Ester 3

¹Bundan sonra Kral Artahşasta, Hammedata oğlu Bugalı Haman'ı onurlandırıp yükseltti ve onu tüm dostlarının üzerinde saray hiyerarşisinin en üst sırasına yerleştirdi.

²Saray avlusunda bulunan herkes Haman'ın önünde eğilip yere kapanırdı, çünkü kral onun hakkında böyle buyurmuştu; fakat Mordekay onun önünde eğilmez ve yere kapanmazdı.

³Bunun üzerine kralın avlusunda bulunanlar Mordekay'a, "Ey Mordekay, kral tarafından buyrulanları neden kulak ardı ediyorsun?" dediler.

⁴Ona her gün bu şekilde söyledikleri halde onları dinlemedi; bu yüzden Mordekay'ın kralın buyruklarına karşı cephe aldığını Haman'a bildirdiler. Çünkü Mordekay onlara kendisinin bir Yahudi olduğunu açıklamıştı.

⁵Haman, Mordekay'ın kendi önünde eğilmediğini ve yere kapanmadığını fark edince aşırı derecede öfkelendi.

⁶Ve Artahşasta'nın egemenliği altındaki tüm Yahudileri tamamen ortadan kaldırmayı tasarladı.

⁷Kral Artahşasta'nın krallığının on ikinci yılında bir ferman çıkarıldı ve Mordekay'ın soyunu tek bir günde yok etmek amacıyla günden güne, aydan aya kura çekildi; kura, Adar denilen on ikinci ayın on dördüncü gününe düştü.

⁸Haman Kral Artahşasta'ya şöyle dedi: "Krallığının tüm illerinde, halkların arasına dağılmış ve onlardan ayrı yaşayan bir halk var; onların yasaları diğer tüm halklarınkinden tamamen farklı ve aykırıdır, kralın yasalarını da hiçe sayarlar. Onları kendi hallerine bırakmak kralın yararına değildir.

⁹Eğer krala uygun görünürse, onların yok edilmesi için bir ferman çıkarılsın; ben de kralın hazinesine ödenmek üzere on bin talant gümüşü görevlilere tartıp teslim edeceğim."

¹⁰Bunun üzerine kral yüzüğünü parmağından çıkarıp Yahudiler aleyhine yazılmış olan fermanları mühürlemesi için Yahudilerin düşmanı olan Haman'ın ellerine teslim etti.

¹¹Kral Haman'a, "Gümüş sende kalsın, o halka da dilediğin gibi muamele et" dedi.

¹²Birinci ayın on üçüncü gününde kralın yazıcıları çağrıldı. Haman'ın buyurduğu gibi, Hindistan'dan Etiyopya'ya kadar uzanan yüz yirmi yedi ilin valilerine, komutanlarına ve her halkın önderlerine, kendi dillerinde ve Kral Artahşasta adına yazılar yazıldı.

¹³Mektuplar ulaklar aracılığıyla Artahşasta'nın bütün krallığına gönderildi; amaç, on ikinci ay olan Adar ayının tek bir gününde bütün Yahudi soyunu tamamen yok etmek ve mallarını yağmalamaktı. 13α Büyük Kral Artahşasta, Hindistan'dan Etiyopya'ya kadar uzanan yüz yirmi yedi ilin yöneticilerine ve buyruğu altındaki yerel önderlere şöyle yazıyor: 13β Birçok ulusa hükmeden ve tüm dünyaya egemen olan ben, gücümün verdiği küstahlıkla böbürlenmeyerek, her zaman daha adil ve yumuşaklıkla hareket ederek, uyruklarımın yaşamını her zaman huzur içinde sürdürmesini, krallığın sınırlarına kadar barış ve düzeni sağlamayı ve tüm insanların özlediği esenliği yeniden tesis etmeyi amaçladım. 13γ Bu amacın nasıl gerçekleştirileceğini danışmanlarıma sorduğumda, aramızda sağduyusuyla seçkinleşen, sarsılmaz sadakatiyle güvenilirliğini kanıtlamış ve krallıkta ikinci onur payesini almış olan Haman bize şu bilgiyi verdi: 13δ Dünyadaki tüm kabilelerin arasına karışmış, yasalarıyla her ulusa karşı olan, kralların buyruklarını sürekli hiçe sayan ve bu yüzden tarafımızdan kusursuzca yönetilen ortak yönetimin huzurunu bozan kötü niyetli bir halk varmış. 13ε Bu halkın diğer tüm insanlara karşıt olarak tek başına durduğunu, yabancı bir yasa sistemi uyguladığını, çıkarlarımıza karşı en kötü işleri planladığını ve krallığın istikrarına engel olduğunu anladığımız için; 13ζ Devlet işlerinin başında bulunan ve ikinci babamız olan Haman'ın mektubunda belirttiği kişilerin, kadınları ve çocuklarıyla birlikte, hiçbir acıma ve esirgeme gösterilmeksizin, düşmanlarının kılıcıyla bu yılın on ikinci ayı olan Adar'ın on dördüncü gününde tamamen yok edilmesini buyurduk. 13η Öyle ki, geçmişte ve şimdi bize düşman olan bu insanlar tek bir günde şiddetle ölüler diyarına indirilsin ve gelecekte işlerimiz sürekli bir huzur ve düzen içinde yürütülebilsin.

