Liber Esther

Esther, chapter 8, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 8 Vulgate

   1 Die illo dedit rex Asuerus Esther reginae domum Aman adversarii Iudaeorum, et Mardochaeus ingressus est ante faciem regis; confessa est enim ei Esther quid esset sibi.
   2 Tulitque rex anulum suum, quem ab Aman recipi iusserat, et tradidit Mardochaeo; Esther autem constituit Mardochaeum super domum Aman.
   3 Et adiecit Esther loqui coram rege et procidit ad pedes eius flevitque et locuta ad eum oravit, ut malitiam Aman Agagitae et machinationes eius pessimas, quas excogitaverat contra Iudaeos, iuberet irritas fieri.
   4 At ille ex more sceptrum aureum protendit manu; illaque consurgens stetit ante eum
   5 et ait: "Si placet regi, et si inveni gratiam coram eo, et deprecatio mea non ei videtur esse contraria, et accepta sum in oculis eius, obsecro, ut novis epistulis veteres litterae Aman filii Amadathi, Agagitae, insidiatoris et hostis Iudaeorum, quibus eos in cunctis regis provinciis perire praeceperat, corrigantur.
   6 Quomodo enim potero sustinere malum, quod passurus est populus meus, et interitum cognationis meae?".
   7 Responditque rex Asuerus Esther reginae et Mardochaeo Iudaeo: "Domum Aman concessi Esther et ipsum iussi appendi in patibulo, quia ausus est manum in Iudaeos mittere.
   8 Scribite ergo Iudaeis sicut vobis placet, ex regis nomine, signantes litteras anulo meo, quia epistulae ex regis nomine scriptae et illius anulo signatae non possunt immutari".
   9 Accitisque scribis regis - erat autem tempus tertii mensis, qui appellatur Sivan, vicesima et tertia illius die - scriptae sunt epistulae, ut Mardochaeus voluerat, ad Iudaeos et ad satrapas procuratoresque et principes, qui centum viginti septem provinciis ab India usque ad Aethiopiam praesidebant, provinciae atque provinciae, populo et populo, iuxta linguas et litteras suas, et Iudaeis iuxta linguam et litteras suas.
   10 Ipsaeque epistulae, quae ex regis nomine mittebantur, anulo ipsius obsignatae sunt et missae per veredarios electis equis regiis discurrentes.
   11 Quibus permisit rex Iudaeis in singulis civitatibus, ut in unum congregarentur et starent pro animabus suis et omnes inimicos suos cum coniugibus ac liberis interficerent atque delerent et spolia eorum diriperent;
   12 et constituta est per omnes provincias una ultionis dies, id est tertia decima mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar.
   12a Quomodo praecepit eis uti suis legibus in omni civitate et auxiliari illis et uti inimicis et adversariis ipsorum, sicut vellent, in uno die,
   12b in omni regno Artaxerxis, quarta decima die duodecimi mensis, id est Adar.
   12c Hoc est exemplar epistulae:
   12d" Rex magnus Artaxerxes ab India usque Aethiopiam centum viginti septem provinciarum satrapis ac omnibus, qui nostrae iussioni oboediunt, salutem dicit.
   12e Multi nimia bonitate principum et honore, qui in eos collatus est, abusi sunt in superbiam;
   12f et non solum subiectos regibus nituntur opprimere, sed datam sibi gloriam non ferentes in ipsos, qui dederunt, moliuntur insidias.
   12g Nec contenti sunt gratiarum actionem ex hominibus auferre, sed etiam vaniloquiis eorum, qui bono imperiti sunt inflati, Dei quoque cuncta cernentis et malum odientis arbitrantur se posse fugere sententiam.
   12h Saepe autem et multi in potestate constituti, amicorum, quibus credita erant officia consilio, participes facti sunt effusionis sanguinis innocentis et implicati calamitatibus insanabilibus,
   12i cum isti perversis et mendacibus cuniculis deciperent sinceram principum benignitatem.
