Ester 8

BIBBIA CEI 2008	NEW JERUSALEM
1 Lo stesso giorno, il re Artaserse donò a Ester la proprietà di Aman, il calunniatore, e Mardocheo fu chiamato dal re, perché Ester aveva rivelato che egli era legato da parentela con lei.	1 That same day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the persecutor of the Jews.Mordecai was presented to the king, Esther having revealed their mutual relationship.
2 Allora il re prese l’anello che aveva fatto ritirare ad Aman e lo diede a Mardocheo, ed Ester stabilì Mardocheo su tutte le proprietà di Aman.	2 The king, who had recovered his signet ring from Haman, took it off and gave it to Mordecai, whileEsther gave Mordecai charge of Haman's house.
3 Ester parlò di nuovo al re, cadde ai suoi piedi e lo pregava di rimuovere il male fatto da Aman, tutto quello che aveva fatto contro i Giudei.	3 Esther again went to speak to the king. She fel at his feet, weeping and imploring his favour, to frustratethe malice that Haman the Agagite had been plotting against the Jews.
4 Il re stese lo scettro d’oro verso Ester ed Ester si alzò per stare accanto al re.	4 The king held out the golden sceptre to her, whereupon Esther stood up and faced him.
5 Disse Ester: «Se piace a te e ho trovato grazia, si ordini di revocare le lettere inviate da Aman, quelle che erano state scritte per sterminare i Giudei che si trovano nel tuo regno.	5 'If such is the king's good pleasure,' she said, 'and if I have found favour before him, if my petition seemsproper to him and if I myself am pleasing to his eyes, may he be pleased to issue a written revocation of theletters which Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, has had written, ordering the destruction of the Jewsthroughout the royal provinces.
6 Come potrei infatti sopportare la vista dei mali del mio popolo e come potrei sopravvivere allo sterminio della mia stirpe?».	6 For how can I look on, while my people suffer what is proposed for them? How can I bear to witness theextermination of my relatives?'
7 Il re rispose a Ester: «Se ti ho dato tutti i beni di Aman e ti ho concesso la mia grazia, se l’ho fatto appendere a un palo perché aveva messo le mani sui Giudei, che cosa chiedi ancora?	7 King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, 'I for my part have given EstherHaman's house, and have had him hanged on the gal ows for planning to destroy the Jews.
8 Potete scrivere voi a mio nome, come vi sembra, e sigillate con il mio anello: infatti tutto quello che è stato scritto su comando del re ed è stato sigillato con il mio anello reale non può essere revocato».	8 You, for your part, write what you please as regards the Jews, in the king's name, and seal it with theking's signet; for any edict written in the king's name and sealed with his signet is irrevocable.'
9 Il ventitré del primo mese, quello di Nisan, dello stesso anno, furono convocati i segretari e fu scritto ai Giudei tutto quello che era stato comandato ai governatori e ai capi dei satrapi, dall’India fino all’Etiopia, centoventisette satrapie, provincia per provincia, secondo le loro lingue.	9 The royal scribes were summoned at once -- it was the third month, the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day -- and at Mordecai's dictation an order was written to the Jews, the satraps, governors and principalofficials of the provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to eachprovince in its own script, and to each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script andlanguage.
10 Fu scritto a nome del re e fu posto il sigillo del suo anello, e le lettere furono mandate per mezzo di corrieri:	10 These letters, written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king's signet, were carried bycouriers mounted on horses from the king's own stud-farms.