¹⁴Mektubun suretleri her ilde ilan edildi ve o gün için hazır bulunmaları bütün uluslara buyruldu.

¹⁵Bu iş Susa'da da aceleyle yürütüldü. Kral ve Haman içki içip kafa çekmeye oturdular, Susa kenti ise şaşkınlık ve kargaşa içindeydi.

¹ΜΕΤΑ δὲ ταῦτα ἐδόξασεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ᾿Αρταξέρξης ᾿Αμὰν ᾿Αμαδάθου Βουγαῖον καὶ ὕψωσεν αὐτόν, καὶ ἐπρωτοβάθρει πάντων τῶν φίλων αὐτοῦ.

²καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ προσεκύνουν αὐτῷ, οὕτως γὰρ προσέταξεν ὁ βασιλεὺς ποιῆσαι· ὁ δὲ Μαρδοχαῖος οὐ προσεκύνει αὐτῷ.

³καὶ ἐλάλησαν οἱ ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τοῦ βασιλέως τῷ Μαρδοχαίῳ· Μαρδοχαῖε, τί παρακούεις τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως λεγόμενα;

⁴καθ᾿ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐλάλουν αὐτῷ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπήκουεν αὐτῶν· καὶ ὑπέδειξαν τῷ ᾿Αμὰν Μαρδοχαῖον τοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως λόγοις ἀντιτασσόμενον· καὶ ὑπέδειξεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Μαρδοχαῖος ὅτι ᾿Ιουδαῖός ἐστι.

⁵καὶ ἐπιγνοὺς ᾿Αμὰν ὅτι οὐ προσκυνεῖ αὐτῷ Μαρδοχαῖος, ἐθυμώθη σφόδρα

⁶καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο ἀφανίσαι πάντας τοὺς ὑπὸ τὴν ᾿Αρταξέρξου βασιλείαν ᾿Ιουδαίους.

⁷καὶ ἐποίησε ψήφισμα ἐν ἔτει δωδεκάτῳ τῆς βασιλείας ᾿Αρταξέρξου καὶ ἔβαλε κλήρους ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας καὶ μῆνα ἐκ μηνός, ὥστε ἀπολέσαι ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ τὸ γένος Μαρδοχαίου, καὶ ἔπεσεν ὁ κλῆρος εἰς τὴν τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτην τοῦ μηνός, ὅς ἐστιν ᾿Αδάρ.

⁸καὶ ἐλάλησε πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα ᾿Αρταξέρξης λέγων· ὑπάρχει ἔθνος διεσπαρμένον ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου, οἱ δὲ νόμοι αὐτῶν ἔξαλλοι παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, τῶν δὲ νόμων τοῦ βασιλέως παρακούουσι, καὶ οὐ συμφέρει τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐᾶσαι αὐτούς·

⁹εἰ δοκεῖ τῷ βασιλεῖ, δογματισάτω ἀπολέσαι αὐτούς, κἀγὼ διαγράψω εἰς τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον τοῦ βασιλέως ἀργυρίου τάλαντα μύρια.

¹⁰καὶ περιελόμενος ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ δακτύλιον ἔδωκεν εἰς χεῖρας τῷ ᾿Αμὰν σφραγίσαι κατὰ τῶν γεγραμμένων κατὰ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων.

¹¹καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τῷ ᾿Αμάν· τὸ μὲν ἀργύριον ἔχε, τῷ δὲ ἔθνει χρῶ ὡς βούλει.

