1 בַּיֹּום הַהוּא נָתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ לְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה אֶת־בֵּית הָמָן צֹרֵר [הַיְּהוּדִיִּים כ] (הַיְּהוּדִים ק) וּמָרְדֳּכַי בָּא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי־הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר מַה הוּא־לָהּ | 1 When they had finished eating and drinking and it seemed time to go to bed, the young man was takenfrom the dining room to the bedroom. |
2 וַיָּסַר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֶת־טַבַּעְתֹּו אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱבִיר מֵהָמָן וַיִּתְּנָהּ לְמָרְדֳּכָי וַתָּשֶׂם אֶסְתֵּר אֶת־מָרְדֳּכַי עַל־בֵּית הָמָן׃ פ | 2 Tobias remembered Raphael's advice; he went to his bag, took the fish's heart and liver out of it and putsome on the burning incense. |
3 וַתֹּוסֶף אֶסְתֵּר וַתְּדַבֵּר לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתִּפֹּל לִפְנֵי רַגְלָיו וַתֵּבְךְּ וַתִּתְחַנֶּן־לֹו לְהַעֲבִיר אֶת־רָעַת הָמָן הָאֲגָגִי וְאֵת מַחֲשַׁבְתֹּו אֲשֶׁר חָשַׁב עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים | 3 The reek of the fish distressed the demon, who fled through the air to Egypt. Raphael pursued himthere, shackled him and strangled him forthwith. |
4 וַיֹּושֶׁט הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר אֵת שַׁרְבִט הַזָּהָב וַתָּקָם אֶסְתֵּר וַתַּעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ | 4 The parents meanwhile had gone out and shut the door behind them. Tobias rose from the bed, andsaid to Sarah, 'Get up, my sister! You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection.' |
5 וַתֹּאמֶר אִם־עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ טֹוב וְאִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן לְפָנָיו וְכָשֵׁר הַדָּבָר לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְטֹובָה אֲנִי בְּעֵינָיו יִכָּתֵב לְהָשִׁיב אֶת־הַסְּפָרִים מַחֲשֶׁבֶת הָמָן בֶּן־הַמְּדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי אֲשֶׁר כָּתַב לְאַבֵּד אֶת־הַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־מְדִינֹות הַמֶּלֶךְ | 5 She stood up, and they began praying for protection, and this was how he began: You are blessed, OGod of our fathers; blessed too is your name for ever and ever. Let the heavens bless you and al things youhave made for evermore. |
6 כִּי אֵיכָכָה אוּכַל וְרָאִיתִי בָּרָעָה אֲשֶׁר־יִמְצָא אֶת־עַמִּי וְאֵיכָכָה אוּכַל וְרָאִיתִי בְּאָבְדַן מֹולַדְתִּי׃ ס | 6 You it was who created Adam, you who created Eve his wife to be his help and support; and from thesetwo the human race was born. You it was who said, 'It is not right that the man should be alone; let us make hima helper like him.' |
7 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ לְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וּלְמָרְדֳּכַי הַיְּהוּדִי הִנֵּה בֵית־הָמָן נָתַתִּי לְאֶסְתֵּר וְאֹתֹו תָּלוּ עַל־הָעֵץ עַל אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַח יָדֹו [בַּיְּהוּדִיִּים כ] (בַּיְּהוּדִים׃ ק) | 7 And so I take my sister not for any lustful motive, but I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough tohave pity on her and on me and bring us to old age together. |
8 וְאַתֶּם כִּתְבוּ עַל־הַיְּהוּדִים כַּטֹּוב בְּעֵינֵיכֶם בְּשֵׁם הַמֶּלֶךְ וְחִתְמוּ בְּטַבַּעַת הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי־כְתָב אֲשֶׁר־נִכְתָּב בְּשֵׁם־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְנַחְתֹּום בְּטַבַּעַת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵין לְהָשִׁיב | 8 And together they said, 'Amen, Amen,' |
