Liber Esther, 9

1. igitur duodecimi mensis quem adar vocari ante jam diximus tertiadecima die quando cunctis Judæis interfectio parabatur et hostes eorum inhiabant sanguini versa vice Judæi superiores esse cœperunt et se de adversariis vindicare

1. So on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which as we have said above is called Adar, when all the Jews were designed to be massacred, and their enemies were greedy after their blood, the case being altered, the Jews began to have the upper hand, and to revenge themselves of their adversaries.

2. congregatique sunt per singulas civitates oppida et loca ut extenderent manum contra inimicos et persecutores suos nullusque ausus est resistere eo quod omnes populos magnitudinis eorum formido penetrarat

2. And they gathered themselves together in every city, and town, and place, to lay their hands on their enemies, and their persecutors. And no one durst withstand them, for the fear of their power had gone through every people.

3. nam et provinciarum judices duces et procuratores omnisque dignitas quæ singulis locis et operibus præerat extollebant Judæos timore Mardochei

3. And the judges of the provinces, and the governors, and lieutenants, and every one in dignity, that presided over every place and work, extolled the Jews for fear of Mardochai:

4. quem principem esse palatii et plurimum posse cognoverant fama quoque nominis ejus crescebat cotidie et per cunctorum ora volitabat

4. For they knew him to be prince of the palace, and to have great power: and the fame of his name increased daily, and was spread abroad through all men's mouths.

5. itaque percusserunt Judæi inimicos suos plaga magna et occiderunt eos reddentes eis quod sibi paraverant facere

5. So the Jews made a great slaughter of their enemies, and killed them, repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them:

6. in tantum ut etiam in Susis quingentos viros interficerent et decem extra filios Aman Agagitæ hostis Judæorum quorum ista sunt nomina

6. Insomuch that even in Susan they killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Aman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews: whose names are these:

7. Pharsandatha et Delphon et Esphata

7. Pharsandatha, and Delphon, and Esphatha,

8. et Phorata et Adalia et Aridatha

8. And Phoratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9. et Ephermesta et Arisai et Aridai et Vaizatha

9. And Phermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Jezatha.

10. quos cum occidissent prædas de substantiis eorum agere noluerunt

10. And when they had slain them, they would not touch the spoils of their goods.

11. statimque numerus eorum qui occisi erant in Susis ad regem relatus est

11. And presently the number of them that were killed in Susan was brought to the king.

12. qui dixit reginæ in urbe Susis interfecere Judæi quingentos viros et alios decem filios Aman quantam putas eos exercere cædem in universis provinciis quid ultra postulas et quid vis ut fieri jubeam

12. And he said to the queen: The Jews have killed five hundred men in the city of Susan, besides the ten sons of Aman: how many dost thou think they have slain in all the provinces? What askest thou more, and what wilt thou have me to command to be done?

13. cui illa respondit si regi placet detur potestas Judæis ut sicut hodie fecerunt in Susis sic et cras faciant et decem filii Aman in patibulis suspendantur

13. And she answered: If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews, to do to morrow in Susan as they have done to day, and that the ten sons of Aman may be hanged upon gibbets.

14. præcepitque rex ut ita fieret statimque in Susis pependit edictum et decem Aman filii suspensi sunt

14. And the king commanded that it should be so done. And forthwith the edict was hung up in Susan, and the ten sons of Aman were hanged.

15. congregatis Judæis quartadecima adar mensis die interfecti sunt in Susis trecenti viri nec eorum ab illis direpta substantia est

15. 15And on the fourteenth day of the month Adar the Jews gathered themselves together, and they killed in Susan three hundred men: but they took not their substance.

16. sed et per omnes provincias quæ dicioni regis subiacebant pro animabus suis stetere Judæi interfectis hostibus ac persecutoribus suis in tantum ut septuaginta quinque milia occisorum implerentur et nullus de substantiis eorum quicquam contingeret

16. Moreover through all the provinces which were subject to the king's dominion the Jews stood for their lives, and slew their enemies and persecutors: insomuch that the number of them that were Billed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and no man took any of their goods.

17. dies autem tertiusdecimus mensis adar unus apud omnes interfectionis fuit et quartodecimo die cædere desierunt quem constituerunt esse sollemnem ut in eo omni deinceps tempore vacarent epulis gaudio atque conviviis

17. Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with them all of the slaughter, and on the fourteenth day they left off. Which they ordained to be kept holy day, so that all times hereafter they should celebrate it with feasting, joy, and banquets.

18. at hii qui in urbe Susis cædem exercuerant tertiodecimo et quartodecimo ejusdem mensis die in cæde versati sunt quintodecimo autem die percutere desierunt et idcirco eandem diem constituere sollemnem epularum atque lætitiæ

18. But they that were killing in the city of Susan, were employed in the slaughter on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month: and on the fifteenth day they rested. And therefore they appointed that day to be a holy day of feasting and gladness.