   12k Quae res non tam ex veteribus probatur historiis quam ex his, quae in promptu sunt, intuentibus, quae pestilentia indigne dominantium perpetrata sunt.
   12l Unde in posterum providendum est paci omnium provinciarum.
   12m Si diversa iubeamus, quae sub oculis veniunt, discernimus semper cum clementissima attentione.
   12n Aman enim filius Amadathi, Macedo, alienusque a Persarum sanguine et a pietate nostra multum distans, a nobis hospitio susceptus est.
   12o Et tantam in se expertus humanitatem, quam erga omnem gentem habemus, ut pater noster publice vocaretur et adoraretur ab omnibus post regem semper secundus.
   12p Qui in tantum arrogantiae tumorem sublatus est, ut regno nos privare niteretur et spiritu.
   12q Nam nostrum servatorem et permanentem benefactorem Mardochaeum et irreprehensibilem consortem regni nostri Esther cum omni gente ipsorum tortuosis quibusdam atque fallacibus machinis expetivit in mortem;
   12r hoc cogitans, ut, illis interfectis, insidiaretur nostrae solitudini et regnum Persarum transferret in Macedonas.
   12s Nos autem a pessimo mortalium Iudaeos neci destinatos in nulla penitus culpa repperimus; sed e contrario iustissimis utentes legibus
   12t et filios altissimi et maximi semperque viventis Dei, cuius beneficio et nobis et patribus nostris regnum est optima dispositione directum.
   12u Bene igitur facietis non utentes litteris, quas Aman filius Amadathi direxerat.
   12v Pro quo scelere ante portas huius urbis, id est Susan, ipse, qui machinatus est cum omni cognatione sua, pendet in patibulo, Deo, qui gubernat omnia, celeriter ei reddente quod meruit.
   12x Exemplar autem huius edicti, quod nunc mittimus, in cunctis urbibus proponatur, ut liceat Iudaeis uti legibus suis.
   12y Quibus debetis esse adminiculo, ut contra eos, qui in tempore tribulationis eos aggrediuntur, se possint defendere quarta decima die mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar.
   12z Hanc enim diem omnipotens Deus destinatam in interitum electi generis eis vertit in gaudium.
   12aa Unde et vos inter sollemnes vestros dies hanc habetote diem insignem et celebrate eam cum omni laetitia,
   12bb ut nunc et in posterum illa nobis et benevolis Persis sit salus, illis autem, qui nobis insidiantur, memoria perditionis.
   12cc Omnis autem civitas et provincia, quae noluerit sollemnitatis huius esse particeps, gladio et igne in ira pereat; et sic deleatur, ut non solum hominibus invia, sed etiam bestiis et volatilibus in sempiternum abominabilis relinquatur. Valete".
   13 Exemplar epistulae in forma legis in omnibus provinciis promulgandum erat, ut omnibus populis notum fieret paratos esse Iudaeos in diem illam ad capiendam vindictam de hostibus suis.
   14 Egressique sunt veredarii celeres nuntios perferentes, et edictum regis pependit in Susan.
   15 Mardochaeus autem de palatio et de conspectu regis egrediens fulgebat vestibus regiis, hyacinthinis videlicet et albis, coronam magnam auream portans in capite et amictus pallio serico atque purpureo; omnisque civitas exsultavit atque laetata est.
   16 Iudaeis autem nova lux oriri visa est, gaudium, honor et tripudium.
   17 Apud omnes populos, urbes atque provincias, quocumque regis iussa veniebant, Iudaeis fuit exsultatio, epulae atque convivia et festus dies, in tantum ut plures alterius gentis et sectae eorum religioni et caeremoniis iungerentur; grandis enim cunctos Iudaici nominis terror invaserat.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   1 On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.
   2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.
   3 ¶ And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.
   4 Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,
   5 And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:
   6 For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?
   7 ¶ Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen 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.
   8 Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.
   9 Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.
   10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:
   11 Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,
   12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
   13 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
   14 So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.
   15 ¶ And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
   16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.
   17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.