Esta 9

1 Katika siku ya kumi na tatu ya mwezi wa kumi na mbili, yaani mwezi wa Adari, amri iliyoagizwa na mfalme ilikuwa itekelezwe. Siku hii adui wa Wayahudi walikuwa wametumaini kuwashinda, lakini sasa mambo yaliwageukia na Wayahudi wakawashinda wale waliokuwa wanawachukia.

So on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which as we have said above is called Adar, when all the Jews were designed to be massacred, and their enemies were greedy after their blood, the case being altered, the Jews began to have the upper hand, and to revenge themselves of their adversaries.

2 Wayahudi walikusanyika katika miji yao, katika majimbo ya Mfalme Ahasuero kuwashambulia wale waliokuwa wanatafuta kuwaangamiza. Hakuna yeyote aliyeweza kushindana nao, kwa sababu watu wa mataifa mengine yote waliwaogopa.

And they gathered themselves together in every city, and town, and place, to lay their hands on their enemies, and their persecutors. And no one durst withstand them, for the fear of their power had gone through every people.

3 Nao wakuu wote wa majimbo, majemadari, watawala na maafisa wa mfalme wakawasaidia Wayahudi, kwa sababu walimhofu Mordekai.

And the judges of the provinces, and the governors, and lieutenants, and every one in dignity, that presided over every place and work, extolled the Jews for fear of Mardochai:

4 Mordekai alikuwa mtu mashuhuri katika jumba la mfalme; sifa zake zilienea katika majimbo yote naye alipata uwezo zaidi na zaidi.

For they knew him to be prince of the palace, and to have great power: and the fame of his name increased daily, and was spread abroad through all men’s mouths.

5 Wayahudi waliwaangusha adui zao wote kwa upanga wakiwaua na kuwaangamiza, nao walifanya kile walichotaka kwa wale waliowachukia.

So the Jews made a great slaughter of their enemies, and killed them, repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them:

6 Katika ngome ya Shushani Wayahudi waliua na kuangamiza wanaume 500.

Insomuch that even in Susan they killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Aman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews: whose names are these:

7 Pia waliwaua Parshendatha, Dalfoni, Aspatha,

Pharsandatha, and Delphon, and Esphatha,

8 Poratha, Adalia, Ardatha,

And Phoratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai na Waizatha,

And Phermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Jezatha.

10 wana kumi wa Hamani mwana wa Hamedatha, adui wa Wayahudi. Lakini hawakuchukua nyara.

And when they had slain them, they would not touch the spoils of their goods.

11 Mfalme aliarifiwa siku iyo hiyo hesabu ya waliouawa katika ngome ya Shushani.

And presently the number of them that were killed in Susan was brought to the king.

12 Mfalme akamwambia Malkia Esta, “Wayahudi wamewaua wanaume 500 na wana kumi wa Hamani ndani ya ngome ya Shushani. Wamefanyaje katika majimbo mengine ya mfalme yaliyobaki? Je, sasa haja yako ni nini? Nayo pia utapewa. Nalo ombi lako ni nini? Nalo utafanyiwa.”

And he said to the queen: The Jews have killed five hundred men in the city of Susan, besides the ten sons of Aman: how many dost thou think they have slain in all the provinces? What askest thou more, and what wilt thou have me to command to be done?

13 Esta akajibu, “Ikimpendeza mfalme, uwape ruhusa Wayahudi walioko Shushani warudie amri ya leo kesho pia, na wana wa Hamani kumi wanyongwe mahali pa kunyongea watu.”

And she answered: If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews, to do tomorrow in Susan as they have done today, and that the ten sons of Aman may be hanged upon gibbets.

14 Basi mfalme akaamuru kwamba hili litendeke. Amri ilitolewa huko Shushani, nao wakawanyonga wana kumi wa Hamani.

And the king commanded that it should be so done. And forthwith the edict was hung up in Susan, and the ten sons of Aman were hanged.

15 Wayahudi huko Shushani wakakusanyika pamoja siku ya kumi na nne ya mwezi wa Adari, nao wakawaua wanaume 300 huko Shushani, lakini hawakuchukua nyara zao.

And on the fourteenth day of the month Adar the Jews gathered themselves together, and they killed in Susan three hundred men: but they took not their substance.

16 Wakati ule ule, Wayahudi wengine waliokuwa kwenye majimbo ya mfalme, wakakusanyika kujilinda nao wakapata nafuu kutokana na adui zao. Waliua adui zao wapatao 75,000 lakini hawakugusa nyara zao.

Moreover through all the provinces which were subject to the king’s dominion the Jews stood for their lives, and slew their enemies and persecutors: insomuch that the number of them that were Billed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and no man took any of their goods.

17 Hili lilitendeka siku ya kumi na tatu ya mwezi wa Adari na siku ya kumi na nne walipumzika na kuifanya siku ya karamu na furaha.

Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with them all of the slaughter, and on the fourteenth day they left off. Which they ordained to be kept holy day, so that all times hereafter they should celebrate it with feasting, joy, and banquets.

18 Wayahudi huko Shushani, hata hivyo, walikuwa wamekusanyika siku ya kumi na tatu na ya kumi na nne, pia siku ya kumi na tano walipumzika na kuifanya siku ya karamu na furaha.

But they that were killing in the city of Susan, were employed in the slaughter on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month: and on the fifteenth day they rested. And therefore they appointed that day to be a holy day of feasting and gladness.

