¹Igitur duodecimi mensis,Therefore, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,quem Adar vocari ante jam diximus,which as we have said before is called Adar,tertiadecima die, quando cunctis Judæis interfectio parabatur,when all the Jews were prepared to be executed and their enemies were greedy for their blood,et hostes eorum inhiabant sanguini,the situation turned around,versa vice Judæi superiores esse cœperunt, et se de adversariis vindicare.and the Jews began to have the upper hand and to vindicate themselves of their adversaries.

¹Igitur duodecimi mensis,Therefore, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,quem Adar vocari ante jam diximus,which as we have said before is called Adar,tertiadecima die, quando cunctis Judæis interfectio parabatur,when all the Jews were prepared to be executed and their enemies were greedy for their blood,et hostes eorum inhiabant sanguini,the situation turned around,versa vice Judæi superiores esse cœperunt, et se de adversariis vindicare.and the Jews began to have the upper hand and to vindicate themselves of their adversaries.

²Congregatique sunt per singulas civitates,And they gathered together throughout each city,oppida,and town,et loca,and place,ut extenderent manum contra inimicos,so as to extend their hands against their enemieset persecutores suos.and their persecutors.Nullusque ausus est resistere,And no one dared to resist them,eo quod omnes populos magnitudinis eorum formido penetrarat.because their great power had pierced all the peoples.

²Congregatique sunt per singulas civitates,And they gathered together throughout each city,oppida,and town,et loca,and place,ut extenderent manum contra inimicos,so as to extend their hands against their enemieset persecutores suos.and their persecutors.Nullusque ausus est resistere,And no one dared to resist them,eo quod omnes populos magnitudinis eorum formido penetrarat.because their great power had pierced all the peoples.

³Nam et provinciarum judices,For even the judges of the provinces,et duces,and the rulers,et procuratores,and the procurators,omnisque dignitas quæ singulis locis ac operibus præerat,and everyone of dignity, who presided over every place and work,extollebant Judæos timore Mardochæi,extolled the Jews for fear of Mordecai.

³Nam et provinciarum judices,For even the judges of the provinces,et duces,and the rulers,et procuratores,and the procurators,omnisque dignitas quæ singulis locis ac operibus præerat,and everyone of dignity, who presided over every place and work,extollebant Judæos timore Mardochæi,extolled the Jews for fear of Mordecai.

⁴quem principem esse palatii, et plurimum posse cognoverant:For they knew him to be the leader of the palace and to have much power.fama quoque nominis ejus crescebat quotidie, et per cunctorum ora volitabat.Likewise, the fame of his name increased daily and flew everywhere through word of mouth.

⁴quem principem esse palatii, et plurimum posse cognoverant:For they knew him to be the leader of the palace and to have much power.fama quoque nominis ejus crescebat quotidie, et per cunctorum ora volitabat.Likewise, the fame of his name increased daily and flew everywhere through word of mouth.

⁵Itaque percusserunt Judæi inimicos suos plaga magna,And so the Jews struck their enemies like a great plagueet occiderunt eos,and killed them,reddentes eis quod sibi paraverant facere:repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them,

⁵Itaque percusserunt Judæi inimicos suos plaga magna,And so the Jews struck their enemies like a great plagueet occiderunt eos,and killed them,reddentes eis quod sibi paraverant facere:repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them,

⁶in tantum ut etiam in Susan quingentos viros interficerent,so much so that even in Susa they executed five hundred men,extra decem filios Aman Agagitæ hostis Judæorum:besides the ten sons of Haman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews,quorum ista sunt nomina:and their names are these:

⁶in tantum ut etiam in Susan quingentos viros interficerent,so much so that even in Susa they executed five hundred men,extra decem filios Aman Agagitæ hostis Judæorum:besides the ten sons of Haman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews,quorum ista sunt nomina:and their names are these:

⁷Pharsandatha,Parshandatha,et Delphon,and Dalphon,et Esphatha,and Aspatha

⁷Pharsandatha,Parshandatha,et Delphon,and Dalphon,et Esphatha,and Aspatha

⁸et Phoratha,and Poratha,et Adalia,and Adalia,et Aridatha,and Aridatha,

⁸et Phoratha,and Poratha,et Adalia,and Adalia,et Aridatha,and Aridatha,

⁹et Phermesta,and Parmashta,et Arisai,and Arisai,et Aridai,and Aridai,et Jezatha.and Vaizatha.

