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1 The great king Artaxerxes,
from India to Ethiopia, to the governors and princes of a hundred and twenty-
seven provinces, which obey our command, sendeth
greeting.
2 Many have abused unto pride the goodness
of princes, and the honour that hath been bestowed
upon them:
3 And not only endeavour
to oppress the king's subjects, but not bearing the glory that is given them,
take in hand to practise also against them that
gave it.
4 Neither are they content not to re- turn thanks
for benefits received, and to violate in themselves the laws of humanity, but
they think they can also escape the justice of God who seeth
all things.
5 And they break out into so great madness,
as to endeavour to undermine by lies such as
observe diligently the offices committed to them, and do all things in such
manner as to be worthy of all men's praise,
6 While with crafty fraud they deceive the
ears of princes that are well meaning, and judge of others by their own
nature.
7 Now this is proved both from ancient
histories, and by the things which are done daily, how the good designs of
kings are depraved by the evil suggestions of certain men.
8 Wherefore we must provide for the peace of all
provinces.
9 Neither must you think, if we command different
things, that it cometh of the levity of our mind, but that we give sentence
according to the quality and necessity of times, as the profit of the
commonwealth requireth.
10 Now that you may more plainly understand
what we say, I Aman the son of Amadathi,
a Macedonian both in mind and country, and having nothing of the Persian
blood, but with his cruelty staining our goodness, was received being a
stranger by us:
11 And found our humanity so great towards
him, that he was called our father, and was worshipped by all as the next man
after the king:
12 But he was so far puffed up with arrogancy, as to go about to deprive us of our kingdom
and life.
13 For with certain new and unheard of devices
he hath sought the destruction of Mardochai, by
whose fidelity and good services our life was saved, and of Esther the
partner of our kingdom, with all their nation:
14 Thinking that after they were slain, he
might work treason against us left alone without friends, and might transfer
the kingdom of the Persians to the Macedonians.
15 But we have found that the Jews, who were
by that most wicked man appointed to be slain, are in no fault at all, but
contrariwise, use just laws,
16 And are the children of the highest and
the greatest, and the ever living God, by whose benefit the kingdom was given
both to our fathers and to us, and is kept unto this day.
17 Wherefore know ye that those letters which he
sent in our name, are void and of no effect.
18 For which crime both he himself that
devised it, and all his kindred hang on gibbets, before the gates of this
city Susan: not we, but God repaying him as he deserved.
19 But this edict, which we now send, shall be
published in all cities, that the Jews may freely follow their own laws.
20 And you shall aid them that they may kill
those who had prepared themselves to kill them, on the thirteenth day of the
twelfth month, which is called Adar.
21 For the almighty God hath turned this day
of sadness and mourning into joy to them.
22 Wherefore you shall also count this day among
other festival days, and celebrate it with all joy, that it may be known also
in times to come,
23 That all they who faithfully obey the
Persians, receive a worthy reward for their fidelity : but they that are
traitors to their kingdom, are destroyed for their wickedness.
24 And let every province and city, that will
not be partaker of this solemnity, perish by the sword and by fire, and be
destroyed in such manner as to be made unpassable,
both to men and beasts, for an example of contempt, and disobedience.
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1- من ارتحششتا العظيم المالك من
الهند الى الحبشة الى القواد و الرؤساء في المئة و السبعة و العشرين اقليما التي
في طاعتنا سلام.
2- ان كثيرين يسيئون اتخاذ المجد الممنوح لهم
فيتكبرون.
3- و يجتهدون لا ان يظلموا رعية
الملوك فقط و لكن اذ لا يحسنون تحمل المجد الممنوح لهم يتامرون على الذين منحوه
لهم.
4- و لا يكتفون بان لا يشكروا
على الانعام و ان ينابذوا الحقوق الانسانية بل يتوهمون انهم يستطيعون ان يفروا
من قضاء الله المطلع على كل شيء.
5- و قد بلغ من حماقتهم انهم
يحاولون بمكايد اكاذيبهم ان يسقطوا الذين سلمت اليهم المناصب و هم يجرونها
بالتحري و يفعلون كل ما يستاهلون به شكر الجميع.
6- و يخدعوا باحتيال مكرهم مسامع
الرؤساء السليمة الذين يقيسون طباع غيرهم على طباعهم.
7- و هذا امر مختبر من التواريخ
القديمة و مما يحدث كل يوم ان دسائس البعض تفسد خواطر الملوك الصالحة.
8- فلذلك ينبغي ان ينظر في سلم
جميع الاقاليم.
9- فلا ينبغي ان يظن اننا نامر
باشياء متباينة عن خفة عقل بل ذلك ناشئ عن اختلاف الازمنة و ضروراتها التي
حملتنا على ابراز الحكم بحسب مقتضى نفع الجميع.
10- و لكي تفهموا كلامنا باوضح
بيانا فان هامان بن همداتا الذي هو مكدوني جنسا و مشربا و هو غريب عن دم الفرس و
قد فضح رحمتنا بقساوته بعد ان اويناه غريبا.
11- و بعدما احسنا اليه حتى كان
يدعى ابا لنا و كان الجميع يسجدون له سجودهم لثنيان الملك.
12- قد بلغ من شدة عتوه انه
اجتهد ان يسلبنا الملك و الحياة.
13- لانه سعى بدسائس جديدة لم
تسمع باهلاك مردكاي الذي انما نحن في الحياة من امانته و احسانه و باهلاك قرينة
ملكنا استير و سائر شعبها.
14- و كان في نفسه انه بعد قتلهم
يترصد لنا في خلوتنا و يحول مملكة الفرس الى المكدونيين.
15- و نحن لم نجد قط ذنبا في اليهود
المقضي عليهم بالموت بقضاء اخبث البشر بل بعكس ذلك وجدنا ان لهم سننا عادلة.
16- و هم بنو الله العلي العظيم
الحي الى الابد الذي باحسانه سلم الملك الى ابائنا و الينا و ما برح محفوظا الى
اليوم.
17- و حيث ذلك فاعلموا ان
الرسائل التي وجهها باسمنا هي باطلة.
18- و بسبب تلك الجريمة قد علق
امام ابواب هذه المدينة شوشن هو صاحب تلك المؤامرة و جميع انسبائه على خشبات
فنال بذلك جزاء ما استحق من قبل الله لا من قبلنا.
19- فليعلن هذا الامر الذي نحن
منفذوه الان في جميع المدن ليباح لليهود ان يعملوا بسننهم.
20- و ينبغي لكم ان تعضدوهم حتى
يستمكنوا من قتل الذين كانوا متاهبين لقتلهم في اليوم الثالث عشر من الشهر
الثاني عشر الذي يدعى اذار.
21- فان ذلك اليوم الذي كان لهم
يوم حزن و نحيب قد حوله لهم الله القدير الى فرح.
22- و انتم ايضا فانظموا هذا
اليوم بين سائر ايام الاعياد الاخرى و عيدوه بكل فرح حتى يعلم فيما بعد.
23- ان كل من يطيع الفرس بامانة
يثاب على امانته ثوابا وافيا و من يرصد لملكهم يهلك بجنايته.
24- و كل اقليم او مدينة يابى ان
يشترك في هذا العيد فليهلك بالسيف و النار لا الناس فقط بل البهائم ايضا ليكون
الى الابد عبرة للاستخفاف و العصيان
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