирь, яко сродник есть ей.
[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 И сня царь перстень свой, егоже отя у Амана, и даде Мардохееви. И постави Есфирь Мардохеа над всем имением Амановым,
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 и приложи глаголати ко царю, и припаде пред ногама его (и восплака), и моляше его отвратити злобу Аманову и мысль его, еюже помысли на Иудеи.
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 И простре царь Есфири жезл злат: воста же Есфирь и ста пред царем.
The king held out his gold scepter/staff toward Esther, so Esther arose and stood in front of him.
5 И рече Есфирь: аще угодно ти есть, и обретох благодать пред тобою, посли возвратити писания посланная от Амана, писаная на погубление Иудеов, иже обитают во (всем) царствии твоем:
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 како бо возмогу видети озлобление людий моих и како возмогу спастися в погибели отечества моего?
I cannot bear seeing all my family and [all the rest of] my people killed.”
7 И рече царь Есфири: аще вся имения Аманова дах и даровах тебе, и того повесих на древе, яко руце вознесе на Иудеи, что еще просиши?
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 Напишите и вы именем моим, якоже угодно есть вам, и запечатайте перстнем моим: елика бо писана бывают царевым повелением и запечатаются перстнем моим, не возможно им противорещи.
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 И призвани быша писцы (царевы) в первый месяц, иже есть Нисан, в двадесять третий день тогожде месяца, и написаша о Иудеех, елика заповеда Мардохей, ко управителем и ко началником воевод от Индийския страны даже до Ефиопии, сто двадесять седми воеводам, во всякую страну по своему их языку.
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 Написана же быша велением царевым и запечатлешася перстнем его: и послаша писания чрез писмоносцы,
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 яко повеле им жити по законом их во всяцем граде, и да помогают им, и да сотворят соперником их и противником их, якоже хотят,
12 в день един по всему царству Артаксерксову, в третийнадесять день вторагонадесять месяца, иже есть Адар.
[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 И списания сия да предложатся очевидно во всем царстве, еже готовым быти всем Иудеом на сей день ратовати своих противных.
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 Конницы убо изыдоша спешно повеленная от царя совершити. Предлагашеся же повеление и в Сусех.
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 И Мардохей изыде облечен в царскую одежду и венец имущь златый, диадиму виссонную, червленую. Видевше же сущии в Сусех возрадовашася,
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 яко Иудеом бысть свет и веселие:
The Jews in Susa were very happy, and [other people] honored [them].
17 во (всяцем) граде и стране, идеже аще предлагашеся повеление радость и веселие бе Иудеом, пирование и утешение. И мнози от язык обрезовахуся и закон Иудейский приимаху, страха ради Иудейскаго.
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].