⁹et Phermesta,and Parmashta,et Arisai,and Arisai,et Aridai,and Aridai,et Jezatha.and Vaizatha.

¹⁰Quos cum occidissent,When they had slain them,prædas de substantiis eorum tangere noluerunt.they were unwilling to touch the spoils of their belongings.

¹⁰Quos cum occidissent,When they had slain them,prædas de substantiis eorum tangere noluerunt.they were unwilling to touch the spoils of their belongings.

¹¹Statimque numerus eorum, qui occisi erant in Susan, ad regem relatus est.And immediately the number of those who had been killed in Susa was reported to the king.

¹¹Statimque numerus eorum, qui occisi erant in Susan, ad regem relatus est.And immediately the number of those who had been killed in Susa was reported to the king.

¹²Qui dixit reginæ:He said to the queen,In urbe Susan interfecerunt Judæi quingentos viros,“In the city of Susa, the Jews have executed five hundred men,et alios decem filios Aman:and also the ten sons of Haman.quantam putas eos exercere cædem in universis provinciis?How many executions do you think that they have carried out in all the provinces?quid ultra postulas,What more do you ask, and what do you wish,et quid vis ut fieri jubeam?so that I may order it to be done?”

¹²Qui dixit reginæ:He said to the queen,In urbe Susan interfecerunt Judæi quingentos viros,“In the city of Susa, the Jews have executed five hundred men,et alios decem filios Aman:and also the ten sons of Haman.quantam putas eos exercere cædem in universis provinciis?How many executions do you think that they have carried out in all the provinces?quid ultra postulas,What more do you ask, and what do you wish,et quid vis ut fieri jubeam?so that I may order it to be done?”

¹³Cui illa respondit: Si regi placet,And she answered, “If it pleases the king,detur potestas Judæis,may power be granted to the Jews,ut sicut fecerunt hodie in Susan, sic et cras faciant,so as to do tomorrow in Susa just as they have done today,et decem filii Aman in patibulis suspendantur.and that the ten sons of Haman may be hung up the gallows.”

¹³Cui illa respondit: Si regi placet,And she answered, “If it pleases the king,detur potestas Judæis,may power be granted to the Jews,ut sicut fecerunt hodie in Susan, sic et cras faciant,so as to do tomorrow in Susa just as they have done today,et decem filii Aman in patibulis suspendantur.and that the ten sons of Haman may be hung up the gallows.”

¹⁴Præcepitque rex ut ita fieret.And the king instructed that it should be so done.Statimque in Susan pependit edictum,And immediately the edict was hung up in Susa,et decem filii Aman suspensi sunt.and the ten sons of Haman were hung up.

¹⁴Præcepitque rex ut ita fieret.And the king instructed that it should be so done.Statimque in Susan pependit edictum,And immediately the edict was hung up in Susa,et decem filii Aman suspensi sunt.and the ten sons of Haman were hung up.

¹⁵Congregatis Judæis quartadecima die mensis Adar,On the fourteenth day of the month Adar, the Jews gathered themselves together,interfecti sunt in Susan trecenti viri:and they executed in Susa three hundred men,nec eorum ab illis direpta substantia est.but they did not seize their belongings from them.

¹⁵Congregatis Judæis quartadecima die mensis Adar,On the fourteenth day of the month Adar, the Jews gathered themselves together,interfecti sunt in Susan trecenti viri:and they executed in Susa three hundred men,nec eorum ab illis direpta substantia est.but they did not seize their belongings from them.

¹⁶Sed et per omnes provincias quæ ditioni regis subjacebant,Moreover, throughout all the provinces which were subject to the king’s dominion,pro animabus suis steterunt Judæi,the Jews made a stand for their lives,interfectis hostibus ac persecutoribus suis:and they executed their enemies and their persecutors,in tantum ut septuaginta quinque millia occisorum implerentur, et nullus de substantiis eorum quidquam contingeret.so much so that the number of those who were killed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and yet no one touched any of their belongings.

