¹Rex maximus Artaxerxes ab India usque Æthiopiam,And this was the text of the letter: “Artaxerxes, the great king from India all the way to Ethiopia,centum viginti septem provinciarum principibus et ducibus qui ejus imperio subjecti sunt,to the leaders and generals of the one hundred twenty-seven provinces, which are subject to his authority,salutem.greetings.

¹Rex maximus Artaxerxes ab India usque Æthiopiam,And this was the text of the letter: “Artaxerxes, the great king from India all the way to Ethiopia,centum viginti septem provinciarum principibus et ducibus qui ejus imperio subjecti sunt,to the leaders and generals of the one hundred twenty-seven provinces, which are subject to his authority,salutem.greetings.

²Cum plurimis gentibus imperarem,Although I have reigned over many nations and subjugated the whole world under my realm,et universum orbem meæ ditioni subjugassem,I was by no means willing to abuse the greatness of this power,volui nequaquam abuti potentiæ magnitudine,but to govern my subjects with clemency and leniency,sed clementiaso that they would settle into a quiet life,et lenitate gubernare subjectos,apart from any terror,ut absque ullo terrore vitam silentio transigentes,and delight in peace,optata cunctis mortalibus pace fruerentur.as all mortals would choose to do.

²Cum plurimis gentibus imperarem,Although I have reigned over many nations and subjugated the whole world under my realm,et universum orbem meæ ditioni subjugassem,I was by no means willing to abuse the greatness of this power,volui nequaquam abuti potentiæ magnitudine,but to govern my subjects with clemency and leniency,sed clementiaso that they would settle into a quiet life,et lenitate gubernare subjectos,apart from any terror,ut absque ullo terrore vitam silentio transigentes,and delight in peace,optata cunctis mortalibus pace fruerentur.as all mortals would choose to do.

³Quærente autem me a consiliariis meis quomodo posset hoc impleri,Yet,unus qui sapientiain asking my counselors how this might be able to be accomplished,et fide ceteros præcellebat,one who excelled the others in wisdom and fidelity,et erat post regem secundus,and who was second after the king,Aman nomine,named Haman,

³Quærente autem me a consiliariis meis quomodo posset hoc impleri,Yet,unus qui sapientiain asking my counselors how this might be able to be accomplished,et fide ceteros præcellebat,one who excelled the others in wisdom and fidelity,et erat post regem secundus,and who was second after the king,Aman nomine,named Haman,

⁴indicavit mihi in toto orbe terrarum populum esse dispersum,explained to me that there was a people,qui novis uteretur legibus,scattered throughout the whole world,et,that used strange laws,contra omnium gentium consuetudinem faciens,and,regum jussa contemneret,acting against the customs of all peoples,et universarum concordiam nationum sua dissensione violaret.despised the commandments of kings and violated the harmony of all nations with their dissension.

⁴indicavit mihi in toto orbe terrarum populum esse dispersum,explained to me that there was a people,qui novis uteretur legibus,scattered throughout the whole world,et,that used strange laws,contra omnium gentium consuetudinem faciens,and,regum jussa contemneret,acting against the customs of all peoples,et universarum concordiam nationum sua dissensione violaret.despised the commandments of kings and violated the harmony of all nations with their dissension.

⁵Quod cum didicissemus,When we had learned this,videntes unam gentem rebellem adversus omne hominum genus perversis uti legibus,seeing one nation rebellious against all mankind,nostrisque jussionibus contraire,having overthrown the usefulness of laws,et turbare subjectarum nobis provinciarum pacemand going against our orders,atque concordiam,and disturbing the peace and harmony of the provinces subject to us,

⁵Quod cum didicissemus,When we had learned this,videntes unam gentem rebellem adversus omne hominum genus perversis uti legibus,seeing one nation rebellious against all mankind,nostrisque jussionibus contraire,having overthrown the usefulness of laws,et turbare subjectarum nobis provinciarum pacemand going against our orders,atque concordiam,and disturbing the peace and harmony of the provinces subject to us,

⁶jussimus ut quoscumque Aman,we commanded that whomever Haman,qui omnibus provinciis præpositus est et secundus a rege,who is chief over all the provinces, and second after the king,et quem patris loco colimus,and whom we honor in the place of a father,monstraverit, cum conjugibus ac liberis deleantur ab inimicis suis,whomever he would point out should be destroyed by their enemies, with their wives and children,nullusque eorum misereatur,and that no one may take pity on them,quartadecima die duodecimi mensis Adar anni præsentis:on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar of this present year,

⁶jussimus ut quoscumque Aman,we commanded that whomever Haman,qui omnibus provinciis præpositus est et secundus a rege,who is chief over all the provinces, and second after the king,et quem patris loco colimus,and whom we honor in the place of a father,monstraverit, cum conjugibus ac liberis deleantur ab inimicis suis,whomever he would point out should be destroyed by their enemies, with their wives and children,nullusque eorum misereatur,and that no one may take pity on them,quartadecima die duodecimi mensis Adar anni præsentis:on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month Adar of this present year,

⁷ut nefarii homines uno die ad inferos descendentes,so that these guilty men, all on one day,reddant imperio nostro pacem,may go down to the underworld,quam turbaverant. Pergensque Mardochæus, fecit omnia quæ ei mandaverat Esther.restoring to our empire the peace that they had disturbed.”

