Esther 16

1The great king Artaxerxes, from India to Ethiopia, to the governors and princes of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, which obey our command, sendeth greeting.

2Many have abused unto pride the goodness of princes, and the honour that hath been bestowed upon them:

3And not only endeavour to oppress the king’s subjects, but not bearing the glory that is given them, take in hand to practise also against them that gave it.

4Neither are they content not to return thanks for benefits received, and to violate in themselves the laws of humanity, but they think they can also escape the justice of God who seeth all things.

5And they break out into so great madness, as to endeavour to undermine by lies such as observe diligently the offices committed to them, and do all things in such manner as to be worthy of all men’s praise,

6While with crafty fraud they deceive the ears of princes that are well meaning, and judge of others by their own nature.

7Now this is proved both from ancient histories, and by the things which are done daily, how the good designs of kings are depraved by the evil suggestions of certain men.

8Wherefore we must provide for the peace of all provinces.

9Neither must you think, if we command different things, that it cometh of the levity of our mind, but that we give sentence according to the quality and necessity of times, as the profit of the commonwealth requireth.

10Now that you may more plainly understand what we say, I Aman the son of Amadathi, a Macedonian both in mind and country, and having nothing of the Persian blood, but with his cruelty staining our goodness, was received being a stranger by us:

11And found our humanity so great towards him, that he was called our father, and was worshipped by all as the next man after the king:

12But he was so far puffed up with arrogancy, as to go about to deprive us of our kingdom and life.

13For with certain new and unheard of devices he hath sought the destruction of Mardochai, by whose fidelity and good services our life was saved, and of Esther the partner of our kingdom, with all their nation:

14Thinking that after they were slain, he might work treason against us left alone without friends, and might transfer the kingdom of the Persians to the Macedonians.

15But we have found that the Jews, who were by that most wicked man appointed to be slain, are in no fault at all, but contrariwise, use just laws,

16And are the children of the highest and the greatest, and the ever living God, by whose benefit the kingdom was given both to our fathers and to us, and is kept unto this day.

17Wherefore know ye that those letters which he sent in our name, are void and of no effect.

18For which crime both he himself that devised it, and all his kindred hang on gibbets, before the gates of this city Susan: not we, but God repaying him as he deserved.

19But this edict, which we now send, shall be published in all cities, that the Jews may freely follow their own laws.

20And you shall aid them that they may kill those who had prepared themselves to kill them, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is called Adar.

21For the almighty God hath turned this day of sadness and mourning into joy to them.

22Wherefore you shall also count this day among other festival days, and celebrate it with all joy, that it may be known also in times to come,

23That all they who faithfully obey the Persians, receive a worthy reward for their fidelity: but they that are traitors to their kingdom, are destroyed for their wickedness.

24And let every province and city, that will not be partaker of this solemnity, perish by the sword and by fire, and be destroyed in such manner as to be made unpassable, both to men and beasts, for an example of contempt, and disobedience.

1Rex magnus Artaxerxes ab India usque Æthiopiam, centum viginti septem provinciarum ducibus ac principibus qui nostræ jussioni obediunt, salutem dicit.

2Multi bonitate principum et honore, qui in eos collatus est, abusi sunt in superbiam:

3et non solum subjectos regibus nituntur opprimere, sed datam sibi gloriam non ferentes, in ipsos qui dederunt, moliuntur insidias.

4Nec contenti sunt gratias non agere beneficiis, et humanitatis in se jura violare, sed Dei quoque cuncta cernentis arbitrantur se posse fugere sententiam.

5Et in tantum vesaniæ proruperunt, ut eos qui credita sibi officia diligenter observant, et ita cuncta agunt ut omnium laude digni sint, mendaciorum cuniculis conentur subvertere,

6dum aures principum simplices, et ex sua natura alios æstimantes, callida fraude decipiunt.

7Quæ res et ex veteribus probatur historiis, et ex his quæ geruntur quotidie, quomodo malis quorumdam suggestionibus regum studia depraventur.

8Unde providendum est paci omnium provinciarum.

