1 O n that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the Jews’ enemy, to Queen Esther. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her.

وَفِي ذَلِكَ اليَومِ، سَلَّمَ المَلِكُ أحَشْوِيرُوشُ للمَلِكَةِ أسْتِيرَ كُلَّ مُمتَلَكاتِ عَدُوِّ اليَهُودِ هامانُ. أمّا مُرْدَخايُ فَقَد جاءَ لِيُقابِلَ المَلِكَ، بَعدَ أنْ أخبَرَتْ أسْتِيرُ المَلِكَ عَنْ صِلَةِ قَرابَتِها بِهِ.

2 A nd the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

فَنَزَعَ المَلِكُ خاتَمَهُ الذِي استَرَدَّهُ مِنْ هامانَ وَأعطاهُ لِمُرْدَخايَ. أمّا أسْتِيرُ فَقَد أوكَلَتْ لِمُرْدَخايَ مَهَمَّةَ الإشْرافِ عَلَى مُمتَلَكاتِ هامانَ.

3 A nd Esther spoke yet again to the king and fell down at his feet and besought him with tears to avert the evil plot of Haman the Agagite and his scheme that he had devised against the Jews.

ثُمَّ تَكَلَّمَتْ أسْتِيرُ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى مَعَ المَلِكِ، وَسَجَدَتْ أمامَهُ، وَبَكَتْ وَطَلَبَتْ وَقفَ شَرِّ هامانَ الأجاجِيِّ، وَمُؤامَرَتِهِ ضِدَّ اليَهُودِ.

4 T hen the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose and stood before the king.

فَمَدَّ المَلِكُ صَولَجانَهُ الذَهَبِيِّ نَحوَ أسْتِيرَ.

5 A nd she said, If it pleases the king and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right before the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

فَوَقَفَتْ أستِيرُ أمامَ المَلِكِ وَقالَتْ: «إنْ شاءَ المَلِكُ وَرَضِيَ عَنِّي، وَاستَحْسَنَ رَأيِي وَوافَقَ عَلَيهِ، فَلْيُصْدِرْ أمْراً يُلغِي فِيهِ أمرَ هامانَ بْنِ هَمَداثا الأجاجِيَّ الذِي أصدَرَهُ لِيَقْضِي عَلَى اليَهُودِ فِي كُلِّ مُقاطَعاتِ المَلِكِ.

6 F or how can I endure to see the evil that shall come upon my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

لأنَّهُ كَيفَ أستَطِيعُ رؤْيَةَ شَعبِيَ يَتألّمُ، وَكَيفَ أستَطِيعُ احتِمالَ رُؤْيَةَ أفرادَ عائِلَتِي يَمُوتُونَ؟»

7 T hen the King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

فَقالَ المَلِكُ أحَشْوِيرُوشَ للمَلِكَةِ أسْتِيرَ وَلِمُرْدَخايَ اليَهُودِيِّ: «قَدْ سَلَّمْتُ لأسْتِيرَ كُلَّ مُمتَلَكاتِ هامانَ، لأنَّهُ تآمَرَ لِقَتلِ اليَهُودِ. وَها هُوَ قَدْ عُلِّقَ عَلَى العَمُودِ الخَشَبِيِّ.

8 W rite also concerning the Jews as it pleases you in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring—for writing which is in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s ring no man can reverse.

فَاكتُبا بِاسْمِ اليَهُودِ ما تَرَيانِهِ مُناسِباً لَهُمْ، وَاختِماهُ بِخاتَمِ المَلِكِ، لأنَّهُ لا يُمكِنُ إلغاءُ أمْرٍ يُصدَرُ بِأمرِ المَلِكِ وَيُختَمُ بِخاتَمِهِ.»

9 T hen the king’s scribes were called, in the third month, the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, to the chief rulers, and the governors and princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in their own language and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.

وَفِي اليَومِ الثالِثِ وِالعِشرِينَ مِنَ الشَّهرِ الثّالِثِ – شَهْرِ سِيوانَ – استَدعَى مُرْدَخايُ كُتّابَ المَلِكِ، فَكَتَبُوا ما أمَرَهُمْ بِهِ مُرْدَخايُ تَماماً إلَى كُلِّ اليَهُودِ وَالحُكّامِ وَرؤَساءِ البِلادِ. وَعَدَدُ تِلكَ البِلادِ مِئةٌ وَسَبْعَةٌ وَعِشرُونَ إقلِيماً وَبَلَداً، تَمتَدُّ مِنَ الهِنْدِ حَتَّى الحَبَشَةِ. وَقَدْ كَتَبُوا إلَى كُلِّ إقلِيمٍ وَبَلَدٍ بِحَسَبِ أُسلُوبِ كِتابَتِهِ، وَإلَى كُلِّ شَعبٍ بِحَسَبِ لُغَتِهِ، وَإلَى اليَهُودِ بِحَسَبِ أُسلُوبِ كِتابَتِهِمْ وَبِحَسَبِ لُغَتِهِمْ.