¹⁶Sed et per omnes provincias quæ ditioni regis subjacebant,Moreover, throughout all the provinces which were subject to the king’s dominion,pro animabus suis steterunt Judæi,the Jews made a stand for their lives,interfectis hostibus ac persecutoribus suis:and they executed their enemies and their persecutors,in tantum ut septuaginta quinque millia occisorum implerentur, et nullus de substantiis eorum quidquam contingeret.so much so that the number of those who were killed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and yet no one touched any of their belongings.

¹⁷Dies autem tertiusdecimus mensis Adar primus apud omnes interfectionis fuit,Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with all of the executions,et quartadecima die cædere desierunt.and on the fourteenth day they ceased the killing.Quem constituerunt esse solemnem,This day they established to be sacred,ut in eo omni tempore deinceps vacarent epulis,so that in all times hereafter they would be free for feasting,gaudio,joyfulness,atque conviviis.and celebration.

¹⁷Dies autem tertiusdecimus mensis Adar primus apud omnes interfectionis fuit,Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with all of the executions,et quartadecima die cædere desierunt.and on the fourteenth day they ceased the killing.Quem constituerunt esse solemnem,This day they established to be sacred,ut in eo omni tempore deinceps vacarent epulis,so that in all times hereafter they would be free for feasting,gaudio,joyfulness,atque conviviis.and celebration.

¹⁸At hi, qui in urbe Susan cædem exercuerant,But, as for those who were carrying out the killings in the city of Susa,tertiodecimo et quartodecimo die ejusdem mensis in cæde versati sunt:they turned to killing on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month.quintodecimo autem die percutere desierunt.But on the fifteenth day they ceased to attack.Et idcirco eumdem diem constituerunt solemnem epularum atque lætitiæ.And for that reason they established that day as sacred, with feasting and with gladness.

¹⁸At hi, qui in urbe Susan cædem exercuerant,But, as for those who were carrying out the killings in the city of Susa,tertiodecimo et quartodecimo die ejusdem mensis in cæde versati sunt:they turned to killing on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month.quintodecimo autem die percutere desierunt.But on the fifteenth day they ceased to attack.Et idcirco eumdem diem constituerunt solemnem epularum atque lætitiæ.And for that reason they established that day as sacred, with feasting and with gladness.

¹⁹Hi vero Judæi,But in truth,qui in oppidis non muratis ac villis morabantur,those Jews who were staying in unwalled towns and villages,quartumdecimum diem mensis Adar conviviorum et gaudii decreverunt,appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for celebration and gladness,ita ut exultent in eo, et mittant sibi mutuo partes epularum et ciborum.so as to rejoice on that day and send one another portions of their feasts and their meals.

¹⁹Hi vero Judæi,But in truth,qui in oppidis non muratis ac villis morabantur,those Jews who were staying in unwalled towns and villages,quartumdecimum diem mensis Adar conviviorum et gaudii decreverunt,appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for celebration and gladness,ita ut exultent in eo, et mittant sibi mutuo partes epularum et ciborum.so as to rejoice on that day and send one another portions of their feasts and their meals.

²⁰Scripsit itaque Mardochæus omnia hæc,And so Mordecai wrote down all these things and sent them,et litteris comprehensa misit ad Judæos qui in omnibus regis provinciis morabantur,composed in letters,tam in vicino positis,to the Jews who were staying in all the king’s provinces,quam procul,as much to those in nearby places as to those far away,

²⁰Scripsit itaque Mardochæus omnia hæc,And so Mordecai wrote down all these things and sent them,et litteris comprehensa misit ad Judæos qui in omnibus regis provinciis morabantur,composed in letters,tam in vicino positis,to the Jews who were staying in all the king’s provinces,quam procul,as much to those in nearby places as to those far away,

²¹ut quartamdecimam et quintamdecimam diem mensis Adar pro festis susciperent,so that they would accept the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always,et revertente semper anno solemni celebrarent honore:at the return of the year, would celebrate them with sacred esteem.

²¹ut quartamdecimam et quintamdecimam diem mensis Adar pro festis susciperent,so that they would accept the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always,et revertente semper anno solemni celebrarent honore:at the return of the year, would celebrate them with sacred esteem.