¹²καὶ ἐκλήθησαν οἱ γραμματεῖς τοῦ βασιλέως μηνὶ πρώτῳ τῇ τρισκαιδεκάτῃ καὶ ἔγραψαν, ὡς ἐπέταξεν ᾿Αμάν, τοῖς στρατηγοῖς, καὶ τοῖς ἄρχουσι κατὰ πᾶσαν χώραν ἀπὸ ᾿Ινδικῆς ἕως τῆς Αἰθιοπίας, ταῖς ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιεπτὰ χώραις, τοῖς τε ἄρχουσι τῶν ἐθνῶν κατὰ τὴν αὐτῶν λέξιν δι᾿ ᾿Αρταξέρξου τοῦ βασιλέως.

¹³καὶ ἀπεστάλη διὰ βιβλιοφόρων εἰς τὴν ᾿Αρταξέρξου βασιλείαν ἀφανίσαι τὸ γένος τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾶ μηνὸς δωδεκάτου, ὅς ἐστιν ᾿Αδάρ, καὶ διαρπάσαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῶν. 13α Τῆς δὲ ἐπιστολῆς ἐστι τὸ ἀντίγραφον τόδε· «Βασιλεὺς μέγας ᾿Αρταξέρξης τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς ᾿Ινδικῆς ἕως τῆς Αἰθιοπίας ἑκατὸν εἰκοσιεπτὰ χωρῶν ἄρχουσι καὶ τοπάρχαις ὑποτεταγμένοις τάδε γράφει· 13β πολλῶν ἐπάρξας ἐθνῶν καὶ πάσης ἐπικρατήσας οἰκουμένης, ἐβουλήθην μὴ τῷ θράσει τῆς ἐξουσίας ἐπαιρόμενος, ἐπιεικέστερον δὲ καὶ μετὰ ἠπιότητος ἀεὶ διεξάγων, τοὺς τῶν ὑποτεταγμένων ἀκυμάντους διαπαντὸς καταστῆσαι βίους, τήν τε βασιλείαν ἥμερον καὶ πορευτὴν μέχρι περάτων παρεξόμενος ἀνανεώσασθαί τε τὴν ποθουμένην τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις εἰρήνην. 13γ πυθομένου δέ μου τῶν συμβούλων, πῶς ἂν ἀχθείη τοῦτο ἐπὶ πέρας, ὁ σωφροσύνῃ παρ᾿ ἡμῖν διενέγκας καὶ ἐν τῇ εὐνοίᾳ ἀπαραλλάκτως καὶ βεβαίᾳ πίστει ἀποδεδειγμένος καὶ δεύτερον τῶν βασιλειῶν γέρας ἀπενηνεγμένος ᾿Αμὰν 13δ ἐπέδειξεν ἡμῖν ἐν πάσαις ταῖς κατὰ τὴν οἰκουμένην φυλαῖς ἀναμεμεῖχθαι δυσμενῆ λαόν τινα τοῖς νόμοις ἀντίθετον πρὸς πᾶν ἔθνος τά τε τῶν βασιλέων παραπέμποντας διηνεκῶς διατάγματα, πρὸς τὸ μὴ κατατίθεσθαι τὴν ὑφ᾿ ἡμῶν κατευθυνομένην ἀμέμπτως συναρχίαν. 13ε διειληφότες οὖν τόδε τὸ ἔθνος μονώτατον ἐν ἀντιπαραγωγῇ παντὶ διαπαντὸς ἀνθρώπῳ κείμενον, διαγωγὴν νόμων ξενίζουσαν παραλλάσσον καὶ δυσνοοῦν τοῖς ἡμετέροις πράγμασι τὰ χείριστα συντελοῦν κακὰ καὶ πρὸς τὸ μὴ τὴν βασιλείαν εὐσταθείας τυγχάνειν· 13ζ προστετάχαμεν οὖν τοὺς σημαινομένους ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ὑπὸ ᾿Αμὰν τοῦ τεταγμένου ἐπὶ τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ δευτέρου πατρὸς ἡμῶν πάντας σὺν συναιξὶ καὶ τέκνοις ἀπολέσαι ὁλορριζεὶ ταῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν μαχαίραις ἄνευ παντὸς οἴκτου καὶ φειδοῦς, τῇ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῃ τοῦ δωδεκάτου μηνὸς ᾿Αδάρ, τοῦ ἐνεστῶτος ἔτους, 13η ὅπως οἱ πάλαι καὶ νῦν δυσμενεῖς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ βιαίως εἰς τὸν ᾅδην κατελθόντες, εἰς τὸν μετέπειτα χρόνον εὐσταθῆ καὶ ἀτάραχα παρέχωσιν ἡμῖν διὰ τέλους τὰ πράγματα».

