Ester 9

1Il dodicesimo mese, ch’è il mese d’Adar, il tredicesimo giorno del mese, quando l’ordine del re e il suo decreto doveano esser mandati ad effetto, il giorno che i nemici de’ Giudei speravano d’averli in loro potere, avvenne invece tutto il contrario; poiché furono i Giudei ch’ebbero in loro potere i loro nemici. 2I Giudei si radunarono nelle loro città, in tutte le province del re Assuero, per metter la mano su quelli che cercavano far ad essi del male; e nessuno poté resister loro, perché lo spavento de’ Giudei s’era impossessato di tutti i popoli. 3E tutti i capi delle province, i satrapi, i governatori e quelli che facevano gli affari del re dettero man forte a i Giudei, perché lo spavento di Mardocheo s’era impossessato di loro. 4Poiché Mardocheo era grande nella casa del re, e la sua fama si spandeva per tutte le province, perché quest’uomo, Mardocheo, diventava sempre più grande. 5I Giudei dunque colpirono tutti i loro nemici, mettendoli a fil di spada, uccidendoli e sterminandoli; fecero de’ loro nemici quello che vollero. 6Alla residenza reale di Susa i Giudei uccisero e sterminarono cinquecento uomini, 7e misero a morte Parshandatha, Dalfon, Aspatha, Poratha, 8Adalia, Aridatha, 9Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, e Vaizatha, i dieci figliuoli di Haman, 10figliuolo di Hammedatha, il nemico de’ Giudei, ma non si diedero al saccheggio. 11Quel giorno stesso il numero di quelli ch’erano stati uccisi alla residenza reale di Susa fu recato a conoscenza del re. 12E il re disse alla regina Ester: "Alla residenza reale di Susa i Giudei hanno ucciso, hanno sterminato cinquecento uomini e i dieci figliuoli di Haman; che avranno essi mai fatto nelle altre province del re? Or che chiedi tu ancora? Ti sarà dato. Che altro desideri? L’avrai". 13Allora Ester disse: "Se così piace al re, sia permesso ai Giudei che sono a Susa di fare anche domani quello ch’era stato decretato per oggi; e siano appesi alla forca i dieci figliuoli di Haman". 14E il re ordinò che così fosse fatto. Il decreto fu promulgato a Susa, e i dieci figliuoli di Haman furono appiccati. 15E i Giudei ch’erano a Susa si radunarono ancora il quattordicesimo giorno del mese d’Adar e uccisero a Susa trecento uomini; ma non si diedero al saccheggio. 16Gli altri Giudei ch’erano nelle province del re si radunarono anch’essi, difesero la loro vita, ed ebbero requie dagli attacchi de’ loro nemici; uccisero settantacinquemila di quelli che li aveano in odio, ma non si diedero al saccheggio. 17Questo avvenne il tredicesimo giorno del mese d’Adar; il quattordicesimo giorno si riposarono, e ne fecero un giorno di convito e di gioia. 18Ma i Giudei ch’erano a Susa si radunarono il tredicesimo e il quattordicesimo giorno di quel mese; il quindicesimo giorno si riposarono, e ne fecero un giorno di conviti e di gioia. 19Perciò i Giudei della campagna che abitano in città non murate fanno del quattordicesimo giorno del mese di Adar un giorno di gioia, di conviti e di festa, nel quale gli uni mandano dei regali agli altri. 20Mardocheo scrisse queste cose, e mandò delle lettere a tutti i Giudei ch’erano in tutte le province del re Assuero, vicini e lontani, 21ordinando loro che ogni anno celebrassero il quattordicesimo e il quindicesimo giorno del mese d’Adar, 22come i giorni ne’ quali i Giudei ebbero requie dagli attacchi de’ loro nemici, e il mese in cui il loro dolore era stato mutato in gioia, il loro lutto in festa, e facessero di questi giorni de’ giorni di conviti e di gioia, nei quali gli uni manderebbero de’ regali agli altri, e si farebbero dei doni ai bisognosi. 23I Giudei s’impegnarono a continuare quello che avean già cominciato a fare, e che Mardocheo avea loro scritto; 24poiché Haman, figliuolo di Hammedatha, l’Agaghita, il nemico di tutti i Giudei, aveva ordito una trama contro i Giudei per distruggerli, e avea gettato il Pur, vale a dire la sorte, per sgominarli e farli perire; 25ma quando Ester si fu presentata al cospetto del re, questi ordinò per iscritto che la scellerata macchinazione che Haman aveva ordita contro i Giudei fosse fatta ricadere sul capo di lui, e ch’egli e i suoi figliuoli fossero appesi alla forca. 26Perciò que’ giorni furon detti Purim, dal termine Pur. Conforme quindi a tutto il contenuto di quella lettera, in seguito a tutto quello che avean visto a questo proposito e ch’era loro avvenuto, 27i Giudei stabilirono e presero per sé, per la loro progenie e per tutti quelli che si aggiungerebbero a loro, l’impegno inviolabile di celebrare ogni anno que’ due giorni secondo il tenore di quello scritto e al tempo fissato. 28Que’ giorni dovevano esser commemorati e celebrati di generazione in generazione, in ogni famiglia, in ogni provincia, in ogni città; e que’ giorni di Purim non dovevano cessar mai d’esser celebrati fra i Giudei, e il loro ricordo non dovea mai cancellarsi fra i loro discendenti. 29La regina Ester, figliuola d’Abihail, e il Giudeo Mardocheo riscrissero con ogni autorità, per dar peso a questa loro seconda lettera relativa ai Purim. 30E si mandaron delle lettere a tutti i Giudei nelle centoventisette province del regno di Assuero: lettere contenenti parole di pace e di fedeltà, 31per fissar bene que’ giorni di Purim nelle loro date precise, come li aveano ordinati il Giudeo Mardocheo e la regina Ester, e com’essi stessi li aveano stabiliti per sé e per i loro discendenti, in occasione del loro digiuno e del loro grido. 32Così l’ordine d’Ester fissò l’istituzione dei Purim, e ciò fu scritto in un libro.

1Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the month, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to conquer them, (but it was turned out the opposite happened, that the Jews conquered those who hated them), 2the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, to lay hands on those who wanted to harm them. No one could withstand them, because the fear of them had fallen on all the people. 3All the princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and those who did the king’s business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai grew greater and greater. 5The Jews struck all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and with slaughter and destruction, and did what they wanted to those who hated them. 6In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7They killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, 10the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jew’s enemy, but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder. 11On that day, the number of those who were slain in the citadel of Susa was brought before the king. 12The king said to Esther the queen, “The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in the citadel of Susa, including the ten sons of Haman; what then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your further request? It shall be done.” 13Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according to this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” 14The king commanded this to be done. A decree was given out in Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. 15The Jews who were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and killed three hundred men in Shushan; but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder. 16The other Jews who were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, defended their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they didn’t lay their hand on the plunder. 17This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of that month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 18But the Jews who were in Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth days of the month; and on the fifteenth day of that month, they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a good day, and a day of sending presents of food to one another. 20Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar yearly, 22as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending presents of food to one another, and gifts to the needy. 23The Jews accepted the custom that they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them; 24because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast “Pur”, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; 25but when this became known to the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26Therefore they called these days “Purim”, from the word “Pur.” Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come to them, 27the Jews established, and imposed on themselves, and on their descendants, and on all those who joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to what was written, and according to its appointed time, every year; 28and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor their memory perish from their seed. 29Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. 30He sent letters to all the Jews, to the hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had decreed, and as they had imposed upon themselves and their descendants, in the matter of the fastings and their cry. 32The commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

