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 Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him to a place above all the officials 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 king’s courtiers who were in the king’s gate used to bow down before Haman, for so the king had commanded, but Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself.
3 Ahemfi mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ ɔhene pon ano no bisaa Mordekai se, “Adɛn nti na worebu ɔhene mmara so?”
Then the king’s courtiers, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”
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.
When they had spoken to him day after day without his listening to them, they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s acts would be tolerated, for he had told them that 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 did not bow down nor prostrate himself before him, he was furious.
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.
But it seemed to him beneath his dignity to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who Mordecai’s people were. Instead Haman sought to destroy all the people of Mordecai, all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.
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 first month (the month of Nisan) in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahasuerus, Haman had ‘pur’ (which means ‘lot’) cast before him to determine the best day and best month for his actions. The lot fell on the thirteenth day of 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.
So Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, whose laws differ from those of every other and who do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not right for the king 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 seems best to the king, let an order be given to destroy them, and I will pay ten thousand silver coins into the royal treasury.”
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 took off his signet ring from his hand 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.”
“The money is yours,” the king said to Haman, “and the people also to do with them as you wish.”
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,
And so, on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king’s secretaries were summoned and as Haman instructed an edict was issued to the king’s satraps and provincial governors and the rulers of each of the peoples in their own script and their own language. The edict was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his 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.
Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, saying: Destroy, kill, put an end to all the Jews, young and old, little children and women, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, and plunder their possessions.
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 edict was to be published as a decree in every province – publicly displayed so that everyone might be ready for 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.
By command of the king the couriers raced off, and the edict was published in Susa itself. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.