²²quia in ipsis diebus se ulti sunt Judæi de inimicis suis,For on those days, the Jews vindicated themselves of their enemies,et luctus atque tristitia in hilaritatem gaudiumque conversa sunt,and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy,essentque dies isti epularum atque lætitiæ,so that these would be days of feasting and gladness,et mitterent sibi invicem ciborum partes, et pauperibus munuscula largirentur.in which they would send one another portions of their feasts, and would grant gifts to the poor.

²²quia in ipsis diebus se ulti sunt Judæi de inimicis suis,For on those days, the Jews vindicated themselves of their enemies,et luctus atque tristitia in hilaritatem gaudiumque conversa sunt,and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy,essentque dies isti epularum atque lætitiæ,so that these would be days of feasting and gladness,et mitterent sibi invicem ciborum partes, et pauperibus munuscula largirentur.in which they would send one another portions of their feasts, and would grant gifts to the poor.

²³Susceperuntque Judæi in solemnem ritum cuncta quæ eo tempore facere cœperant,And the Jews accepted as a solemn ritual all the things which they had begun to do at that time,et quæ Mardochæus litteris facienda mandaverat.which Mordecai had commanded with letters to be done.

²³Susceperuntque Judæi in solemnem ritum cuncta quæ eo tempore facere cœperant,And the Jews accepted as a solemn ritual all the things which they had begun to do at that time,et quæ Mardochæus litteris facienda mandaverat.which Mordecai had commanded with letters to be done.

²⁴Aman enim,For Haman,filius Amadathi stirpis Agag,the son of Hammedatha of Agag lineage,hostis et adversarius Judæorum,the enemy and adversary of the Jews,cogitavit contra eos malum,had devised evil against them,ut occideret illos atque deleret:to kill them and to destroy them.et misit phur,And he had cast Pur,quod nostra lingua vertitur in sortem.which in our language means the lot.

²⁴Aman enim,For Haman,filius Amadathi stirpis Agag,the son of Hammedatha of Agag lineage,hostis et adversarius Judæorum,the enemy and adversary of the Jews,cogitavit contra eos malum,had devised evil against them,ut occideret illos atque deleret:to kill them and to destroy them.et misit phur,And he had cast Pur,quod nostra lingua vertitur in sortem.which in our language means the lot.

²⁵Et postea ingressa est Esther ad regem,And after this, Esther had entered before the king,obsecrans ut conatus ejus litteris regis irriti fierent,begging him that his efforts might be made ineffective by the king’s letters,et malum quod contra Judæos cogitaverat, reverteretur in caput ejus.and that the evil he intended against the Jews might return upon his own head.Denique et ipsum et filios ejus affixerunt cruci,Finally, both he and his sons were fastened to a cross.

²⁵Et postea ingressa est Esther ad regem,And after this, Esther had entered before the king,obsecrans ut conatus ejus litteris regis irriti fierent,begging him that his efforts might be made ineffective by the king’s letters,et malum quod contra Judæos cogitaverat, reverteretur in caput ejus.and that the evil he intended against the Jews might return upon his own head.Denique et ipsum et filios ejus affixerunt cruci,Finally, both he and his sons were fastened to a cross.

²⁶atque ex illo tempore dies isti appellati sunt phurim,And so, from that time, these days are called Purim,id est sortium:that is, of the lots,eo quod phur,because Pur,id est sors,that is, the lot,in urnam missa fuerit.was cast into the urn.Et cuncta quæ gesta sunt, epistolæ, id est,And all things that had been carried out are contained in the volume of this epistle,libri hujus volumine, continentur:that is, of this book.

²⁶atque ex illo tempore dies isti appellati sunt phurim,And so, from that time, these days are called Purim,id est sortium:that is, of the lots,eo quod phur,because Pur,id est sors,that is, the lot,in urnam missa fuerit.was cast into the urn.Et cuncta quæ gesta sunt, epistolæ, id est,And all things that had been carried out are contained in the volume of this epistle,libri hujus volumine, continentur:that is, of this book.

