ΕΣΘΗΡ - Ester - Esther 9

LXX	NEW JERUSALEM
1 εν γαρ τω δωδεκατω μηνι τρισκαιδεκατη του μηνος ος εστιν αδαρ παρην τα γραμματα τα γραφεντα υπο του βασιλεως	1 The king's command and decree came into force on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, andthe day on which the enemies of the Jews had hoped to crush them produced the very opposite effect: the Jewsit was who crushed their enemies.
2 εν αυτη τη ημερα απωλοντο οι αντικειμενοι τοις ιουδαιοις ουδεις γαρ αντεστη φοβουμενος αυτους	2 In their towns throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the Jews assembled to strike at those whohad planned to injure them. No one resisted them, since the various peoples were now al afraid of them.
3 οι γαρ αρχοντες των σατραπων και οι τυραννοι και οι βασιλικοι γραμματεις ετιμων τους ιουδαιους ο γαρ φοβος μαρδοχαιου ενεκειτο αυτοις	3 Provincial officers-of-state, satraps, governors and royal officials, al supported the Jews for fear ofMordecai.
4 προσεπεσεν γαρ το προσταγμα του βασιλεως ονομασθηναι εν παση τη βασιλεια	4 And indeed Mordecai was a power in the palace and his fame was spreading through al the provinces;Mordecai was steadily growing more powerful.
5 -	5 So the Jews struck down al their enemies with the sword, with resulting slaughter and destruction, andworked their wil on their opponents.
6 και εν σουσοις τη πολει απεκτειναν οι ιουδαιοι ανδρας πεντακοσιους	6 In the citadel of Susa alone, the Jews put to death and slaughtered five hundred men,
7 τον τε φαρσαννεσταιν και δελφων και φασγα	7 notably Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 και φαρδαθα και βαρεα και σαρβαχα	8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9 και μαρμασιμα και αρουφαιον και αρσαιον και ζαβουθαιθαν	9 Parmashtha, Arisai, Aridai and Jezatha,
10 τους δεκα υιους αμαν αμαδαθου βουγαιου του εχθρου των ιουδαιων και διηρπασαν	10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the persecutor of the Jews. But they took no plunder.
11 εν αυτη τη ημερα επεδοθη ο αριθμος τω βασιλει των απολωλοτων εν σουσοις	11 The number of those kil ed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day.
12 ειπεν δε ο βασιλευς προς εσθηρ απωλεσαν οι ιουδαιοι εν σουσοις τη πολει ανδρας πεντακοσιους εν δε τη περιχωρω πως οιει εχρησαντο τι ουν αξιοις ετι και εσται σοι	12 The king said to Queen Esther, 'In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed five hundred men and alsothe ten sons of Haman. What must they have done in the other provinces of the realm? Tel me your request; Igrant it to you. Tel me what else you would like; it is yours for the asking.'
13 και ειπεν εσθηρ τω βασιλει δοθητω τοις ιουδαιοις χρησθαι ωσαυτως την αυριον ωστε τους δεκα υιους κρεμασαι αμαν	13 'If such is the king's pleasure,' Esther replied, 'let the Jews of Susa be al owed to enforce today'sdecree tomorrow as well. And as for the ten sons of Haman, let their bodies be hanged on the gal ows.'
14 και επετρεψεν ουτως γενεσθαι και εξεθηκε τοις ιουδαιοις της πολεως τα σωματα των υιων αμαν κρεμασαι	14 Whereupon, the king having given the order, the edict was promulgated in Susa and the ten sons ofHaman were hanged.
15 και συνηχθησαν οι ιουδαιοι εν σουσοις τη τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατη του αδαρ και απεκτειναν ανδρας τριακοσιους και ουδεν διηρπασαν	15 Thus the Jews of Susa reassembled on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and kil ed threehundred men in the city. But they took no plunder.
16 οι δε λοιποι των ιουδαιων οι εν τη βασιλεια συνηχθησαν και εαυτοις εβοηθουν και ανεπαυσαντο απο των πολεμιων απωλεσαν γαρ αυτων μυριους πεντακισχιλιους τη τρισκαιδεκατη του αδαρ και ουδεν διηρπασαν	16 The other Jews who lived in the king's provinces also assembled to defend their lives and ridthemselves of their enemies. They slaughtered seventy-five thousand of their opponents. But they took noplunder.
17 και ανεπαυσαντο τη τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατη του αυτου μηνος και ηγον αυτην ημεραν αναπαυσεως μετα χαρας και ευφροσυνης	17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth day they rested and made it aday of feasting and gladness.
18 οι δε ιουδαιοι οι εν σουσοις τη πολει συνηχθησαν και τη τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατη και ουκ ανεπαυσαντο ηγον δε και την πεντεκαιδεκατην μετα χαρας και ευφροσυνης	18 But for the Jews of Susa, who had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, the fifteenth wasthe day they rested, making that a day of feasting and gladness.
