Esther 13

VULGATA	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Rex maximus Artaxerxes ab India usque Æthiopiam, centum viginti septem provinciarum principibus et ducibus qui ejus imperio subjecti sunt, salutem.	1 “Artaxerxes, the great king from India all the way to Ethiopia, to the generals and leaders of the one hundred twenty-seven provinces that obey our command: greetings, he says.
2 Cum plurimis gentibus imperarem, et universum orbem meæ ditioni subjugassem, volui nequaquam abuti potentiæ magnitudine, sed clementia et lenitate gubernare subjectos, ut absque ullo terrore vitam silentio transigentes, optata cunctis mortalibus pace fruerentur.	2 In arrogance, many have abused the goodness of leaders and the honor that has been bestowed on them,
3 Quærente autem me a consiliariis meis quomodo posset hoc impleri, unus qui sapientia et fide ceteros præcellebat, et erat post regem secundus, Aman nomine,	3 and they strive, not only to oppress the king’s subjects, but, not acting according to the glory given to them, set in motion a plan to ambush those very ones who gave it.
4 indicavit mihi in toto orbe terrarum populum esse dispersum, qui novis uteretur legibus, et, contra omnium gentium consuetudinem faciens, regum jussa contemneret, et universarum concordiam nationum sua dissensione violaret.	4 Neither are they content to withhold thanks for benefits and to violate in themselves the laws of humanity, but they also think they are able to escape from every sentence of the sifting judgment of God.
5 Quod cum didicissemus, videntes unam gentem rebellem adversus omne hominum genus perversis uti legibus, nostrisque jussionibus contraire, et turbare subjectarum nobis provinciarum pacem atque concordiam,	5 And they rush forth in such insanity that they attempt to subvert by filthy lies those who carefully fulfill the offices delegated to them and so perform everything that is deserving of the praise of all.
6 jussimus ut quoscumque Aman, qui omnibus provinciis præpositus est et secundus a rege, et quem patris loco colimus, monstraverit, cum conjugibus ac liberis deleantur ab inimicis suis, nullusque eorum misereatur, quartadecima die duodecimi mensis Adar anni præsentis :	6 Meanwhile, they craftily deceive by fraud the ears of single-minded leaders, and they judge others according to their own nature.
7 ut nefarii homines uno die ad inferos descendentes, reddant imperio nostro pacem, quam turbaverant. Pergensque Mardochæus, fecit omnia quæ ei mandaverat Esther.	7 These things are proven both from the ancient histories and from those things which happen daily: how the zeal of kings can be corrupted by the evil suggestions of such persons.
8 Mardochæus autem deprecatus est Dominum, memor omnium operum ejus,	8 Therefore, we will make provision for the peace of all the provinces.
9 et dixit : Domine, Domine rex omnipotens, in ditione enim tua cuncta sunt posita, et non est qui possit tuæ resistere voluntati, si decreveris salvare Israël.	9 Neither should you think, if we change our orders, that they come from a fickle mind, but that we draw conclusions from the quality and necessity of the times, just as the expediency of the public good demands.
10 Tu fecisti cælum et terram, et quidquid cæli ambitu continetur.	10 And, so that you may more clearly understand what we are saying: Haman the son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian both in mind and ancestry, and foreign to Persian blood, and with his cruelty contaminating our piety, was accepted by us as a sojourner.
11 Dominus omnium es, nec est qui resistat majestati tuæ.	11 And our humanity proved to be so great towards him that he was called our father and was adored by all as second only to the king.
12 Cuncta nosti, et scis quia non pro superbia et contumelia, et aliqua gloriæ cupiditate, fecerim hoc, ut non adorarem Aman superbissimum	12 But he was so filled with arrogance as to strive to deprive us of our kingdom and our life.
13 (libenter enim pro salute Israël etiam vestigia pedum ejus deosculari paratus essem),	13 For example, with certain strange and unheard of machinations, he sought the death of Mordecai, whose faith and kindness kept us alive, and Esther, the partner of our kingdom, and all their people.
14 sed timui ne honorem Dei mei transferrem ad hominem, et ne quemquam adorarem, excepto Deo meo.	14 This he planned so that, after they were executed, he might work treason against us in our solitude and transfer the kingdom of the Persians to the Macedonians.
15 Et nunc, Domine rex, Deus Abraham, miserere populi tui, quia volunt nos inimici nostri perdere, et hæreditatem tuam delere.	15 But we, having been resolved to ruin in death the mortal Jews, discovered no fault within them, but on the contrary, they use just laws
16 Ne despicias partem tuam, quam redemisti tibi de Ægypto.	16 and are sons of the highest and greatest and ever-living God, by whose kindness the kingdom was handed down both to our fathers and to us, and is cared for even unto this day.
17 Exaudi deprecationem meam, et propitius esto sorti et funiculo tuo, et converte luctum nostrum in gaudium, ut viventes laudemus nomen tuum, Domine : et ne claudas ora te canentium.	17 Therefore, you should understand to be null and void those letters that he administered under our name.
18 Omnis quoque Israël pari mente et obsecratione clamavit ad Dominum, eo quod eis certa mors impenderet.	18 With all the peoples, cities, and provinces, wherever the king’s orders arrived, there was wonderful rejoicing, banquets and feasts, and a solemn holy day, so much so that many of the other nations joined themselves to their religious practices and ceremonies. For a great fear of the name of the Jews had overcome them all.