²⁷quæque sustinuerunt,And whatever they suffered,et quæ deinceps immutata sunt,and whatever was altered afterwards,susceperunt Judæi super se et semen suum, et super cunctos qui religioni eorum voluerunt copulari,the Jews received for themselves and their offspring and for all who were willing to be joined to their religion,ut nulli liceat duos hos dies absque solemnitate transigere,so that none would be permitted to transgress the solemnity of these two days,quos scriptura testatur,to which the writing testifies,et certa expetunt tempora,and which certain times require,annis sibi jugiter succedentibus.as the years continually succeed one another.

²⁷quæque sustinuerunt,And whatever they suffered,et quæ deinceps immutata sunt,and whatever was altered afterwards,susceperunt Judæi super se et semen suum, et super cunctos qui religioni eorum voluerunt copulari,the Jews received for themselves and their offspring and for all who were willing to be joined to their religion,ut nulli liceat duos hos dies absque solemnitate transigere,so that none would be permitted to transgress the solemnity of these two days,quos scriptura testatur,to which the writing testifies,et certa expetunt tempora,and which certain times require,annis sibi jugiter succedentibus.as the years continually succeed one another.

²⁸Isti sunt dies, quos nulla umquam delebit oblivio,These are the days which no one ever will erase into oblivion,et per singulas generationes cunctæ in toto orbe provinciæ celebrabunt:and which every province in the whole world, throughout each generation, shall celebrate.nec est ulla civitas, in qua dies phurim,Neither is there any city wherein the days of Purim,id est sortium,that is, of lots,non observentur a Judæis,may not be observed by the Jews,et ab eorum progenie,and by their posterity,quæ his cæremoniis obligata est.which has been obligated to these ceremonies.

²⁸Isti sunt dies, quos nulla umquam delebit oblivio,These are the days which no one ever will erase into oblivion,et per singulas generationes cunctæ in toto orbe provinciæ celebrabunt:and which every province in the whole world, throughout each generation, shall celebrate.nec est ulla civitas, in qua dies phurim,Neither is there any city wherein the days of Purim,id est sortium,that is, of lots,non observentur a Judæis,may not be observed by the Jews,et ab eorum progenie,and by their posterity,quæ his cæremoniis obligata est.which has been obligated to these ceremonies.

²⁹Scripseruntque Esther regina filia Abihail,And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew,et Mardochæus Judæus,also wrote a second letter,etiam secundam epistolam, ut omni studio dies ista solemnis sanciretur in posterum:so that with all zealousness this day would be confirmed as customary for future generations.

²⁹Scripseruntque Esther regina filia Abihail,And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew,et Mardochæus Judæus,also wrote a second letter,etiam secundam epistolam, ut omni studio dies ista solemnis sanciretur in posterum:so that with all zealousness this day would be confirmed as customary for future generations.

³⁰et miserunt ad omnes Judæos qui in centum viginti septem provinciis regis Assueri versabantur,And they sent to all the Jews,ut haberent pacem,who had been stirred up in the one hundred twenty-seven provinces of king Artaxerxes,et susciperent veritatem,that they should have peace and receive truth,

³⁰et miserunt ad omnes Judæos qui in centum viginti septem provinciis regis Assueri versabantur,And they sent to all the Jews,ut haberent pacem,who had been stirred up in the one hundred twenty-seven provinces of king Artaxerxes,et susciperent veritatem,that they should have peace and receive truth,

³¹observantes dies sortium,and observe the days of lots,et suo tempore cum gaudio celebrarent:and celebrate them with joy at their proper time,sicut constituerant Mardochæus et Esther,just as Mordecai and Esther had established.et illi observanda susceperunt a se, et a semine suo,And they accepted these to be observed by themselves and by their offspring:jejunia,fasting,et clamores,and crying out,et sortium dies,and the days of lots,

³¹observantes dies sortium,and observe the days of lots,et suo tempore cum gaudio celebrarent:and celebrate them with joy at their proper time,sicut constituerant Mardochæus et Esther,just as Mordecai and Esther had established.et illi observanda susceperunt a se, et a semine suo,And they accepted these to be observed by themselves and by their offspring:jejunia,fasting,et clamores,and crying out,et sortium dies,and the days of lots,

³²et omnia quæ libri hujus, qui vocatur Esther,and all things which are contained in the history of this book,historia continentur.which is called Esther.

³²et omnia quæ libri hujus, qui vocatur Esther,and all things which are contained in the history of this book,historia continentur.which is called Esther.