19. hii vero Judæi qui in oppidis non muratis ac villis morabantur quartumdecimum diem mensis adar conviviorum et gaudii decreverunt ita ut exultent in eo et mittant sibi mutuo partes epularum et ciborum

19. But those Jews that dwelt in towns not walled and in villages, appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for banquets and gladness, so as to rejoice on that day, and send one another portions of their banquets and meats.

20. scripsit itaque Mardocheus omnia hæc et litteris conprehensa misit ad Judæos qui in omnibus regis provinciis morabantur tam in vicino positis quam procul

20. And Mardochai wrote all these things, and sent them comprised in letters to the Jews that abode in all the king's provinces, both those that lay near and those afar off,

21. ut quartamdecimam et quintamdecimam diem mensis adar pro festis susciperent et revertente semper anno sollemni honore celebrarent

21. 21That they should receive the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always at the return of the year should celebrate them with solemn honour:

22. quia in ipsis diebus se ulti sunt Judæi de inimicis suis et luctus atque tristitia in hilaritatem gaudiumque conversa sint essentque istæ dies epularum atque lætitiæ et mitterent sibi invicem ciborum partes et pauperibus munuscula largirentur

22. Because on those days the Jews revenged themselves of their enemies, and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy, and that these should be days of feasting and gladness, in which they should send one to another portions of meats; and should give gifts to the poor.

23. susceperuntque Judæi in sollemnem ritum cuncta quæ eo tempore facere cœperant et quæ Mardocheus litteris facienda mandaverat

23. And the Jews undertook to observe with solemnity all they had begun to do at that time, which Mardochai by letters had commanded to be done.

24. Aman enim filius Amadathi stirpis Agag hostis et adversarius Judæorum cogitavit contra eos malum ut occideret illos atque deleret et misit phur quod nostra lingua vertitur in sortem

24. For Aman, the son of Amadathi of the race of Agag, the enemy and adversary of the Jews, had devised evil against them, to kill them and destroy them: and had cast Phur, that is, the lot.

25. et postea ingressa est Hester ad regem obsecrans ut conatus ejus litteris regis irriti fierent et malum quod contra Judæos cogitaverat reverteretur in caput ejus denique et ipsum et filios ejus adfixerunt cruci

25. And afterwards Esther went in to the king, beseeching him that his endeavours might be made void by the king's letters: and the evil that he had intended against the Jews, might return upon his own head. And so both he and his sons were hanged upon gibbets.

26. atque ex illo tempore dies isti appellati sunt Phurim id est Sortium eo quod phur id est sors in urnam missa fuerit et cuncta quæ gesta sunt epistulæ id est libri hujus volumine continentur

26. And since that time these days are called Phurim, that is, of lots: because Phur, that is, the lot, was cast into the urn. And all things that were done, are contained in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this book:

27. quæque sustinuerint et quæ deinceps inmutata sint suscepere Judæi super se et semen suum et super cunctos qui religioni eorum voluerint copulari ut nulli liceat duos hos dies absque sollemnitate transigere quam scriptura testatur et certa expetunt tempora annis sibi jugiter succedentibus

27. And the things that they suffered, and that were afterwards changed, the Jews took upon themselves and their seed, and upon all that had a mind to be joined to their religion, so that it should be lawful for none to pass these days without solemnity: which the writing testifieth, and certain times require, as the years continually succeed one another.

28. isti sunt dies quos nulla umquam delebit oblivio et per singulas generationes cunctæ in toto orbe provinciæ celebrabunt nec est ulla civitas in qua dies Phurim id est Sortium non observentur a Judæis et ab eorum progenie quæ his cærimoniis obligata est

28. These are the days which shall never be forgot: and which all provinces in the whole world shall celebrate throughout all generations: neither is there any city wherein the days of Phurim, that is, of lots, must not be observed by the Jews, and by their posterity, which is bound to these ceremonies.

29. scripseruntque Hester regina filia Abiahil et Mardocheus Judæus etiam secundam epistulam ut omni studio dies ista sollemnis sanciretur in posterum

29. And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mardochai the Jew, wrote also a second epistle, that with all diligence this day should be established a festival for the time to come.

30. et miserunt ad omnes Judæos qui in centum viginti septem regis Asueri provinciis versabantur ut haberent pacem et susciperent veritatem

30. And they sent to all the Jews that were in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of king Assuerus, that they should have peace, and receive truth,

31. observantes dies Sortium et suo tempore cum gaudio celebrarent sicut constituerat Mardocheus et Hester et illi observanda susceperant a se et a semine suo jejunia atque clamores et Sortium dies

31. And observe the days of lots, and celebrate them with joy in their proper time: as Mardochai and Esther had appointed, and they undertook them to be observed by themselves and by their seed, fasts, and cries, and the days of lots,

32. et omnia quæ libri hujus qui vocatur Hester historia continentur

32. And all things which are contained in the history of this book, which is called Esther.