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 this, king Artaxerxes exalted Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who was of Agag lineage, and he set his throne above all the rulers whom he had.
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.
And all the king’s servants, who passed by the doors of the palace, bent their knees and adored Haman, for so the ruler had instructed them. Only Mordecai did not bend his knee, nor adore him.
3 Ahemfie mpanimfoɔ a wɔwɔ ɔhene ɛpono ano no bisaa Mordekai sɛ, “Adɛn enti na worebu ɔhene ɔhyɛ nsɛm so?”
The king’s servants, who presided over the doors of the palace, said to him, “Why do you, more than the others, not observe the king’s command?”
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.
And when they were saying this frequently, and he would not listen to them, they reported it to Haman, desiring to know whether he would continue in his resolution, 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.
Now when Haman had heard this, and had proved by a test that Mordecai did not bend his knee to him, nor adore him, he was very angry.
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.
And he considered it pointless to lay his hands on Mordecai alone, for he had heard that he was part of the Jewish people. And so he wanted more: to destroy the entire nation of the Jews, who were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes.
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 called Nisan, in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, the lot was cast into an urn, which in Hebrew is called Pur, in the presence of Haman, to determine on what day and in which month the Jewish people should be destroyed. And it turned out to be the twelfth month, which is called 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.
And Haman said to king Artaxerxes, “There is a people dispersed throughout all the provinces of your kingdom and separated one from another, who make use of unusual laws and ceremonies, and who, in addition, show contempt for the king’s ordinances. And you know very well that it is not expedient for your kingdom that they should become insolent through independence.
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 you, declare that they may be destroyed, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents to the keepers of your treasury.”
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.
And so the king took the ring that he used, from his own hand, and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha, of Agag lineage, enemy of the Jews.
11 Ɔhene no ka kyerɛɛ Haman sɛ, “Ma sika no ntena hɔ, nanso wo ne nnipa no nni no sɛdeɛ wopɛ no biara.”
And he said to him, “Let the silver, which you promise, be for yourself. As for the people, do with them as it pleases 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,
And the scribes of the king were summoned, in the first month Nisan, on the thirteenth day of the same month. And it was written, as Haman had commanded, to all the king’s governors, and to the judges of the provinces, and to various peoples, so that each people could read and hear according to their various languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes. And the letters were sealed with his 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.
These were sent by the king’s messengers to all the provinces, so as to kill and destroy all the Jews, from children all the way to the elderly, even little children and women, on one day, that is, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is called Adar, and to plunder their goods, even their necessities.
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.
And the effect of the letters was this: that all provinces would know and prepare for the prescribed 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, who had been sent, hurried to complete the king’s command, but the edict was hung up in Susa immediately. And the king and Haman celebrated a feast, while all the Jews in the city were weeping.
