Ester 8

NOVA VULGATA	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 Die illo dedit rex Asuerus Esther reginae domum Aman adversariiIudaeorum, et Mardochaeus ingressus est ante faciem regis; confessa est enim eiEsther quid esset sibi.	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 Tulitque rex anulum suum, quem ab Aman recipiiusserat, et tradidit Mardochaeo; Esther autem constituit Mardochaeum superdomum Aman.	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 Et adiecit Esther loqui coram rege et procidit ad pedes eius flevitque etlocuta ad eum oravit, ut malitiam Aman Agagitae et machinationes eius pessimas,quas excogitaverat contra Iudaeos, iuberet irritas fieri.	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 At ille ex moresceptrum aureum protendit manu; illaque consurgens stetit ante eum	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 et ait: “Si placet regi, et si inveni gratiam coram eo, et deprecatio mea non ei videturesse contraria, et accepta sum in oculis eius, obsecro, ut novis epistulisveteres litterae Aman filii Amadathi, Agagitae, insidiatoris et hostisIudaeorum, quibus eos in cunctis regis provinciis perire praeceperat,corrigantur.	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 Quomodo enim potero sustinere malum, quod passurus est populusmeus, et interitum cognationis meae? ”.	6 For how call I endure the murdering and slaughter of my people?
7 Responditque rex Asuerus Esther reginae et Mardochaeo Iudaeo: “ Domum Amanconcessi Esther et ipsum iussi appendi in patibulo, quia ausus est manum inIudaeos mittere.	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 Scribite ergo Iudaeis sicut vobis placet, ex regis nomine,signantes litteras anulo meo, quia epistulae ex regis nomine scriptae et illiusanulo signatae non possunt immutari ”.	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 Accitisque scribis regis — erat autem tempus tertii mensis, qui appellaturSivan, vicesima et tertia illius die — scriptae sunt epistulae, ut Mardochaeusvoluerat, ad Iudaeos et ad satrapas procuratoresque et principes, qui centumviginti septem provinciis ab India usque ad Aethiopiam praesidebant, provinciaeatque provinciae, populo et populo, iuxta linguas et litteras suas, et Iudaeisiuxta linguam et litteras suas.	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 Ipsaeque epistulae, quae ex regis nominemittebantur, anulo ipsius obsignatae sunt et missae per veredarios electis equisregiis discurrentes.	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 Quibus permisit rex Iudaeis in singulis civitatibus, utin unum congregarentur et starent pro animabus suis et omnes inimicos suos cumconiugibus ac liberis interficerent atque delerent et spolia eorum diriperent;	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 et constituta est per omnes provincias una ultionis dies, id est tertiadecima mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar.	12 And one day of revenge was appointed through all the provinces, to wit, the thirteenth of the twelfth month Adar.
13 Exemplar epistulae in forma legis in omnibus provinciis promulgandum erat, utomnibus populis notum fieret paratos esse Iudaeos in diem illam ad capiendamvindictam de hostibus suis.	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 Egressique sunt veredarii celeres nuntiosperferentes, et edictum regis pependit in Susan.	14 So the swift posts went out carrying the messages, and the king's edict was hung up in Susan.
15 Mardochaeus autem de palatio et de conspectu regis egrediens fulgebatvestibus regiis, hyacinthinis videlicet et albis, coronam magnam auream portansin capite et amictus pallio serico atque purpureo; omnisque civitas exsultavitatque laetata est.	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 Iudaeis autem nova lux oriri visa est, gaudium, honor ettripudium.	16 But to the Jews a new light seemed to rise, joy, honour, and dancing.
17 Apud omnes populos, urbes atque provincias, quocumque regis iussaveniebant, Iudaeis fuit exsultatio, epulae atque convivia et festus dies, intantum ut plures alterius gentis et sectae eorum religioni et caeremoniisiungerentur; grandis enim cunctos Iudaici nominis terror invaserat.	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.