Esther 3

NEW JERUSALEM	BIBBIA RICCIOTTI
1 Shortly afterwards, King Ahasuerus singled out Haman son of Hammedatha, a native of Agag, forpromotion. He raised him in rank, granting him precedence over all his col eagues, the other officers-of-state,	1 - Dopo questi avvenimenti, accadde che il re Assuero innalzò Aman figlio di Amadati, della stirpe di Agag, e gli diè luogo sopra a tutti gli altri principi suoi.
2 and al the royal officials employed at the Chancel ery used to bow low and prostrate themselveswhenever Haman appeared -- such was the king's command. Mordecai refused either to bow or to prostratehimself.	2 Tutti i servi del re, che si trovavano alle porte del palazzo, piegavano le ginocchia ed adoravano Aman, perchè così aveva loro comandato il re. Mardocheo solo non piegava il ginocchio nè lo adorava.
3 'Why do you flout the royal command?' the officials of the Chancel ery asked Mordecai.	3 I servi del re, che custodivano l'ingresso del palazzo, gli dissero: «Perchè, a differenza degli altri, tu non osservi il comando del re?».
4 Day after day they asked him this, but he took no notice of them. In the end they reported the matter toHaman, to see whether Mordecai would persist in his attitude, since he had told them that he was a Jew.	4 Avendo ciò detto più volte, e non avendo egli voluto ascoltarli, ne dettero notizia ad Aman, curiosi di vedere se Mardocheo stesse fermo nel suo proposito; egli infatti aveva detto a loro d'esser giudeo.
5 Haman could see for himself that Mordecai did not bow or prostrate himself in his presence; he becamefuriously angry.	5 Quando Aman ebbe ciò udito, e si fu accertato con la prova che Mardocheo non piegava il ginocchio davanti a lui nè lo adorava, si sdegnò grandemente;
6 And, on being told what race Mordecai belonged to, he thought it beneath him merely to get rid ofMordecai, but made up his mind to wipe out all the members of Mordecai's race, the Jews, living in Ahasuerus'entire empire.	6 avendo saputo ch'egli era della nazione giudea, troppo poco gli parve di rifarsi su lui solo, e piuttosto pensò a sterminare tutta la razza dei Giudei che si trovavano nel regno di Assuero.
7 In the first month, that is the month of Nisan, of the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, the pur (that is, thelot) was cast in Haman's presence, to determine the day and the month. The lot falling on the twelfth month,which is Adar,	7 Il mese primo, chiamato Nisan, l'anno dodicesimo del regno di Assuero, dinanzi ad Aman, fu tirato a sorte (che in ebraico si dice Pur) in qual giorno e mese dovesse esser messa a morte la nazione giudaica; e sortì il mese dodicesimo, chiamato Adar.
8 Haman said to King Ahasuerus, 'There is a certain unassimilated nation scattered among the othernations throughout the provinces of your realm; their laws are different from those of al the other nations, andthe royal laws they ignore; hence it is not in the king's interests to tolerate them.	8 Disse Aman al re Assuero: «V'è una gente, dispersa per tutte le province del regno tuo, divisa anche fra sè, che ha leggi e costumi nuovi, e che inoltre disprezza gli statuti del re. Tu comprendi che non è bene per il tuo regno lasciarla insolentire.
9 If their destruction be signed, so please the king, I am ready to pay ten thousand talents of silver to theking's receivers, to be credited to the royal treasury.'	9 Se ti piace, disponi che venga distrutta, ed io verserò diecimila talenti ai cassieri del tuo tesoro».
10 The king then took his signet ring off his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, thepersecutor of the Jews.	10 Il re allora si tolse di mano l'anello del quale si serviva, lo dette ad Aman figlio di Amadati della stirpe di Agag, nemico dei Giudei,
11 'Keep the money,' he said, 'and you can have the people too; do what you like with them.'	11 e gli disse: «L'argento che tu hai promesso, sia pur tuo; fa' di quel popolo quel che ti piace».
12 The royal scribes were therefore summoned for the thirteenth day of the first month, when they wroteout the orders addressed by Haman to the king's satraps, to the governors ruling each province and to theprincipal officials of each people, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language. Theedict was signed in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his ring,	12 Nel mese primo, detto Nisan, a' dì tredici, furon chiamati gli scrivani del re, e come Aman aveva ordinato, fu scritto in nome del re Assuero a tutti i satrapi del re e giudici delle province e delle diverse nazioni, in modo che ogni nazione potesse leggere e capire secondo le varie lingue; e le lettere furon sigillate con l'anello reale.
13 and letters were sent by runners to every province of the realm, ordering the destruction, slaughter andannihilation of al Jews, young and old, including women and children, on the same day -- the thirteenth day ofthe twelfth month, which is Adar -- and the seizing of their possessions. (a) The text of the letter was as fol ows:'The Great King, Ahasuerus, to the governors of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces stretching from Indiato Ethiopia, and to their subordinate district commissioners: (b) 'Being placed in authority over many nations andruling the whole world, I have resolved never to be carried away by the insolence of power, but always to rulewith moderation and clemency, so as to assure for my subjects a life ever free from storms and, offering mykingdom the benefits of civilisation and free transit from end to end, to restore that peace which al men desire.(c) In consultation with our advisers as to how this aim is to be effected, we have been informed by one of them,eminent among us for prudence and wel proved for his unfailing devotion and unshakeable trustworthiness, andin rank second only to our majesty, Haman by name, (d) that there is, mingled among all the tribes of the earth, acertain ill-disposed people, opposed by its laws to every other nation and continually defying the royalordinances, in such a way as to obstruct that form of government assured by us to the general good. (e)'Considering therefore that this people, unique of its kind, is in complete opposition to al humanity from which itdiffers by its outlandish laws, that it is hostile to our interests and that it commits the most heinous crimes, to thepoint of endangering the stability of the realm: (f) 'We command that those persons designated to you in theletters written by Haman, who was appointed to watch over our interests and is a second father to us, be alldestroyed, root and branch, including women and children, by the swords of their enemies, without any pity ormercy, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, of the present year, (g) so that, these past and presentmalcontents being in one day forcibly thrown down to Hades, our government may henceforward enjoy perpetualstability and peace.'	13 Furon poi mandate per mezzo dei corrieri reali in tutte le province, acciò tutti i Giudei, dai fanciulli ai vecchi, donne e bambini, in uno stesso giorno, cioè ai tredici del mese dodicesimo chiamato Adar, fossero uccisi e sterminati, e depredati i loro beni.
14 Copies of this decree, to be promulgated as law in each province, were published to the variouspeoples, so that each might be ready for the day aforementioned.	14 Quest'era la sostanza delle lettere, acciò tutte le province sapessero questo, e si preparassero per il giorno suddetto.
15 At the king's command, the runners set out with all speed; the decree was first promulgated in thecitadel of Susa. While the king and Haman gave themselves up to feasting and drinking, consternation reigned inthe city of Susa.	15 I corrieri che furono spediti si affrettavano ad eseguire il comando del re. E subito in Susa fu affisso l'editto, mentre il re ed Aman celebravano un convito, e tutti i Giudei ch'eran nella città piangevano.