Esther 9

VULGATA	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Igitur duodecimi mensis, quem Adar vocari ante jam diximus, tertiadecima die, quando cunctis Judæis interfectio parabatur, et hostes eorum inhiabant sanguini, versa vice Judæi superiores esse cœperunt, et se de adversariis vindicare.	1 When the day arrived on which the order decreed by the king was to be carried out, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, on which the enemies of the Jews had expected to become masters of them, the situation was reversed: the Jews became masters of their enemies.
2 Congregatique sunt per singulas civitates, oppida, et loca, ut extenderent manum contra inimicos, et persecutores suos. Nullusque ausus est resistere, eo quod omnes populos magnitudinis eorum formido penetrarat.	2 The Jews mustered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to attack those who sought to do them harm, and no one could withstand them, but all peoples were seized with a fear of them.
3 Nam et provinciarum judices, et duces, et procuratores, omnisque dignitas quæ singulis locis ac operibus præerat, extollebant Judæos timore Mardochæi,	3 Moreover, all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors, and royal procurators supported the Jews from fear of Mordecai;
4 quem principem esse palatii, et plurimum posse cognoverant : fama quoque nominis ejus crescebat quotidie, et per cunctorum ora volitabat.	4 for Mordecai was powerful in the royal palace, and the report was spreading through all the provinces that he was continually growing in power.
5 Itaque percusserunt Judæi inimicos suos plaga magna, et occiderunt eos, reddentes eis quod sibi paraverant facere :	5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them; they did to their enemies as they pleased.
6 in tantum ut etiam in Susan quingentos viros interficerent, extra decem filios Aman Agagitæ hostis Judæorum : quorum ista sunt nomina :	6 In the stronghold of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
7 Pharsandatha, et Delphon, et Esphatha,	7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 et Phoratha, et Adalia, et Aridatha,	8 Porathai, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,
9 et Phermesta, et Arisai, et Aridai, et Jezatha.
10 Quos cum occidissent, prædas de substantiis eorum tangere noluerunt.	10 the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the foe of the Jews. However, they did not engage in plundering.
11 Statimque numerus eorum, qui occisi erant in Susan, ad regem relatus est.	11 On the same day, when the number of those killed in the stronghold of Susa was reported to the king,
12 Qui dixit reginæ : In urbe Susan interfecerunt Judæi quingentos viros, et alios decem filios Aman : quantam putas eos exercere cædem in universis provinciis ? quid ultra postulas, et quid vis ut fieri jubeam ?	12 he said to Queen Esther: "In the stronghold of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, as well as the ten sons of Haman. What must they have done in the other royal provinces! You shall again be granted whatever you ask, and whatever you request shall be honored."
13 Cui illa respondit : Si regi placet, detur potestas Judæis, ut sicut fecerunt hodie in Susan, sic et cras faciant, et decem filii Aman in patibulis suspendantur.	13 So Esther said, "If it pleases your majesty, let the Jews in Susa be permitted again tomorrow to act according to today's decree, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on gibbets."
14 Præcepitque rex ut ita fieret. Statimque in Susan pependit edictum, et decem filii Aman suspensi sunt.	14 The king then gave an order to this effect, and the decree was published in Susa. So the ten sons of Haman were hanged,
15 Congregatis Judæis quartadecima die mensis Adar, interfecti sunt in Susan trecenti viri : nec eorum ab illis direpta substantia est.	15 and the Jews in Susa mustered again on the fourteenth of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa. However, they did not engage in plundering.
16 Sed et per omnes provincias quæ ditioni regis subjacebant, pro animabus suis steterunt Judæi, interfectis hostibus ac persecutoribus suis : in tantum ut septuaginta quinque millia occisorum implerentur, et nullus de substantiis eorum quidquam contingeret.	16 The other Jews, who dwelt in the royal provinces, also mustered and defended themselves, and obtained rest from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of their foes, without engaging in plunder,
17 Dies autem tertiusdecimus mensis Adar primus apud omnes interfectionis fuit, et quartadecima die cædere desierunt. Quem constituerunt esse solemnem, ut in eo omni tempore deinceps vacarent epulis, gaudio, atque conviviis.	17 on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
18 At hi, qui in urbe Susan cædem exercuerant, tertiodecimo et quartodecimo die ejusdem mensis in cæde versati sunt : quintodecimo autem die percutere desierunt. Et idcirco eumdem diem constituerunt solemnem epularum atque lætitiæ.	18 (The Jews in Susa, however, mustered on the thirteenth and fourteenth of the month. But on the fifteenth they rested, and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.)