¹⁴Τὰ δὲ ἀντίγραφα τῶν ἐπιστολῶν ἐξετίθετο κατὰ χώραν, καὶ προσετάγη πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἑτοίμους εἶναι εἰς τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην.

¹⁵ἐσπεύδετο δὲ τὸ πρᾶγμα καὶ εἰς Σοῦσαν· ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς καὶ ᾿Αμὰν ἐκωθωνίζοντο, ἐταράσσετο δὲ ἡ πόλις.

¹And after this king Artaxerxes highly honoured Aman [son] of Amadathes, the Bugaean, and exalted him, and set his seat above all his friends.

²And all in the palace did him obeisance, for so the king had given orders to do: but Mardochaeus did not do him obeisance.

³And they in the king’s palace said to Mardochaeus, Mardochaeus, why dost thou transgress the commands of the king?

⁴[Thus] they spoke daily to him, but he hearkened not unto them; so they represented to Aman that Mardochaeus resisted the commands of the king: and Mardochaeus had shewn to them that he was a Jew.

⁵And when Aman understood that Mardochaeus did not obeisance to him, he was greatly enraged,

⁶and took counsel to destroy utterly all the Jews who were under the rule of Artaxerxes.

⁷And he made a decree in the twelfth year of the reign of Artaxerxes, and cast lots daily and monthly, to slay in one day the race of Mardochaeus: and the lot fell on the fourteenth [day] of the month which is Adar.

⁸And he spoke to king Artaxerxes, saying, There is a nation scattered among the nations in all thy kingdom, and their laws differ from [those of] all the [other] nations; and they disobey the laws of the king; and it is not expedient for the king to let them alone.

⁹If it seem good to the king, let him make a decree to destroy them: and I will remit into the king’s treasury ten thousand talents of silver.

¹⁰And the king took off his ring, and gave it into the hands of Aman, to seal the decrees against the Jews.

¹¹And the king said to Aman, Keep the silver, and treat the nation as thou wilt.

¹²So the king’s recorders were called in the first month, on the thirteenth [day], and they wrote as Aman commanded to the captains and governors in every province, from India even to Ethiopia, to a hundred and twenty-seven provinces; and to the rulers of the nations according to their [several] languages, in the name of king Artaxerxes.

¹³And [the message] was sent by posts throughout the kingdom of Artaxerxes, to destroy utterly the race of the Jews on the first day of the twelfth month, which is Adar, and to plunder their goods. 13α And the following is the copy of the letter; The great king Artaxerxes writes thus to the rulers and inferior governors of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India even to Ethiopia, who hold authority under [him]. 13β Ruling over many nations, and having obtained dominion over the whole world, I was minded, (not elated by the confidence of power but ever conducting [myself] with great moderation and with gentleness,) to make the lives of [my] subjects continually tranquil, desiring both to maintain the kingdom quiet and orderly to [its] utmost limits, and to restore the peace desired by all men. 13γ But when I had enquired of my counsellors how this should be brought to pass, Aman, who excels in soundness of judgment among us, and has been manifestly well inclined without wavering and with unshaken fidelity, and has obtained the second post in the kingdom, 13δ informed us that a certain ill-disposed people is mixed up with all the tribes throughout the world, opposed in their laws to every [other] nation, and continually neglecting the commands of the kings, so that the united government blamelessly administered by us is not quietly established. 13ε Having then conceived that this nation alone [of all others] is continually set in opposition to every man, introducing as a change a foreign code of laws, and injuriously plotting to accomplish the worst of evils against our interests, and against the happy establishment of the monarchy; 13ζ we have accordingly appointed those who are signified to you the letters written by Aman, who is set over [the public] affairs and is our second governor, to destroy them all utterly with their wives and children by the swords of the enemies, without pitying or sparing any, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar, of the present year; 13η that the people aforetime and now ill-disposed [to us] having been violently consigned to death in one day, may hereafter secure to us continually a well constituted and quiet [state of] affairs.

¹⁴And the copies of the letters were published in every province; and an order was given to all the nations to be ready against that day.

¹⁵And the business was hastened, and [that] at Susa: and the king and Aman began to drink; but the city was troubled.