1 אַחַר ׀ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה גִּדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ אֶת־הָמָן בֶּן־הַמְּדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי וַיְנַשְּׂאֵהוּ וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־כִּסְאֹו מֵעַל כָּל־הַשָּׂרִים אֲשֶׁר אִתֹּו | 1 Then Tobias sighed, and began to pray with tears, |
2 וְכָל־עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ כֹּרְעִים וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוִים לְהָמָן כִּי־כֵן צִוָּה־לֹו הַמֶּלֶךְ וּמָרְדֳּכַי לֹא יִכְרַע וְלֹא יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה | 2 Saying: Thou art just, O Lord, and all thy judgments are just, and all thy ways mercy, and truth, and judgment: |
3 וַיֹּאמְרוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־בְּשַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְמָרְדֳּכָי מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה עֹובֵר אֵת מִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ | 3 And now, O Lord, think of me, and take not revenge of my sins, neither remember my offenses, nor those of my parents. |
4 וַיְהִי [בְּאָמְרָם כ] (כְּאָמְרָם ק) אֵלָיו יֹום וָיֹום וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֲלֵיהֶם וַיַּגִּידוּ לְהָמָן לִרְאֹות הֲיַעַמְדוּ דִּבְרֵי מָרְדֳּכַי כִּי־הִגִּיד לָהֶם אֲשֶׁר־הוּא יְהוּדִי | 4 For we have not obeyed thy commandments, therefore are we delivered to spoil and to captivity, and death, and are made a fable, and a reproach to all nations, amongst which thou hast scattered us. |
5 וַיַּרְא הָמָן כִּי־אֵין מָרְדֳּכַי כֹּרֵעַ וּמִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לֹו וַיִּמָּלֵא הָמָן חֵמָה | 5 And now, O Lord, great are thy judgments, because we have not done according to thy precepts, and have not walked sincerely before thee: |
6 וַיִּבֶז בְּעֵינָיו לִשְׁלֹח יָד בְּמָרְדֳּכַי לְבַדֹּו כִּי־הִגִּידוּ לֹו אֶת־עַם מָרְדֳּכָי וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הָמָן לְהַשְׁמִיד אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־מַלְכוּת אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ עַם מָרְדֳּכָי | 6 And now, O Lord, do with me according to thy will, and command my spirit to be received in peace: for it is better for me to die, than to live. |
7 בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשֹׁון הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ נִיסָן בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתֵּים עֶשְׂרֵה לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ הִפִּיל פּוּר הוּא הַגֹּורָל לִפְנֵי הָמָן מִיֹּום ׀ לְיֹום וּמֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר׃ ס | 7 Now it happened on the same day, that Sara daughter of Raguel, in Rages a city of the Medes, received a reproach from one of her father's servant maids, |
8 וַיֹּאמֶר הָמָן לַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ יֶשְׁנֹו עַם־אֶחָד מְפֻזָּר וּמְפֹרָד בֵּין הָעַמִּים בְּכֹל מְדִינֹות מַלְכוּתֶךָ וְדָתֵיהֶם שֹׁנֹות מִכָּל־עָם וְאֶת־דָּתֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵינָם עֹשִׂים וְלַמֶּלֶךְ אֵין־שֹׁוֶה לְהַנִּיחָם | 8 Because she had been given to seven husbands, and a devil named Asmodeus had killed them, at their first going in unto her. |
9 אִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טֹוב יִכָּתֵב לְאַבְּדָם וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים כִּכַּר־כֶּסֶף אֶשְׁקֹול עַל־יְדֵי עֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה לְהָבִיא אֶל־גִּנְזֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ | 9 So when she reproved the maid for her fault, she answered her, saying: May we never see son, or daughter of thee upon the earth, thou murderer of thy husbands. |
10 וַיָּסַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־טַבַּעְתֹּו מֵעַל יָדֹו וַיִּתְּנָהּ לְהָמָן בֶּן־הַמְּדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי צֹרֵר הַיְּהוּדִים | 10 Wilt thou kill me also, as thou hast already killed seven husbands? At these words she went into an upper chamber of her house: and for three days and three nights did neither eat nor drink: |
11 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן הַכֶּסֶף נָתוּן לָךְ וְהָעָם לַעֲשֹׂות בֹּו כַּטֹּוב בְּעֵינֶיךָ | 11 But continuing in prayer with tears besought God, that he would deliver her from this reproach. |
12 וַיִּקָּרְאוּ סֹפְרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשֹׁון בִּשְׁלֹושָׁה עָשָׂר יֹום בֹּו וַיִּכָּתֵב כְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה הָמָן אֶל אֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֶל־הַפַּחֹות אֲשֶׁר ׀ עַל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וְאֶל־שָׂרֵי עַם וָעָם מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה כִּכְתָבָהּ וְעַם וָעָם כִּלְשֹׁונֹו בְּשֵׁם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ נִכְתָּב וְנֶחְתָּם בְּטַבַּעַת הַמֶּלֶךְ | 12 And it came to pass on the third day, when she was making an end of her prayer, blessing the Lord, |
13 וְנִשְׁלֹוחַ סְפָרִים בְּיַד הָרָצִים אֶל־כָּל־מְדִינֹות הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהַשְׁמִיד לַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד אֶת־כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים מִנַּעַר וְעַד־זָקֵן טַף וְנָשִׁים בְּיֹום אֶחָד בִּשְׁלֹושָׁה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר וּשְׁלָלָם לָבֹוז | 13 She said: Blessed is thy name, O God of our fathers: who when thou hast been angry, wilt shew mercy, and in the time of tribulation forgivest the sins of them that call upon thee. |
14 פַּתְשֶׁגֶן הַכְּתָב לְהִנָּתֵן דָּת בְּכָל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה גָּלוּי לְכָל־הָעַמִּים לִהְיֹות עֲתִדִים לַיֹּום הַזֶּה | 14 To thee, O Lord, I turn my face, to thee I direct my eyes. |
15 הָרָצִים יָצְאוּ דְחוּפִים בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַדָּת נִתְּנָה בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה וְהַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן יָשְׁבוּ לִשְׁתֹּות וְהָעִיר שׁוּשָׁן נָבֹוכָה׃ פ | 15 I beg, O Lord, that thou loose me from the bond of this reproach, or else take me away from the earth. |
| 16 Thou knowest, O Lord, that I never coveted a husband, and have kept my soul clean from all lust. |
| 17 Never have I joined myself with them that play: neither have I made myself partaker with them that walk in lightness. |
| 18 But a husband I consented to take, with thy fear, not with my lust. |
| 19 And either I was unworthy of them, or they perhaps were not worthy of me: because perhaps thou hast kept me for another man. |
| 20 For thy counsel is not in man's power. |
| 21 But this every one is sure of that worshippeth thee, that his life, if it be under trial, shall be crowned: and if it be under tribulation, it shall be delivered: and if it be under correction, it shall be allowed to come to thy mercy. |
| 22 For thou art not delighted in our being lost: because after a storm thou makest a calm, and after tears and weeping thou pourest in joyfulness. |
| 23 Be thy name, O God of Israel, blessed for ever. |
| 24 At that time the prayers of them both were heard in the sight of the glory of the most high God: |
| 25 And the holy angel of the Lord, Raphael was sent to heal them both, whose prayers at one time were rehearsed in the sight of the Lord. |