10 H e wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king’s ring and sent letters by messengers on horseback, riding on swift steeds, mules, and young dromedaries used in the king’s service, bred from the stud.

وَكَتَبَ مُرْدَخايَ كُلَّ الأوامِرِ بِاسْمِ المَلِكِ أحَشْوِيرُوشَ وَخَتَمَها بِخاتِمِهِ. ثُمَّ أرْسَلَها مَعَ الرُّسُلِ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الخُيُولِ المَلَكِيَّةِ السَّرِيعَةِ.

11 I n it the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives; to destroy, to slay, and to wipe out any armed force that might attack them, their little ones, and women; and to take the enemies’ goods for spoil.

وَتَضَمَّنَتِ الرَسائِلُ إذْناً مِنَ المَلِكِ لليَهُودِ فِي كُلِّ المُدُنِ بِأنْ يَتَوَحَّدُوا لِيُدافِعُوا عَنْ أرْواحِهِمْ. وَأنْ يَقْضُوا عَلَى أيَّةِ قُوَّةٍ مُسَلَّحَةٍ لأيِّ شَعبٍ أوْ بَلَدٍ يُهاجِمُهُمْ أوْ يُهاجِمُ أولادَهُمْ وَزَوجاتِهُمْ، فَيُدَمِّرُوها وَيُبيدُوها وَيَسلِبُوا غَنائِمَها.

12 O n one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,

وَكانَ يَنبَغِي عَمَلُ كُلَّ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ فِي كُلِّ بِلادِ المَلِكِ أحَشْوِيرُوشَ فِي اليَومِ الثّالِثَ عَشَرَ مِنَ الشَّهرِ الثّانِي عَشَرَ – شَهرِ آذارَ.

13 A copy of the writing was to be issued as a decree in every province and as a proclamation to all peoples, and the Jews should be ready on that day to avenge themselves upon their enemies.

وَنُشِرَتْ نُسَخٌ مِنْ هَذا الأمرِ فِي كُلِّ البِلادِ. وَأُعلِنَ ذَلِكَ لِكُلِّ النّاسِ حَتَّى يَستَعِدَّ اليَهُودُ لليَومِ الذِي سَيَنتَقِمُونَ فِيهِ مِنْ أعْدائِهِمْ.

14 S o the couriers, who were mounted on swift beasts that were used in the king’s service, went out, being hurried and urged on by the king’s command; and the decree was released in Shushan, the capital.

وَبِأمرٍ مِنَ المَلِكِ، أسرَعَ الَّذينَ يَحمِلُونَ الرَّسائِلَ عَلَى الخُيُولِ المَلَكِيَّةِ. وَأُعلِنَ الأمرُ فِي العاصِمَةِ شُوشَنَ أيضاً.

15 A nd Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced.

وَخَرَجَ مُرْدَخايُ مِنْ عِنْدِ المَلِكِ بِثِيابٍ مَلَكِيَّةٍ بَيضاءَ وَأُرجُوانِيَّةٍ. وَعَلَى رَأسِهِ تاجٌ ذَهَبِيٌّ كَبِيرٌ، وَيَرتَدِي رِداءً مِنَ الكِتّانِ الأُرجُوانِيِّ. وَعَمَّتِ الفَرحَةُ مَدِينَةَ شُوشَنَ.

16 T he Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor.

أمّا اليَهُودُ فَكانُوا مُبتَهِجَينَ وَفَرِحِينَ وَسُعَداءَ وَفَخُورِينَ.

17 A nd in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a holiday. And many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

وَأُقِيمَتِ الوَلائِمُ وَالأفراحُ فِي كُلِّ الأماكِنِ وَالبِلادِ وَالمُدُنِ التِي سَمِعَتْ بِأمْرِ المَلِكِ. وَكَثِيرُونَ مِنَ السّاكِنِينَ فِي تِلكَ الأرْضِ تَظاهَرُوا بِأنَّهُمْ يَهُودٌ لِخَوفِهِمْ مِنْهُمْ.