9Nec putare debetis, si diversa jubeamus, ex animi nostri venire levitate, sed pro qualitate et necessitate temporum, ut reipublicæ poscit utilitas, ferre sententiam.

10Et ut manifestius quod dicimus intelligatis, Aman filius Amadathi, et animo et gente Macedo, alienusque a Persarum sanguine, et pietatem nostram sua crudelitate commaculans, peregrinus a nobis susceptus est:

11et tantam in se expertus humanitatem, ut pater noster vocaretur, et adoraretur ab omnibus post regem secundus:

12qui in tantum arrogantiæ tumorem sublatus est, ut regno privare nos niteretur et spiritu.

13Nam Mardochæum, cujus fide et beneficiis vivimus, et consortem regni nostri Esther cum omni gente sua, novis quibusdam atque inauditis machinis expetivit in mortem:

14hoc cogitans ut illis interfectis, insidiaretur nostræ solitudini, et regnum Persarum transferret in Macedonas.

15Nos autem a pessimo mortalium Judæos neci destinatos, in nulla penitus culpa reperimus, sed e contrario justis utentes legibus,

16et filios altissimi et maximi semperque viventis Dei, cujus beneficio et patribus nostris et nobis regnum est traditum, et usque hodie custoditur.

17Unde eas litteras, quas sub nomine nostro ille direxerat, sciatis esse irritas.

18Pro quo scelere ante portas hujus urbis, id est, Susan, et ipse qui machinatus est, et omnis cognatio ejus pendet in patibulis: non nobis, sed Deo reddente ei quod meruit.

19Hoc autem edictum, quod nunc mittimus, in cunctis urbibus proponatur, ut liceat Judæis uti legibus suis.

20Quibus debetis esse adminiculo, ut eos qui se ad necem eorum paraverant, possint interficere tertiadecima die mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar.

21Hanc enim diem, Deus omnipotens, mœroris et luctus, eis vertit in gaudium.

22Unde et vos inter ceteros festos dies, hanc habetote diem, et celebrate eam cum omni lætitia, ut et in posterum cognoscatur,

23omnes qui fideliter Persis obediunt, dignam pro fide recipere mercedem; qui autem insidiantur regno eorum, perire pro scelere.

24Omnis autem provincia et civitas quæ noluerit solemnitatis hujus esse particeps, gladio et igne pereat, et sic deleatur, ut non solum hominibus, sed etiam bestiis invia sit in sempiternum, pro exemplo contemptus et inobedientiæ.

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.

2In arrogance, many have abused the goodness of leaders and the honor that has been bestowed on them,

3and 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.

4Neither 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.

5And 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.

6Meanwhile, they craftily deceive by fraud the ears of single-minded leaders, and they judge others according to their own nature.

7These 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.

8Therefore, we will make provision for the peace of all the provinces.

9Neither 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.

10And, 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.

11And 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.

12But he was so filled with arrogance as to strive to deprive us of our kingdom and our life.

13For 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.

14This 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.

15But we, having been resolved to ruin in death the mortal Jews, discovered no fault within them, but on the contrary, they use just laws

16and 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.

17Therefore, you should understand to be null and void those letters that he administered under our name.

18For this crime, before the gates of this city, that is, Susa, both he who devised it, and all his associates, hang on gallows: not we, but God repaying him as he deserved.

19But this edict, which we now send, shall be displayed in all cities so that the Jews may be allowed to use their own laws.

20You must be a support to them, so that they may be able to execute those, who themselves had prepared to kill them, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is called Adar.

21For the almighty God has turned this day of grief and sorrow into joy for them.

22Therefore, you too will keep this day, along with the other festival days, and celebrate it with all joy, so that it may be known even by future generations.

23All those who faithfully obey the Persians deserve, for their fidelity, to receive a reward, but those who are traitors to their kingdom deserve to be destroyed for their crime.

24But every province and city, which is not willing to participate in this solemnity, must perish by the sword and by fire, and be destroyed in this way so that they will be forever an indisputable example of contempt and disobedience, not only to humans, but even to wild animals.”