Ɛster 3
1 Eyinom akyi no, ɔhene Ahasweros pagyaw Agagni Hamedata babarima Haman dibea, yɛɛ no ɔsoafo panyin wɔ ahemman no mu ma ɔbɛyɛɛ ɔhene abediakyiri.
After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, elevating him to a position above all the princes who were with him.
2 Sɛ Haman reba a, ɔhene mpanyimfo no bɔ wɔn mu ase de kyerɛ obu ne nidi a wɔwɔ ma no, efisɛ saa na ɔhene ahyɛ. Nanso Mordekai ammɔ ne mu ase da, na wankyerɛ obu ne nidi nso da.
All the royal servants at the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded that this be done for him. But Mordecai would not bow down or pay homage.
3 Ahemfi mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ ɔhene pon ano no bisaa Mordekai se, “Adɛn nti na worebu ɔhene mmara so?”
Then the royal servants at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the command of the king?”
4 Wɔkasa kyerɛɛ no mpɛn pii nanso ɔkɔɔ so buu mmara no so. Enti wɔbɔɔ Haman amanneɛ hwɛɛ sɛ ɔbɛpene Mordekai suban no so ana, efisɛ na Mordekai aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ ɔyɛ Yudani.
Day after day they warned him, but he would not comply. So they reported it to Haman to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, since he had told them he was a Jew.
5 Bere a Haman huu sɛ Mordekai nkotow no, anaa ɔnna obu ne nidi adi nkyerɛ no no, ne bo fuwii.
When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down or pay him homage, he was filled with rage.
6 Enti Haman yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ, ɔrenhaw Mordekai nko ara. Esiane sɛ na wate sɛ Mordekai yɛ Yudani no nti, ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛhwehwɛ ɔkwan a ɔbɛfa so de atɔre Yudafo a wɔwɔ Ahasweros ahemman mu no nyinaa ase.
And when he learned the identity of Mordecai’s people, he scorned the notion of laying hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he sought to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the kingdom of Xerxes.
7 Na ɔsram Abib (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) mu a ɛyɛ ɔhene Ahasweros adedi mfe dumien so no, wɔbɔɔ ntonto a wɔfrɛ no Pur de hwehwɛɛ da ne ɔsram a ɛfata sɛ wɔhyɛ fa no. Na da a woyii no yɛ Abib ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔbɛnem) da a ɛto so ason a na ɛreyɛ akɔ ntontobɔ no akyi afe mu.
In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the Pur (that is, the lot) was cast before Haman to determine a day and month. And the lot fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
8 Na Haman kɔɔ ɔhene Ahasweros nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no se, “Nnipa bi wɔ hɔ a wɔabɔ apete amantam a ɛwɔ wʼahenni yi nyinaa so. Wɔn mmara ne ɔman foforo biara de bɔ abira, na mpo, wobu ɔhene mmara so. Ɛno nti, enye mma ɔhene sɛ ɔbɛhwɛ ama wɔatena ase.
Then Haman informed King Xerxes, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples of every province of your kingdom. Their laws are different from everyone else’s, and they do not obey the king’s laws. So it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.
9 Sɛ ebetumi a, Ɔhempɔn, hyɛ mmara na wɔntɔre wɔn ase, na mɛma aban amammuifo dwetɛ tɔn ahaasa aduɔson anum na wɔde agu adehye foto no mu.”
If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”
10 Ɔhene no penee so, worɔw ne pɛtea de maa Agagni Hamedata babarima Haman a ɔyɛ Yudafo tamfo no de sii asɛm no so dua.
So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
11 Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Haman se, “Ma sika no ntena hɔ, nanso wo ne nnipa no nni no sɛnea wopɛ no biara.”
“Keep your money,” said the king to Haman. “These people are given to you to do with them as you please.”
12 Abib (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) da a ɛto so dunson no, Haman frɛɛ ɔhene akyerɛwfo ma ɔkaa nea ɔpɛ sɛ ɔkyerɛw de kɔma mmapɔmma, amantam amradofo a wɔwɔ mmeae nyinaa, adwumayɛfo a wɔwɔ amantam no mu ma wɔkyerɛw no wɔ wɔn ankasa kasa mu. Ɔhene Ahasweros na wɔde ne din hyɛɛ nkrataa no ase, na wɔde ne kaa no sɔw ano,
On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes were summoned and the order was written exactly as Haman commanded the royal satraps, the governors of each province, and the officials of each people, in the script of each province and the language of every people. It was written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the royal signet ring.
13 na wɔde somaa abɔfo ma wɔde kokɔɔ amantam a ɛwɔ ahemman no mu nyinaa. Nkrataa no hyɛɛ mmara sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wokunkum Yudafo nyinaa, mmofra ne mpanyin, mmea ne mmarima, tɔre wɔn ase da koro na wɔfa wɔn agyapade. Wɔhyɛɛ sɛ, saa asɛm yi nsi wɔ Adar ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔbɛnem) da a ɛto so ason, a ɛyɛ afe akyi a wɔhyɛɛ mmara no.
And the letters were sent by couriers to each of the royal provinces with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews—young and old, women and children—and to plunder their possessions on a single day, the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month.
14 Wɔde mmara no sɛso bi bɛkɔ amantam no nyinaa so, na wɔbɛma ɔmanfo nyinaa nso ate mu nsɛm, sɛnea wobetumi adi dwuma no wɔ da a wɔahyɛ no.
A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that they would be ready on that day.
15 Ɔhene no hyɛ ma wɔde mmara no somaa abɔfo a wɔn ho yɛ hare ma wɔbɔɔ no dawuru wɔ Susa aban no mu. Afei, ɔhene no ne Haman tenaa ase nom nsa; nanso Susa kuropɔn no mu yɛɛ basabasa.
The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.
