< Ɛster 3 >

1 Mmerɛ bi akyi, ɔhene Ahasweros pagyaa Agagni Hamedata babarima Haman diberɛ, yɛɛ no ɔsoafoɔ panin wɔ ahemman no mu ma ɔbɛyɛɛ ɔhene abadiakyire.
After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
2 Sɛ Haman retwam a, ɔhene mpanimfoɔ bɔ wɔn mu ase, de kyerɛ obuo ne anidie a wɔwɔ ma no, ɛfiri sɛ, saa na ɔhene ahyɛ. Nanso, Mordekai ammɔ ne mu ase da, na wankyerɛ obuo ne anidie nso da.
All the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay him homage.
3 Ahemfie mpanimfoɔ a wɔwɔ ɔhene ɛpono ano no bisaa Mordekai sɛ, “Adɛn enti na worebu ɔhene ɔhyɛ nsɛm so?”
Then the king’s servants who were in the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s commandment?”
4 Adeɛ akye a ade asa yi, wɔkasa kyerɛɛ no nanso ɔkɔɔ so buu ɔhyɛ nsɛm no so. Enti, wɔbɔɔ Haman amaneɛ hwɛɛ sɛ ɔbɛpene Mordekai suban no so anaa, ɛfiri sɛ, na Mordekai aka akyerɛ wɔn sɛ ɔyɛ Yudani.
Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he did not listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.
5 Ɛberɛ a Haman hunuu sɛ Mordekai nkoto no, anaa ɔnnkyerɛ no obuo ne anidie no, ne bo fuiɛ.
When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down nor pay him homage, Haman was full of wrath.
6 Enti, Haman yɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ, ɔremfa ne nsa nka Mordekai nko ara. Esiane sɛ na wate sɛ Mordekai yɛ Yudani no enti, ɔyɛɛ nʼadwene sɛ ɔbɛtɔre Yudafoɔ a wɔwɔ Ahasweros ahemman mu no nyinaa ase.
But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people.
7 Na ɔbosome Nisan (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) mu a ɛyɛ ɔhene Ahasweros adedie mfeɛ dumienu so no, wɔbɔɔ ntonto a wɔfrɛ no Pur de hwehwɛɛ ɛda pa ne bosome a ɛfata sɛ wɔdi dwuma no. Na da a wɔyiiɛ no yɛ Adar bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔbɛnem) da a ɛtɔ so nson a na ɛreyɛ akɔ ntontobɔ no akyi afe mu.
In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
8 Na Haman kɔɔ ɔhene Ahasweros nkyɛn kɔka kyerɛɛ no sɛ, “Nnipa bi wɔ hɔ a wɔabɔ apete amantam a ɛwɔ wʼahemman yi nyinaa so. Wɔn mmara ne ɔman foforɔ biara deɛ bɔ abira, na mpo, wɔbu ɔhene mmara so. Ɛno enti, ɛnyɛ mma ɔhene sɛ ɔbɛhwɛ ama wɔatena ase.
Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different from other people’s. They do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not for the king’s profit to allow them to remain.
9 Sɛ ɛbɛtumi a, Ɔhene kɛseɛ, hyɛ mmara na wɔntɔre wɔn ase, na mɛma aban amammufoɔ dwetɛ tɔno 375, na wɔde agu adehyeɛ fotoɔ no mu.”
If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10 Ɔhene no penee so, worɔɔ ne pɛtea de maa Agagni Hamedata babarima Haman a ɔyɛ Yudafoɔ ɔtamfoɔ no de sii asɛm no so dua.
The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.
11 Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Haman sɛ, “Ma sika no ntena hɔ, nanso wo ne nnipa no nni no sɛdeɛ wopɛ no biara.”
The king said to Haman, “The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12 Nisan bosome (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) da a ɛtɔ so dunson no, Haman frɛɛ ɔhene atwerɛfoɔ ma ɔkaa deɛ ɔpɛ sɛ ɔtwerɛ de kɔma mmapɔmma, amantam amradofoɔ a wɔwɔ mmea nyinaa, adwumayɛfoɔ a wɔwɔ amantam no mu, ma wɔtwerɛɛ no wɔ wɔn ankasa kasa mu. Ɔhene Ahasweros na wɔde ne din hyɛɛ nkrataa no ase, na wɔde ne kawa no sosɔɔ ano,
Then the king’s scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king’s local governors, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king’s ring.
13 na wɔde somaa abɔfoɔ maa wɔde kokɔɔ amantam a ɛwɔ ahemman no mu nyinaa. Nkrataa no hyɛɛ mmara sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔkunkum Yudafoɔ nyinaa, mmɔfra ne mpanin, a mmaa ne mmɔfra ka ho, tɔre wɔn ase ɛda koro. Wɔhyɛɛ sɛ, saa asɛm yi nsi wɔ Adar bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔbɛnem) da a ɛtɔ so nson, a ɛyɛ afe akyi a wɔhyɛɛ mmara no. Yudafoɔ agyapadeɛ no, wɔde bɛma wɔn akumfoɔ.
Letters were sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
14 Wɔde mmara no sɛso bi bɛkokɔ amantam no nyinaa so, na wɔbɛma ɔmanfoɔ nyinaa nso ate mu nsɛm, sɛdeɛ wɔbɛtumi adi dwuma no wɔ ɛda a wɔahyɛ no so.
A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.
15 Ɔhene no hyɛ maa wɔde mmara no somaa abɔfoɔ a wɔn ho yɛ herɛ na wɔbɔɔ no dawuro wɔ Susa aban no mu. Afei, ɔhene no ne Haman tenaa ase nomm nsã; nanso Susa kuropɔn no mu yɛɛ basabasa.
The couriers went out in haste by the king’s commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.

< Ɛster 3 >