19 Ndiyo sababu Wayahudi wanaokaa vijijini na katika miji midogo huadhimisha siku ya kumi na nne ya mwezi wa Adari kama siku ya furaha na karamu, siku ambayo wao hupeana zawadi mmoja kwa mwingine.

But those Jews that dwelt in towns not walled and in villages, appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for banquets and gladness, so as to rejoice on that day, and send one another portions of their banquets and meats.

20 Mordekai aliandika matukio haya, naye akapeleka barua kwa Wayahudi wote walioko katika majimbo ya Mfalme Ahasuero, majimbo yaliyo mbali na karibu,

And Mardochai wrote all these things, and sent them comprised in letters to the Jews that abode in all the king’s provinces, both those that lay near and those afar off,

21 akiwataka kila mwaka washerehekee siku ya kumi na nne na ya kumi na tano ya mwezi wa Adari

That they should receive the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always at the return of the year should celebrate them with solemn honour:

22 kama wakati ambao Wayahudi walipata nafuu kutoka kwa adui zao na kama mwezi ambao huzuni yao iligeuzwa kuwa furaha na kuomboleza kwao kuwa siku ya kusherehekea. Aliwaandikia kushika siku hizo kama siku za karamu na za furaha na kupeana zawadi za vyakula wao kwa wao na zawadi kwa maskini.

Because on those days the Jews revenged themselves of their enemies, and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy, and that these should be days of feasting and gladness, in which they should send one to another portions of meats; and should give gifts to the poor.

23 Hivyo Wayahudi walikubali kuendeleza sherehe walizokuwa wamezianza, wakifanya lile Mordekai alilokuwa amewaandikia.

And the Jews undertook to observe with solemnity all they had begun to do at that time, which Mardochai by letters had commanded to be done.

24 Kwa maana Hamani mwana wa Hamedatha Mwagagi, adui wa Wayahudi wote, alikuwa amepanga hila dhidi ya Wayahudi ili kuwaangamiza, na alikuwa amepiga puri (yaani kura) kwa ajili ya maangamizi na uharibifu wao.

For Aman, the son of Amadathi of the race of Agag, the enemy and adversary of the Jews, had devised evil against them, to kill them and destroy them: and had cast Phur, that is, the lot.

25 Lakini wakati shauri hilo baya lilipoarifiwa kwa mfalme, alitoa amri iliyoandikwa kwamba mipango mibaya ambayo Hamani ameipanga dhidi ya Wayahudi inapasa imrudie juu ya kichwa chake mwenyewe, na kwamba yeye na wanawe waangikwe mahali pa kunyongea watu.

And afterwards Esther went in to the king, beseeching him that his endeavours might be made void by the king’s letters: and the evil that he had intended against the Jews, might return upon his own head. And so both he and his sons were hanged upon gibbets.

26 (Kwa hiyo siku hizi ziliitwa Purimu, kutokana na neno puri.) Kwa sababu ya kila kitu kilichoandikwa kwenye barua hii na kwa sababu ya yale waliyoyaona na yale yaliyowatokea,

And since that time these days are called Phurim, that is, of lots: because Phur, that is, the lot, was cast into the urn. And all things that were done, are contained in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this book:

27 Wayahudi wakachukua na kuifanya desturi kwamba wao na wazao wao na wote ambao walijiunga nao wangefanya bila kuacha kushika siku hizi mbili kila mwaka, kwa njia ilivyoelekezwa na kwa wakati wake.

And the things that they suffered, and that were afterwards changed, the Jews took upon themselves and their seed, and upon all that had a mind to be joined to their religion, so that it should be lawful for none to pass these days without solemnity: which the writing testifieth, and certain times require, as the years continually succeed one another.

28 Siku hizi zinapasa zikumbukwe na kuadhimishwa katika kila kizazi, kila jamaa na katika kila jimbo na kila jiji. Nazo siku hizi za Purimu kamwe zisikome kusherehekewa na Wayahudi, wala kumbukumbu zake zisipotee miongoni mwa wazao wake.

These are the days which shall never be forgot: and which all provinces in the whole world shall celebrate throughout all generations: neither is there any city wherein the days of Phurim, that is, of lots, must not be observed by the Jews, and by their posterity, which is bound to these ceremonies.

29 Basi Malkia Esta binti Abihaili, pamoja na Mordekai, Myahudi, waliandika kwa mamlaka yote kuthibitisha barua hii ya pili kuhusu Purimu.

And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mardochai the Jew, wrote also a second epistle, that with all diligence this day should be established a festival for the time to come.

30 Naye Mordekai akatuma barua kwa Wayahudi wote katika majimbo 127 ya ufalme wa Ahasuero, barua zenye maneno ya amani na matumaini,

And they sent to all the Jews that were in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of king Assuerus, that they should have peace, and receive truth,

31 ili kuimarisha siku hizi za Purimu katika majira yake yaliyowekwa, kama Mordekai, Myahudi na Malkia Esta walivyowaamuru, na walivyojiimarisha wenyewe na wazao wao kuhusu nyakati za kufunga na kuomboleza.

And observe the days of lots, and celebrate them with joy in their proper time: as Mardochai and Esther had appointed, and they undertook them to be observed by themselves and by their seed, fasts, and cries, and the days of lots,

32 Amri ya Esta ilithibitisha taratibu hizi kuhusu Purimu, nayo ikaandikwa katika kumbukumbu.

And all things which are contained in the history of this book, which is called Esther.