Esther 8

bayyom hahu natan hammelekh akhashverosh le'ester hammalkah et-bet haman tsorer (hyhvdyym) [hayyehudim] umordokhay ba lifne hammelekh ki-higgidah ester mah hu-lah

That very day King Ahasuerus gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Mordecai presented himself to the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her.

vayyasar hammelekh et-tabbato asher he'evir mehaman vayyittenah lemordokhay vattasem ester et-mordokhay al-bet haman

The king slipped off his ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman’s property.

vattosef ester vattedabber lifne hammelekh vattippol lifne raglayw vattevk vattitkhannen-lo leha'avir et-ra'at haman ha'agagi ve'et makhashavto asher khashav al-hayyehudim

Esther spoke to the king again, falling at his feet and weeping, and pleading with him to avert the evil plotted by Haman the Agagite against the Jews.

vayyoshet hammelekh le'ester et sharvit hazzahav vattaqom ester vatta'amod lifne hammelekh

The king extended the golden scepter to Esther, and Esther arose and stood before the king.

vattomer im-al-hammelekh tov ve'im-matsati khen lefanayw vekhasher haddavar lifne hammelekh vetovah ani be'enayw yikkatev lehashiv et-hassefarim makhashevet haman ben-hammedata ha'agagi asher katav le'abbed et-hayyehudim asher bekhol-medinot hammelekh

“If it please Your Majesty,” she said, “and if I have won your favor and the proposal seems right to Your Majesty, and if I am pleasing to you—let dispatches be written countermanding those that were written by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, embodying his plot to annihilate the Jews throughout the king’s provinces.

ki ekhakhah ukhal vera'iti bara'ah asher-yimtsa et-ammi ve'ekhakhah ukhal vera'iti be'ovdan moladti

For how can I bear to see the disaster that will befall my people! And how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred!”

vayyomer hammelekh akhashverosh le'ester hammalkah ulemordokhay hayyehudi hinneh vet-haman natatti le'ester ve'oto talu al-ha'ets al asher-shalakh yado (vyhvdyym) [bayyehudim]

Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “I have given Haman’s property to Esther, and he has been impaled on the stake for scheming against the Jews.

ve'attem kitvu al-hayyehudim kattov be'enekhem beshem hammelekh vekhitmu betabba'at hammelekh ki-khetav asher-nikhtav beshem-hammelekh venakhtom betabba'at hammelekh en lehashiv

And you may further write with regard to the Jews as you see fit. [Write it] in the king’s name and seal it with the king’s signet, for an edict that has been written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet may not be revoked.”

vayyiqqare'u sofere-hammelekh ba'et-hahi bakhodesh hashelishi hu-khodesh sivan bishloshah ve'esrim bo vayyikkatev kekhol-asher-tsivvah mordokhay el-hayyehudim ve'el ha'akhashdarpenim-vehappakhot vesare hammedinot asher mehoddu ve'ad-kush sheva ve'esrim ume'ah medinah medinah umedinah kikhtavah ve'am va'am kilshono ve'el-hayyehudim kikhtavam vekhilshonam

So the king’s scribes were summoned at that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, that is, the month of Sivan; and letters were written, at Mordecai’s dictation, to the Jews and to the satraps, the governors and the officials of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Cush: to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.

vayyikhtov beshem hammelekh akhashverosh vayyakhtom betabba'at hammelekh vayyishlakh sefarim beyad haratsim bassusim rokheve harekhesh ha'akhashteranim bene harammakhim

He had them written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet. Letters were dispatched by mounted couriers, riding steeds used in the king’s service, bred of the royal stud,

asher natan hammelekh layyehudim asher bekhol-ir-va'ir lehiqqahel vela'amod al-nafsham lehashmid velaharog ule'abbed et-kol-khel am umedinah hatsarim otam taf venashim ushelalam lavoz

to this effect: The king has permitted the Jews of every city to assemble and fight for their lives; if any people or province attacks them, they may destroy, massacre, and exterminate its armed force together with women and children, and plunder their possessions—

beyom ekhad bekhol-medinot hammelekh akhashverosh bishloshah asar lekhodesh shenem-asar hu-khodesh adar

on a single day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar.

patshegen hakketav lehinnaten dat bekhol-medinah umedinah galuy lekhol-ha'ammim velihyot (hyhvdyym) [hayyehudim] (tvdym) [atidim] layyom hazzeh lehinnaqem me'oyevehem

The text of the document was to be issued as a law in every single province: it was to be publicly displayed to all the peoples, so that the Jews should be ready for that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

haratsim rokheve harekhesh ha'akhashteranim yatse'u mevohalim udekhufim bidvar hammelekh vehaddat nittenah beshushan habbirah

The couriers, mounted on royal steeds, went out in urgent haste at the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in the fortress Shushan.

umordokhay yatsa millifne hammelekh bilvush malkhut tekhelet vakhur va'ateret zahav gedolah vetakhrikh buts ve'argaman veha'ir shushan tsahalah vesamekhah

Mordecai left the king’s presence in royal robes of blue and white, with a magnificent crown of gold and a mantle of fine linen and purple wool. And the city of Shushan rang with joyous cries.

layyehudim hayetah orah vesimkhah vesason viqar

The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honor.

uvekhol-medinah umedinah uvekhol-ir va'ir meqom asher devar-hammelekh vedato maggia simkhah vesason layyehudim mishteh veyom tov verabbim me'amme ha'arets mityahadim ki-nafal pakhad-hayyehudim alehem

And in every province and in every city, when the king’s command and decree arrived, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many of the people of the land professed to be Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.