Ester 8

DIODATI	NEW JERUSALEM
1 In quello stesso giorno il re Assuero donò alla regina Ester la casa di Haman, nemico de’ Giudei. E Mardocheo venne davanti al re; perciocchè Ester gli avea dichiarato ciò ch’egli le era.	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 E il re si trasse il suo anello, il quale egli avea tolto ad Haman, e lo diede a Mardocheo. Ed Ester costituì Mardocheo sopra la casa di Haman	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 POI Ester parlò di nuovo in presenza del re, e gli si gittò a’ piedi; e piangendo, lo supplicava di far che la malvagità di Haman Agageo, e la sua macchinazione contro a’ Giudei, non avesse effetto.	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 E il re stese la verga d’oro verso Ester. Ed Ester si levò, e si tenne in piè davanti al re;	4 The king held out the golden sceptre to her, whereupon Esther stood up and faced him.
5 e disse: Se così piace al re, e se io ho trovata grazia appo lui, e se la cosa gli pare convenevole, e se io gli sono a grado, scrivasi per rivocar le lettere della macchinazione di Haman, figliuol di Hammedata, Agageo; le quali egli avea scritte per distruggere i Giudei, che sono per tutte le provincie del re.	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 Perciocchè, come potrei io vivere, veggendo il male che avverrebbe al mio popolo? anzi, come potrei io vivere, veggendo la distruzione del mio parentado?	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 E il re Assuero disse alla regina Ester, ed a Mardocheo Giudeo: Ecco, io ho donata ad Ester la casa di Haman, ed egli è stato appiccato al legno; perciocchè egli avea voluto metter la mano sopra i Giudei.	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 Or voi scrivete lettere a’ Giudei, nella maniera che vi parrà meglio, a nome del re; e suggellatele con l’anello del re; perciocchè quello ch’è scritto a nome del re, ed è suggellato col suo anello, non si può rivocare.	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 Ed in quell’istesso tempo, al ventesimoterzo giorno del terzo mese, che è il mese di Sivan, furono scritte lettere, interamente come ordinò Mardocheo, ai Giudei, ed a’ satrapi, ed a’ governatori, ed a’ principi delle provincie, ch’erano dall’India fino in Etiopia, in numero di cenventisette provincie; a ciascuna provincia, secondo la sua maniera di scrivere, e a ciascun popolo, secondo il suo linguaggio; ed a’ Giudei, secondo la lor maniera di scrivere, e secondo il lor linguaggio.	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 Mardocheo adunque scrisse lettere a nome del re Assuero, e le suggellò con l’anello del re, e le mandò per corrieri a cavallo, che cavalcano dromedari, muli corsieri, nati di cavalle;	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 il cui tenore era: Che il re concedeva ai Giudei ch’erano in ciascuna città, di raunarsi, e di stare alla difesa della lor vita, per distruggere, per uccidere, e per isterminare ogni moltitudine di gente armata di qualunque popolo, o provincia, che li assalisse; insieme co’ piccoli figliuoli, e le mogli; e per predar le loro spoglie;	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 e ciò in un medesimo giorno, per tutte le provincie del re Assuero, cioè, nel tredicesimo giorno del duodecimo mese, che è il mese di Adar.	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 In quelle lettere si conteneva ancora, che si bandisse un decreto per ciascuna provincia, sì che fosse palese a tutti i popoli: Che i Giudei stessero presti per quel giorno, per vendicarsi de’ lor 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 Così i corrieri, cavalcando dromedari, e muli corsieri, si misero in cammino, affrettati, e sollecitati per lo comandamento del re. Il decreto fu eziandio bandito in Susan, stanza reale	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 E Mardocheo uscì d’innanzi al re, con un vestimento reale di color violato e bianco, e con una gran corona d’oro, e con un ammanto di bisso e di scarlatto; e la città di Susan ne giubilò, e se ne rallegrò.	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 E per li Giudei vi fu serenità, e allegrezza, e letizia, ed onore.	16 For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honour.
17 Parimente, in ciascuna provincia, ed in ciascuna città, dovunque la parola del re e il suo decreto pervenne, vi fu allegrezza e letizia per li Giudei, conviti, e giorni lieti; e molti d’infra i popoli della terra si facevano Giudei; perciocchè lo spavento de’ Giudei era caduto sopra loro	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.