Esther, 6

1. And this was the text of the letter: “Artaxerxes, the great king from India all the way to Ethiopia, to the leaders and generals of the one hundred twenty-seven provinces, which are subject to his authority, greetings.

1. Te noæi kralj ne mogaše usnuti. Zato naredi da mu donesu i èitaju knjigu znamenitih dogaðaja, Ljetopise.

2. Although I have reigned over many nations and subjugated the whole world under my realm, I was by no means willing to abuse the greatness of this power, but to govern my subjects with clemency and leniency, so that they would settle into a quiet life, apart from any terror, and delight in peace, as all mortals would choose to do.

2. Tu se naðe zapisano kako je Mordokaj prokazao Bigtanu i Tereša, dva dvoranina kraljeva, èuvare praga, koji su se spremali da podignu ruke na kralja Ahasvera.

3. Yet, in asking my counselors how this might be able to be accomplished, one who excelled the others in wisdom and fidelity, and who was second after the king, named Haman,

3. Kralj upita: "Kakva je èast i kakvo je odlikovanje zapalo Mordokaja za sve to?" Kraljeve sluge, dvorani koji ga slušahu, odgovoriše: "Ništa nije uèinjeno za nj."

4. explained to me that there was a people, scattered throughout the whole world, that used strange laws, and, acting against the customs of all peoples, despised the commandments of kings and violated the harmony of all nations with their dissension.

4. Kralj onda zapita: "Tko je u predvorju?" A to u vanjsko predvorje kraljevske palaèe bijaše stigao Haman da traži od kralja neka objese Mordokaja na vješalima koja su veæ bila podignuta za nj.

5. When we had learned this, seeing one nation rebellious against all mankind, having overthrown the usefulness of laws, and going against our orders, and disturbing the peace and harmony of the provinces subject to us,

5. Službenici kraljevi odgovoriše: "Eno se u predvorju nalazi Haman." "Neka uðe!" - naredi kralj.

6. we commanded that whomever Haman, who is chief over all the provinces, and second after the king, and whom we honor in the place of a father, whomever he would point out should be destroyed by their enemies, with their wives and children, and that no one may take pity on them, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar of this present year,

6. Kako Haman uðe, kralj ga upita: "Što treba uèiniti èovjeku koga kralj hoæe da poèasti?" Haman reèe u sebi: "Koga ako ne mene kralj želi poèastiti?"

7. so that these guilty men, all on one day, may go down to the underworld, restoring to our empire the peace that they had disturbed.”

7. Zato odgovori kralju: "Za èovjeka koga kralj želi poèastiti

8. And the effect of the letters was this: that all provinces would know and prepare for the prescribed day.

8. treba donijeti kraljevske haljine koje kralj sam oblaèi i dovesti konja kojega kralj jaše i položiti mu na glavu kraljevsku krunu.

9. The couriers, who had been sent, hurried to complete the king’s command, but the edict was hung up in Susa immediately. And the king and Haman celebrated a feast, while all the Jews in the city were weeping.

9. Haljine i konja neka kralj preda jednome od najuglednijih kneževa kraljevih da bi taj obukao onoga koga kralj želi poèastiti i na konju ga odveo na gradski trg uzvikujuæi pred njim: 'Tako biva onome koga kralj hoæe da poèasti!'"

10.

10. Kralj nato naredi Hamanu: "Uzmi odmah haljine i konja, kako si rekao, pa uèini tako Mordokaju Židovu koji sjedi na kraljevim vratima i ne propusti ništa od onoga što si rekao!"

11.

11. Haman uze haljine i konja: obuèe u haljine Mordokaja i provede ga na konju po trgu grada vièuæi pred njim: "Tako biva onome koga kralj hoæe da poèasti!"

12.

12. Malo zatim Mordokaj se vrati k vratima kraljevim, a Haman, tužan i zastrte glave, ode žurno kuæi

13.

13. te isprièa Zareši, ženi svojoj, i svima prijateljima svojim što se dogodilo. Njegovi mu savjetnici i žena Zareša rekoše: "Ako Mordokaj, pred kojim si poèeo posrtati, pripada židovskom rodu, neæeš ga nadjaèati, nego æe te on zacijelo oboriti."

14.

14. Još su o tom razgovarali, kad eto kraljevih dvorana. Došli su tražiti Hamana da ga žurno odvedu na gozbu koju je priredila Estera.