⁷ut nefarii homines uno die ad inferos descendentes,so that these guilty men, all on one day,reddant imperio nostro pacem,may go down to the underworld,quam turbaverant. Pergensque Mardochæus, fecit omnia quæ ei mandaverat Esther.restoring to our empire the peace that they had disturbed.”

⁸Mardochæus autem deprecatus est Dominum,Now Mordecai beseeched the Lord,memor omnium operum ejus,remembering all his works,

⁸Mardochæus autem deprecatus est Dominum,Now Mordecai beseeched the Lord,memor omnium operum ejus,remembering all his works,

⁹et dixit:and he said,Domine,“O Lord,Domine rex omnipotens,Lord, almighty King,in ditione enim tua cuncta sunt posita,truly all things are possible for you,et non est qui possit tuæ resistere voluntati,and there is no one who is able to resist your will,si decreveris salvare Israël.if you would determine to save Israel.

⁹et dixit:and he said,Domine,“O Lord,Domine rex omnipotens,Lord, almighty King,in ditione enim tua cuncta sunt posita,truly all things are possible for you,et non est qui possit tuæ resistere voluntati,and there is no one who is able to resist your will,si decreveris salvare Israël.if you would determine to save Israel.

¹⁰Tu fecisti cælum et terram,You have created heaven and earth,et quidquid cæli ambitu continetur.and everything that is contained under the cycle of heaven.

¹⁰Tu fecisti cælum et terram,You have created heaven and earth,et quidquid cæli ambitu continetur.and everything that is contained under the cycle of heaven.

¹¹Dominus omnium es,You are Lord of all,nec est qui resistat majestati tuæ.and there is no one who can resist your majesty.

¹¹Dominus omnium es,You are Lord of all,nec est qui resistat majestati tuæ.and there is no one who can resist your majesty.

¹²Cuncta nosti,You know everything,et scis quia non pro superbia et contumelia,and you know that it was not out of arroganceet aliqua gloriæ cupiditate,or indignationfecerim hoc,or some desire for glory that I did this,ut non adorarem Aman superbissimumso that I refused to adore the very proud Haman.

¹²Cuncta nosti,You know everything,et scis quia non pro superbia et contumelia,and you know that it was not out of arroganceet aliqua gloriæ cupiditate,or indignationfecerim hoc,or some desire for glory that I did this,ut non adorarem Aman superbissimumso that I refused to adore the very proud Haman.

¹³(libenter enim pro salute Israël etiam vestigia pedum ejus deosculari paratus essem),(For I was freely prepared, for the sake of the salvation of Israel, to have willingly kissed even the footsteps of his feet.)

¹³(libenter enim pro salute Israël etiam vestigia pedum ejus deosculari paratus essem),(For I was freely prepared, for the sake of the salvation of Israel, to have willingly kissed even the footsteps of his feet.)

¹⁴sed timui ne honorem Dei mei transferrem ad hominem,But I feared,et ne quemquam adorarem,lest I should transfer the honor of my God to a man,excepto Deo meo.and lest I should adore anyone except my God.

¹⁴sed timui ne honorem Dei mei transferrem ad hominem,But I feared,et ne quemquam adorarem,lest I should transfer the honor of my God to a man,excepto Deo meo.and lest I should adore anyone except my God.

¹⁵Et nunc, Domine rex,And now Lord, King,Deus Abraham,God of Abraham,miserere populi tui, quia volunt nos inimici nostri perdere, et hæreditatem tuam delere.may you have mercy on your people because our enemies want to destroy us and to erase your inheritance.

¹⁵Et nunc, Domine rex,And now Lord, King,Deus Abraham,God of Abraham,miserere populi tui, quia volunt nos inimici nostri perdere, et hæreditatem tuam delere.may you have mercy on your people because our enemies want to destroy us and to erase your inheritance.

¹⁶Ne despicias partem tuam,Do not despise your portion,quam redemisti tibi de Ægypto.which you have redeemed for yourself out of Egypt.

¹⁶Ne despicias partem tuam,Do not despise your portion,quam redemisti tibi de Ægypto.which you have redeemed for yourself out of Egypt.

¹⁷Exaudi deprecationem meam,Listen to my supplication,et propitius esto sorti et funiculo tuo,and be gracious to your lot and your token,et converte luctum nostrum in gaudium,and change our sorrow into gladness, so that,ut viventes laudemus nomen tuum,in living, we may praise your name, Lord;Domine: et ne claudas ora te canentium.and do not close the mouths of those who sing to you.”

¹⁷Exaudi deprecationem meam,Listen to my supplication,et propitius esto sorti et funiculo tuo,and be gracious to your lot and your token,et converte luctum nostrum in gaudium,and change our sorrow into gladness, so that,ut viventes laudemus nomen tuum,in living, we may praise your name, Lord;Domine: et ne claudas ora te canentium.and do not close the mouths of those who sing to you.”

¹⁸Omnis quoque Israël pari mente et obsecratione clamavit ad Dominum,Likewise,eo quod eis certa mors impenderet.all Israel cried out to the Lord with the same intention and supplication because certain death was hanging over them.

¹⁸Omnis quoque Israël pari mente et obsecratione clamavit ad Dominum,Likewise,eo quod eis certa mors impenderet.all Israel cried out to the Lord with the same intention and supplication because certain death was hanging over them.