19 Hi vero Judæi, qui in oppidis non muratis ac villis morabantur, quartumdecimum diem mensis Adar conviviorum et gaudii decreverunt, ita ut exultent in eo, et mittant sibi mutuo partes epularum et ciborum.	19 That is why the rural Jews, who dwell in villages, celebrate the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of rejoicing and feasting, a holiday on which they send gifts of food to one another.
20 Scripsit itaque Mardochæus omnia hæc, et litteris comprehensa misit ad Judæos qui in omnibus regis provinciis morabantur, tam in vicino positis, quam procul,	20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews, both near and far, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.
21 ut quartamdecimam et quintamdecimam diem mensis Adar pro festis susciperent, et revertente semper anno solemni celebrarent honore :	21 He ordered them to celebrate every year both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month of Adar
22 quia in ipsis diebus se ulti sunt Judæi de inimicis suis, et luctus atque tristitia in hilaritatem gaudiumque conversa sunt, essentque dies isti epularum atque lætitiæ, et mitterent sibi invicem ciborum partes, et pauperibus munuscula largirentur.	22 as the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow into joy, from mourning into festivity. They were to observe these days with feasting and gladness, sending food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 Susceperuntque Judæi in solemnem ritum cuncta quæ eo tempore facere cœperant, et quæ Mardochæus litteris facienda mandaverat.	23 The Jews took upon themselves for the future this observance which they instituted at the written direction of Mordecai.
24 Aman enim, filius Amadathi stirpis Agag, hostis et adversarius Judæorum, cogitavit contra eos malum, ut occideret illos atque deleret : et misit phur, quod nostra lingua vertitur in sortem.	24 Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the foe of all the Jews, had planned to destroy them and had cast the pur, or lot, for the time of their defeat and destruction.
25 Et postea ingressa est Esther ad regem, obsecrans ut conatus ejus litteris regis irriti fierent, et malum quod contra Judæos cogitaverat, reverteretur in caput ejus. Denique et ipsum et filios ejus affixerunt cruci,	25 Yet, when Esther entered the royal presence, the king ordered in writing that the wicked plan Haman had devised against the Jews should instead be turned against Haman and that he and his sons should be hanged on gibbets.
26 atque ex illo tempore dies isti appellati sunt phurim, id est sortium : eo quod phur, id est sors, in urnam missa fuerit. Et cuncta quæ gesta sunt, epistolæ, id est, libri hujus volumine, continentur :	26 And so these days have been named Purim after the word pur. Thus, because of all that was contained in this letter, and because of what they had witnessed and experienced in this affair,
27 quæque sustinuerunt, et quæ deinceps immutata sunt, susceperunt Judæi super se et semen suum, et super cunctos qui religioni eorum voluerunt copulari, ut nulli liceat duos hos dies absque solemnitate transigere, quos scriptura testatur, et certa expetunt tempora, annis sibi jugiter succedentibus.	27 the Jews established and took upon themselves, their descendants, and all who should join them, the inviolable obligation of celebrating these two days every year in the manner prescribed by this letter, and at the time appointed.
28 Isti sunt dies, quos nulla umquam delebit oblivio, et per singulas generationes cunctæ in toto orbe provinciæ celebrabunt : nec est ulla civitas, in qua dies phurim, id est sortium, non observentur a Judæis, et ab eorum progenie, quæ his cæremoniis obligata est.	28 These days were to be commemorated and kept in every generation, by every clan, in every province, and in every city. These days of Purim were never to fall into disuse among the Jews, nor into oblivion among their descendants.
29 Scripseruntque Esther regina filia Abihail, et Mardochæus Judæus, etiam secundam epistolam, ut omni studio dies ista solemnis sanciretur in posterum :	29 Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail and of Mordecai the Jew, wrote to confirm with full authority this second letter about Purim,
30 et miserunt ad omnes Judæos qui in centum viginti septem provinciis regis Assueri versabantur, ut haberent pacem, et susciperent veritatem,	30 when Mordecai sent documents concerning peace and security to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Ahasuerus' kingdom.
31 observantes dies sortium, et suo tempore cum gaudio celebrarent : sicut constituerant Mardochæus et Esther, et illi observanda susceperunt a se, et a semine suo, jejunia, et clamores, et sortium dies,	31 Thus were established, for their appointed time, these days of Purim which Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had designated for the Jews, just as they had previously enjoined upon themselves and upon their race the duty of fasting and supplication.
32 et omnia quæ libri hujus, qui vocatur Esther, historia continentur.	32 The command of Esther confirmed these prescriptions for Purim and was recorded in the book.