11 si prescriveva loro di seguire le loro leggi in qualunque città, sia per difendersi che per trattare come volevano i loro nemici e i loro avversari,	11 In them the king granted the Jews, in whatever city they lived, the right to assemble in self-defence,with permission to destroy, slaughter and annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attackthem, together with their women and children, and to plunder their possessions,
12 ]Ogni città e, in generale, ogni località che non agirà secondo queste disposizioni, sarà inesorabilmente messa a ferro e fuoco; non soltanto agli uomini sarà resa inaccessibile, ma anche alle fiere e agli uccelli diventerà orribile per tutti i tempi.	12 with effect from the same day throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus -- the thirteenth day of thetwelfth month, which is Adar. (a) The text of the letter was as fol ows: (b) 'The Great King, Ahasuerus, to thesatraps of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces which stretch from India to Ethiopia, to the provincialgovernors and to al our loyal subjects, greeting: (c) 'Many people, repeatedly honoured by the extreme bountyof their benefactors, only grow the more arrogant. It is not enough for them to seek our subjects' injury, butunable as they are to support the weight of their own surfeit they turn to scheming against their benefactorsthemselves. (d) Not content with banishing gratitude from the human heart, but elated by the plaudits of peopleunacquainted with goodness, notwithstanding that all is for ever under the eye of God, they expect to escape hisjustice, so hostile to the wicked. (e) Thus it has often happened to those placed in authority that, havingentrusted friends with the conduct of affairs and al owed themselves to be influenced by them, they findthemselves sharing with these the guilt of innocent blood and involved in irremediable misfortunes, (f) the uprightintentions of rulers having been misled by false arguments of the evil y disposed. (g) This may be seen withoutrecourse to the history of earlier times to which we have referred; you have only to look at what is before you, atthe crimes perpetrated by a plague of unworthy officials. (h) For the future, we shall exert our efforts to assurethe tranquil ity and peace of the realm for al , (i) by adopting new policies and by always judging matters that arebrought to our notice in the most equitable spirit. (k) 'Thus Haman son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian, without adrop of Persian blood and far removed from our goodness, enjoyed our hospitality (l) and was treated by us withthe benevolence which we show to every nation, even to the extent of being proclaimed our 'father' and beingaccorded universal y the prostration of respect as second in dignity to the royal throne. (m) But he, unable tokeep within his own high rank, schemed to deprive us of our realm and of our life. (n) Furthermore, by tortuouswiles and arguments, he would have had us destroy Mordecai, our saviour and constant benefactor, with Estherthe blameless partner of our majesty, and their whole nation besides. (o) He thought by these means to leave uswithout support and so to transfer the Persian empire to the Macedonians. (p) 'But we find that the Jews, markedout for annihilation by this arch-scoundrel, are not criminals: they are in fact governed by the most just of laws.(q) They are children of the Most High, the great and living God to whom we and our ancestors owe thecontinuing prosperity of our realm. (r) You will therefore do wel not to act on the letters sent by Haman son ofHammedatha, since their author has been hanged at the gates of Susa with his whole household: a fittingpunishment, which God, Master of the Universe, has speedily inflicted on him. (s) Put up copies of this lettereverywhere, al ow the Jews to observe their own customs without fear, and come to their help against anyonewho attacks them on the day original y chosen for their maltreatment, that is, the thirteenth day of the twelfthmonth, which is Adar. (t) For the al -powerful God has made this day a day of joy and not of ruin for the chosenpeople. (u) You, for your part, among your solemn festivals celebrate this as a special day with every kind offeasting, so that now and in the future, for you and for Persians of good will, it may commemorate your rescue,and for your enemies may stand as a reminder of their ruin. (v) 'Every city and, more generally, every country,which does not fol ow these instructions, wil be mercilessly devastated with fire and sword, and made not onlyinaccessible to human beings but hateful to wild animals and even birds for ever.'
13 Le copie della lettera siano esposte in chiara evidenza in tutto il regno e in quel giorno i Giudei siano pronti a combattere contro i loro nemici».	13 Copies of this edict, to be promulgated as law in each province, were published to the various peoples,so that the Jews could be ready on the day stated to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 Allora i cavalieri partirono in fretta per eseguire gli ordini del re, mentre il decreto fu promulgato anche a Susa.	14 The couriers, mounted on the king's horses, set out in great haste and urgency at the king's command.The edict was also published in the citadel of Susa.
15 Mardocheo uscì indossando la veste regale e portando una corona d’oro e un diadema di lino purpureo. Al vederlo gli abitanti di Susa se ne rallegrarono.	15 Mordecai left the royal presence in a princely gown of violet and white, with a great golden crown and acloak of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted for joy.
16 Per i Giudei vi era luce e letizia;	16 For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honour.
17 in ogni città e provincia dove era stato pubblicato l’editto, dovunque era stato esposto il decreto, vi erano per i Giudei gioia ed esultanza, festa e allegria. E molti pagani si fecero circoncidere e, per paura dei Giudei, si fecero Giudei.	17 In every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and decree arrived, there was joyand gladness among the Jews, with feasting and holiday-making. Of the country's population many becameJews, since now the Jews were feared.