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 son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and placed his seat of authority above all the officials 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 at the king's gate always knelt and prostrated themselves to Haman, as the king had ordered them to do. But Mordecai neither knelt nor prostrated himself.
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 at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you disobey 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.
They spoke with him day after day, but he refused to comply with their demands. So they spoke with Haman to see if the matter about Mordecai would remain like that, 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 kneel and bow down to him, Haman was filled with rage.
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.
He had contempt for the idea of killing only Mordecai, for the king's servants had told him who Mordecai's people were. Haman wanted to exterminate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the entire kingdom of Ahasuerus.
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 of Nisan), in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, the Pur—that is the lot—was thrown before Haman, to select a day and month. They cast the lot over and over until the lot fell on the twelfth month (which is the month of 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.
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and distributed among all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so it is not suitable for the king to let them stay.
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 please the king, give a command to kill them, and I will weigh out ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king's business, for them to put it into the king's 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.
Then the king took the 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 sɛ, “Ma sika no ntena hɔ, nanso wo ne nnipa no nni no sɛdeɛ wopɛ no biara.”
The king said to Haman, “I will see that the money is given back to you and your people. You will do with it whatever you wish.”
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 summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree containing all that Haman had commanded was written to the king's provincial governors, those who were over all the provinces, to the governors of all the various peoples, and to the officials of all the people, to every province in their own writing, and to every people in their own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was 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.
Documents were hand-delivered by couriers to all the king's provinces, to annihilate, kill, and destroy all Jews, from young to old, children and women, in one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of 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 was made law in every province. In every province it was made known to all the people that they should prepare for this 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 and hurried to distribute the king's order. The decree was also distributed within the fortress of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.
