Esther 8

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 That day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai was admitted to the king's presence, for Esther had revealed his relationship to her.	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 The king removed his signet ring from Haman, and transferred it into the keeping of Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of the house of 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 In another audience with the king, Esther fell at his feet and tearfully implored him to revoke the harm done by Haman the Agagite, and the plan he had devised against the Jews.	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 The king stretched forth the golden scepter to Esther. So she rose and, standing in his presence,	4 The king held out the golden sceptre to her, whereupon Esther stood up and faced him.
5 said: "If it pleases your majesty and seems proper to you, and if I have found favor with you and you love me, let a document be issued to revoke the letters which that schemer Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, wrote for the destruction of the Jews in all the royal provinces.	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 For how can I witness the evil that is to befall my people, and how can I behold the destruction of my race?"	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 King Ahasuerus then said to Queen Esther and to the Jew Mordecai: "Now that I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gibbet because he attacked the Jews,	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 you in turn may write in the king's name what you see fit concerning the Jews and seal the letter with the royal signet ring." For whatever is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.	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 At that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, Sivan, the royal scribes were summoned. Exactly as Mordecai dictated, they wrote to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and officials of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia: to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.	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 These letters, which he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring, he sent by mounted couriers riding thoroughbred royal steeds.	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 In these letters the king authorized the Jews in each and every city to group together and defend their lives, and to kill, destroy, wipe out, along with their wives and children, every armed group of any nation or province which should attack them, and to seize their goods as spoil	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 throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on a single day, the thirteenth of the twelfth month, 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 A copy of the letter to be promulgated as law in each and every province was published among all the peoples, so that the Jews might be prepared on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.	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 Couriers mounted on royal steeds sped forth in haste at the king's order, and the decree was promulgated in the stronghold of 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 Mordecai left the king's presence clothed in a royal robe of violet and of white cotton, with a large crown of gold and a cloak of crimson byssus. The city of Susa shouted with joy,	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 and there was splendor and merriment for the Jews, exultation and triumph.	16 For the Jews there was light and gladness, joy and honour.
17 In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king's order arrived, there was merriment and exultation, banqueting and feasting for the Jews. And many of the peoples of the land embraced Judaism, for they were seized with a fear of the Jews.	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.