1In de twaalfde maand nu (dezelve is de maand Adar), op den dertienden dag derzelve, toen des konings woord en zijn wet nabij gekomen was, dat men het doen zou, ten dage, als de vijanden der Joden hoopten over hen te heersen, zo is het omgekeerd, want de Joden heersten over hun haters. 2Want de Joden vergaderden zich in hun steden, in al de landschappen van den koning Ahasveros, om de hand te slaan aan degenen, die hun verderf zochten; en niemand bestond voor hen, want hunlieder schrik was op al die volken gevallen. 3En al de oversten der landschappen, en de stadhouders, en landvoogden, en die het werk des konings deden, verhieven de Joden; want de vreze van Mordechai was op hen gevallen. 4Want Mordechai was groot in het huis des konings, en zijn gerucht ging uit door alle landschappen; want die man, Morde chai, werd doorgaans groter. 5De Joden nu sloegen op al hun vijanden, met den slag des zwaards, en der doding, en der verderving; en zij deden met hun haters naar hun welbehagen. 6En in den burg Susan hebben de Joden gedood en omgebracht vijfhonderd mannen. 7En Parsandatha, en Dalfon, en Asfata, 8En Poratha, en Adalia, en Aridatha, 9En Parmastha, en Arisai, en Aridai, en Vaizatha, 10De tien zonen van Haman, den zoon van Hammedatha, den vijand der Joden, doodden zij; maar zij sloegen hun handen niet aan den roof. 11Ten zelfden dage kwam voor den koning het getal der gedoden op den burg Susan. 12En de koning zeide tot de koningin Esther: Te Susan op den burg hebben de Joden gedood en omgebracht vijfhonderd mannen en de tien zonen van Haman; wat hebben zij in al de andere landschappen des konings gedaan? Wat is nu uw bede? en het zal u gegeven worden; of wat is verder uw verzoek? het zal geschieden. 13Toen zeide Esther: Dunkt het den koning goed, men late ook morgen den Joden, die te Susan zijn, toe, te doen naar het gebod van heden; en men hange de tien zonen van Haman aan de galg. 14Toen zeide de koning, dat men alzo doen zou; en er werd een gebod gegeven te Susan, en men hing de tien zonen van Haman op. 15En de Joden, die te Susan waren, vergaderden ook op den veertienden dag der maand Adar, en zij doodden te Susan driehonderd mannen; maar zij sloegen hun hand niet aan den roof. 16De overige Joden nu, die in de landschappen des konings waren, vergaderden, opdat zij stonden voor hun leven, en rust hadden van hun vijanden, en zij doodden onder hun haters vijf en zeventig duizend; maar zij sloegen hun hand niet aan den roof. 17Dit geschiedde op den dertienden dag der maand Adar; en op de veertienden derzelve rustten zij, en zij maakten denzelven een dag der maaltijden en der vreugde. 18En de Joden, die te Susan waren, vergaderden op den dertienden derzelve, en op den veertienden derzelve; en zij rustten op den vijftienden derzelve, en zij maakten denzelven een dag der maaltijden en der vreugde. 19Daarom maakten de Joden van de dorpen, die in de dorpsteden woonden, den veertienden dag der maand Adar ter vreugde en maaltijden, en een vrolijken dag, en der zending van delen aan elkander. 20En Mordechai beschreef deze geschiedenissen; en hij zond brieven aan al de Joden, die in al de landschappen van den koning Ahasveros waren, dien, die nabij, en dien, die verre waren, 21Om over hen te bevestigen, dat zij zouden onderhouden den veertienden dag der maand Adar, en den vijftienden dag derzelve, in alle en in ieder jaar; 22Naar de dagen, in dewelke de Joden tot rust gekomen waren van hun vijanden, en de maand, die hun veranderd was van droefenis in blijdschap, en van rouw in een vrolijken dag; dat zij dezelve dagen maken zouden tot dagen der maaltijden, en der vreugde, en der zending van delen aan elkander, en der gaven aan de armen. 23En de Joden namen aan te doen, wat zij begonnen hadden, en dat Mordechai aan hen geschreven had. 24Omdat Haman, de zoon van Hammedatha, den Agagiet, aller Joden vijand, tegen de Joden gedacht had hen om te brengen; en dat hij het Pur, dat is, het lot had geworpen, om hen te verslaan, en om hen om te brengen. 25Maar als zij voor den koning gekomen was, heeft hij door brieven bevolen, dat zijn boze gedachte, die hij gedacht had over de Joden, op zijn hoofd zou wederkeren; en men heeft hem en zijn zonen aan de galg gehangen. 26Daarom noemt men die dagen Purim, van den naam van dat Pur. Hierom, vanwege al de woorden van dien brief, en hetgeen zij zelven daarvan gezien hadden, en wat tot hen overgekomen was, 27Bevestigden de Joden, en namen op zich en op hun zaad, en op allen, die zich tot hen vervoegen zouden, dat men het niet overtrade, dat zij deze twee dagen zouden houden, naar het voorschrift derzelve, en naar den bestemden tijd derzelve, in alle en ieder jaar; 28Dat deze dagen gedacht zouden worden en onderhouden, in alle en elk geslacht, elk huisgezin, elk landschap en elke stad; en dat deze dagen van Purim niet zouden overtreden worden onder de Joden, en dat de gedachtenis derzelve geen einde nemen zou bij hun zaad. 29Daarna schreef de koningin Esther, de dochter van Abichail, en Mordechai, de Jood, met alle macht, om dezen brief van Purim ten tweeden male te bevestigen. 30En hij zond de brieven aan al de Joden, in de honderd zeven en twintig landschappen van het koninkrijk van Ahasveros, met woorden van vrede en trouw; 31Dat zij deze dagen van Purim bevestigen zouden op hun bestemde tijden, gelijk als Mordechai, de Jood, over hen bevestigd had, en Esther, de koningin, en gelijk als zij het bevestigd hadden voor zichzelven en voor hun zaad; de zaken van het vasten en hunlieder geroep. 32En het bevel van Esther bevestigde de geschiedenissen van deze Purim, en het werd in een boek geschreven.