9 וַיִּקָּרְאוּ סֹפְרֵי־הַמֶּלֶךְ בָּעֵת־הַהִיא בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁלִישִׁי הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ סִיוָן בִּשְׁלֹושָׁה וְעֶשְׂרִים בֹּו וַיִּכָּתֵב כְּכָל־אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה מָרְדֳּכַי אֶל־הַיְּהוּדִים וְאֶל הָאֲחַשְׁדַּרְפְּנִים־וְהַפַּחֹות וְשָׂרֵי הַמְּדִינֹות אֲשֶׁר ׀ מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד־כּוּשׁ שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה כִּכְתָבָהּ וְעַם וָעָם כִּלְשֹׁנֹו וְאֶל־הַיְּהוּדִים כִּכְתָבָם וְכִלְשֹׁונָם | 9 and lay down for the night. But Raguel rose and cal ed his servants, who came and helped him dig agrave. |
10 וַיִּכְתֹּב בְּשֵׁם הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹשׁ וַיַּחְתֹּם בְּטַבַּעַת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַח סְפָרִים בְּיַד הָרָצִים בַּסּוּסִים רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ הָאֲחַשְׁתְּרָנִים בְּנֵי הָרַמָּכִים | 10 He had thought, 'Heaven grant he does not die! We should be overwhelmed with ridicule and shame.' |
11 אֲשֶׁר נָתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ לַיְּהוּדִים ׀ אֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־עִיר־וָעִיר לְהִקָּהֵל וְלַעֲמֹד עַל־נַפְשָׁם לְהַשְׁמִיד וְלַהֲרֹג וּלְאַבֵּד אֶת־כָּל־חֵיל עַם וּמְדִינָה הַצָּרִים אֹתָם טַף וְנָשִׁים וּשְׁלָלָם לָבֹוז | 11 When the grave was ready, Raguel went back to the house, called his wife |
12 בְּיֹום אֶחָד בְּכָל־מְדִינֹות הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרֹושׁ בִּשְׁלֹושָׁה עָשָׂר לְחֹדֶשׁ שְׁנֵים־עָשָׂר הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר | 12 and said, 'Will you send a maid to the room to see if Tobias is stil alive? For if he is dead, we may beable to bury him without anyone else knowing.' |
13 פַּתְשֶׁגֶן הַכְּתָב לְהִנָּתֵן דָּת בְּכָל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה גָּלוּי לְכָל־הָעַמִּים וְלִהְיֹות [הַיְּהוּדִיִּים כ] (הַיְּהוּדִים ק) [עֲתוּדִים כ] (עֲתִידִים ק) לַיֹּום הַזֶּה לְהִנָּקֵם מֵאֹיְבֵיהֶם | 13 They sent the maid, lit the lamp, opened the door and the maid went in. She found the two fast asleeptogether; |
14 הָרָצִים רֹכְבֵי הָרֶכֶשׁ הָאֲחַשְׁתְּרָנִים יָצְאוּ מְבֹהָלִים וּדְחוּפִים בִּדְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַדָּת נִתְּנָה בְּשׁוּשַׁן הַבִּירָה׃ פ | 14 she came out again and whispered, 'He is not dead; al is wel .' |
15 וּמָרְדֳּכַי יָצָא ׀ מִלִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ מַלְכוּת תְּכֵלֶת וָחוּר וַעֲטֶרֶת זָהָב גְּדֹולָה וְתַכְרִיךְ בּוּץ וְאַרְגָּמָן וְהָעִיר שׁוּשָׁן צָהֲלָה וְשָׂמֵחָה | 15 Then Raguel blessed the God of heaven with these words: You are blessed, my God, with everyblessing that is pure; may you be blessed for evermore! |
16 לַיְּהוּדִים הָיְתָה אֹורָה וְשִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשֹׂן וִיקָר | 16 You are blessed for having made me glad. What I feared has not happened, instead you have shownus your boundless mercy. |
17 וּבְכָל־מְדִינָה וּמְדִינָה וּבְכָל־עִיר וָעִיר מְקֹום אֲשֶׁר דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתֹו מַגִּיעַ שִׂמְחָה וְשָׂשֹׂון לַיְּהוּדִים מִשְׁתֶּה וְיֹום טֹוב וְרַבִּים מֵעַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ מִתְיַהֲדִים כִּי־נָפַל פַּחַד־הַיְּהוּדִים עֲלֵיהֶם | 17 You are blessed for taking pity on this only son, this only daughter. Grant them, Master, your mercyand your protection; let them live out their lives in happiness and in mercy. |
| 18 And he made his servants fil the grave in before dawn broke. |
| 19 He told his wife to make an ovenful of bread; he went to his flock, brought back two oxen and foursheep and gave orders for them to be cooked; and preparations began. |
| 20 He called Tobias and said, 'I wil not hear of your leaving here for a fortnight. You are to stay whereyou are, eating and drinking, with me. You wil make my daughter happy again after al her troubles. |
| 21 After that, take away a half of al I have, and take her safe and sound back to your father. When mywife and I are dead you shall have the other half. Courage, my boy! I am your father, and Edna is your mother.We are your parents in future, as we are your sister's. Courage, my son!' |