19 δια τουτο ουν οι ιουδαιοι οι διεσπαρμενοι εν παση χωρα τη εξω αγουσιν την τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατην του αδαρ ημεραν αγαθην μετ' ευφροσυνης αποστελλοντες μεριδας εκαστος τω πλησιον οι δε κατοικουντες εν ταις μητροπολεσιν και την πεντεκαιδεκατην του αδαρ ημεραν ευφροσυνην αγαθην αγουσιν εξαποστελλοντες μεριδας τοις πλησιον	19 This is why Jewish country people, those who live in undefended vil ages, keep the fourteenth day ofthe month of Adar as a day of gladness, feasting and holiday-making, and the exchanging of presents with oneanother, (a) whereas for those who live in cities the day of rejoicing and exchanging presents with theirneighbours is the fifteenth day of Adar.
20 εγραψεν δε μαρδοχαιος τους λογους τουτους εις βιβλιον και εξαπεστειλεν τοις ιουδαιοις οσοι ησαν εν τη αρταξερξου βασιλεια τοις εγγυς και τοις μακραν	20 Mordecai committed these events to writing. Then he sent letters to all the Jews living in the provincesof King Ahasuerus, both near and far,
21 στησαι τας ημερας ταυτας αγαθας αγειν τε την τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατην και την πεντεκαιδεκατην του αδαρ	21 enjoining them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year,
22 εν γαρ ταυταις ταις ημεραις ανεπαυσαντο οι ιουδαιοι απο των εχθρων αυτων και τον μηνα εν ω εστραφη αυτοις ος ην αδαρ απο πενθους εις χαραν και απο οδυνης εις αγαθην ημεραν αγειν ολον αγαθας ημερας γαμων και ευφροσυνης εξαποστελλοντας μεριδας τοις φιλοις και τοις πτωχοις	22 as the days on which the Jews had rid themselves of their enemies, and the month in which theirsorrow had been turned into gladness, and mourning into a holiday. He therefore told them to keep these asdays of festivity and gladness when they were to exchange presents and make gifts to the poor.
23 και προσεδεξαντο οι ιουδαιοι καθως εγραψεν αυτοις ο μαρδοχαιος	23 Once having begun, the Jews continued observing these practices, Mordecai having written them anaccount
24 πως αμαν αμαδαθου ο μακεδων επολεμει αυτους καθως εθετο ψηφισμα και κληρον αφανισαι αυτους	24 of how Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the persecutor of al the Jews, had plotted theirdestruction and had cast the pur, that is, the lot, for their overthrow and ruin;
25 και ως εισηλθεν προς τον βασιλεα λεγων κρεμασαι τον μαρδοχαιον οσα δε επεχειρησεν επαξαι επι τους ιουδαιους κακα επ' αυτον εγενοντο και εκρεμασθη αυτος και τα τεκνα αυτου	25 but how, when he went back to the king to ask him to order the hanging of Mordecai, the wickedscheme which he had devised against the Jews recoiled on his own head, and both he and his sons werehanged on the gallows;
26 δια τουτο επεκληθησαν αι ημεραι αυται φρουραι δια τους κληρους οτι τη διαλεκτω αυτων καλουνται φρουραι δια τους λογους της επιστολης ταυτης και οσα πεπονθασιν δια ταυτα και οσα αυτοις εγενετο	26 and that, hence, these days were cal ed Purim, from the word pur. And so, because of what waswritten in this letter, and because of what they had seen for themselves and of what had happened to them,
27 και εστησεν και προσεδεχοντο οι ιουδαιοι εφ' εαυτοις και επι τω σπερματι αυτων και επι τοις προστεθειμενοις επ' αυτων ουδε μην αλλως χρησονται αι δε ημεραι αυται μνημοσυνον επιτελουμενον κατα γενεαν και γενεαν και πολιν και πατριαν και χωραν	27 the Jews wil ingly bound themselves, their descendants and al who should join them, to celebratethese two days without fail, in the manner prescribed and at the time appointed, year after year.
28 αι δε ημεραι αυται των φρουραι αχθησονται εις τον απαντα χρονον και το μνημοσυνον αυτων ου μη εκλιπη εκ των γενεων	28 Thus commemorated and celebrated from generation to generation, in every family, in every province,in every city, these days of Purim will never be abrogated among the Jews, nor will their memory perish fromtheir race.
29 και εγραψεν εσθηρ η βασιλισσα θυγατηρ αμιναδαβ και μαρδοχαιος ο ιουδαιος οσα εποιησαν το τε στερεωμα της επιστολης των φρουραι	29 Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote with ful authority to ratify this second letter,
30 -	30 and sent letters to all the Jews of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the realm of Ahasuerus,in terms of peace and loyalty
31 και μαρδοχαιος και εσθηρ η βασιλισσα εστησαν εαυτοις καθ' εαυτων και τοτε στησαντες κατα της υγιειας αυτων και την βουλην αυτων	31 enjoining them to observe these days of Purim at the appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew hadrecommended, and in the manner prescribed for themselves and their descendants, with additional ordinancesfor fasts and lamentations.
32 και εσθηρ λογω εστησεν εις τον αιωνα και εγραφη εις μνημοσυνον	32 The ordinance of Esther fixed the law of Purim, which was then recorded in a book.