Ester 8

BIBBIA RICCIOTTI	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 - Quel giorno, il re Assuero donò alla regina Ester la casa di Aman nemico de' Giudei, e Mardocheo si presentò dinanzi al re, avendo ormai Ester manifestato a questi che quegli era suo zio.	1 On that day king Assuerus gave the house of Aman, the Jews' enemy, to queen Esther, and Mardochai came in before the king. For Esther had confessed to him that he was her uncle.
2 Il re prese l'anello che aveva fatto togliere ad Aman, e lo dette a Mardocheo. Ester poi mise Mardocheo a capo della sua casa. Editto reale a favore de' Giudei	2 And the king took the ring which he had commanded to be taken again from Aman, and gave it to Mardochai. And Esther set Mardochai over her house.
3 Non contenta di questo, si gettò a' piedi del re, e piangendo gli parlò, e lo pregò a dar ordini affinchè la malizia di Aman agagita e le scellerate sue macchinazioni ordite contro i Giudei andassero a vuoto.	3 And not content with these things, she fell down at the king's feet and wept, and speaking to him besought him, that he would give orders that the malice of Aman the Agagite, and his most wicked devices which he had invented against the Jews, should be of no effect.
4 Il re stese verso di lei lo scettro d'oro, col quale, secondo il costume, si dava segno di benevolenza. Essa allora si alzò in piedi davanti a lui,	4 But he, as the manner was, held out the golden sceptre with his hand, which was the sign of clemency: and she arose up and stood before him,
5 e disse: «Se piace al re, se ho trovato grazia a' suoi occhi, se la mia preghiera non gli dispiace, supplico che con nuove lettere s'annullino le antiche di Aman nemico ed insidiatore dei Giudei.	5 And said: If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and my request be not disagreeable to him, I beseech thee, that the former letters of Aman the traitor and enemy of the Jews, by which he commanded that they should be destroyed in all the king's provinces, may be reversed by new letters.
6 Come infatti potrei io sopportare la strage e l'uccisione del popolo mio?».	6 For how call I endure the murdering and slaughter of my people?
7 Ed il re Assuero rispose alla regina Ester ed a Mardocheo giudeo: «Ho donato ad Ester la casa di Aman, e lui ho fatto appiccare ad una croce, perchè osò levare la mano contro i Giudei.	7 And king Assuerus answered Esther the queen, and Mardochai the Jew: I have given Aman's house to Esther, and I have commanded him to be hanged on a gibbet, because he durst lay hands on the Jews.
8 Scrivete dunque ai Giudei come vi piace, a nome del re, e sigillate le lettere col mio anello». Questa infatti era la regola, che alle lettere mandate a nome del re, e sigillate col suo anello, niuno ardiva d'opporsi.	8 Write ye therefore to the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the king's name, and seal the letters with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durst gainsay the letters which were sent in the king's name, and were sealed with his ring.
9 Chiamati dunque gli scrivani e segretari del re (s'era nel terzo mese chiamato Siban), ai ventitrè del mese furono scritte lettere, secondo il volere di Mardocheo, ai Giudei ed ai principi governatori e giudici che presiedevano alle centoventisette province, dall'India sino all'Etiopia. E furono scritte provincia per provincia, popolo per popolo, ed ai Giudei, nella lingua e caratteri propri di ciascuno, acciò tutti potessero leggere e intendere.	9 Then the king's scribes and secretaries were called for (now it was the time of the third month which is called Siban) the three and twentieth day of the month, and letters were written, as Mardochai had a mind, to the Jews, and to the governors, and to the deputies, and to the judges, who were rulers over the hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India even to Ethiopia: to province and province, to people and people, according to their languages and characters, and to the Jews, according as they could read and hear.
10 Le lettere stesse, spedite in nome del re, e sigillate col suo anello, furon mandate per mezzo de' corrieri, i quali dovevano percorrere tutte le province, e coi nuovi editti annullare gli antichi.	10 And these letters which were sent in the king's name, were sealed with his ring, and sent by posts: who were to run through all the provinces, to prevent the former letters with new messages.
11 Ed il re comandò loro che in ciascuna città andassero a trovare i Giudei, ed ordinassero loro di radunarsi insieme a difesa delle proprie vite, uccidendo e distruggendo tutt'i loro nemici, con le mogli ed i fanciulli e le loro case, e facendo preda delle loro spoglie.	11 And the king gave orders to them, to speak to the Jews in every city, and to command them to gather themselves together, and to stand for their lives, and to kill and destroy all their enemies with their wives and children and all their houses, and to take their spoil.
12 E fu stabilito in tutte le province un medesimo giorno per la vendetta: il giorno tredici del dodicesimo mese, detto Adar.	12 And one day of revenge was appointed through all the provinces, to wit, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
13 La sostanza di queste lettere era che in tutte le terre e genti sottoposte all'imperio del re Assuero, si rendesse noto come i Giudei eran pronti a vendicarsi de' loro nemici.	13 And this was the content of the letter, that it should be notified in all lands and peoples that were subject to the empire of king Assuerus, that the Jews were ready to be revenged of their enemies.
14 Partiron dunque i corrieri a portare in gran fretta questi avvisi, e l'editto del re fu affisso in Susa.	14 So the swift posts went out carrying the messages, and the king's edict was hung up in Susan.
15 Mardocheo poi, uscendo dal palazzo e dalla presenza del re, era splendidamente vestito alla regale, di color giacinto e celeste, con in capo un diadema d'oro, e coperto di un manto di seta e di porpora. E tutta la città ne godè e se ne rallegrò.	15 And Mardochai going forth out of the palace, and from the king's presence, shone in royal apparel, to wit, of violet and sky colour, wearing a golden crown on his head, and clothed with a cloak of silk and purple. And all the city rejoiced and was glad.
16 Quanto a' Giudei, parve loro che si levasse un nuovo sole, allegrezza, onore e tripudio.	16 But to the Jews a new light seemed to rise, joy, honour, and dancing.
17 In tutti i popoli, città e province, dovunque arrivavano gli ordini del re, [era tra i Giudei] straordinaria allegrezza con banchetti e conviti e giorni di festa, così che molti, d'altra nazione e religione, abbracciavano la religione e le osservanze di loro. Tutti infatti erano presi da un gran timore del nome giudaico.	17 And in all peoples, cities, and provinces, whithersoever the king's commandments came, there was wonderful rejoicing, feasts and banquets, and keeping holy day: insomuch that many of other nations and religion, joined themselves to their worship and ceremonies. For a great dread of the name of the Jews had fallen upon all.