Chapter 9

En de tw dwdekatw mhni, outoV einai o mhn Adar, th dekath trith hmera tou autou, ote to prostagma tou basilewV kai h diatagh autou hto plhsion na ektelesqh, en th hmera kaq' hn oi ecqroi twn Ioudaiwn hlpizon na katakrathswsin autwn, an kai etraph eiV to enantion, dioti oi Ioudaioi katekrathsan twn misountwn autouV,

sunhcqhsan oi Ioudaioi en taiV polesin autwn kata pasaV taV eparciaV tou basilewV Assouhrou, dia na epibalwsi ceira epi touV zhtountaV to kakon autwn× kai oudeiV hdunhqh na antistaqh eiV autouV, dioti o foboV autwn epepesen epi pantaV touV laouV.

Kai panteV oi arconteV twn eparciwn kai oi satrapai kai oi dioikhtai kai oi oikonomoi tou basilewV ebohqoun touV IoudaiouV× dioti o foboV tou Marodocaiou epepesen ep' autouV×

epeidh o MarodocaioV hto megaV en tw oikw tou basilewV kai h fhmh autou diedoqh eiV pasaV taV eparciaV× dioti o anqrwpoV o MarodocaioV proebaine megalunomenoV.

Kai epataxan oi Ioudaioi pantaV touV ecqrouV autwn me patagma romfaiaV kai sfaghn kai oleqron, kai ekamon eiV touV misountaV autouV opwV hqelon.

Kai en SousoiV th basileuoush efoneusan oi Ioudaioi kai apwlesan pentakosiouV andraV.

Kai ton Farsandaqa kai ton Dalfwn kai ton Aspaqa

kai ton Poraqa kai ton Adalia kai ton Aridaqa

kai ton Farmasta kai ton Arisai kai ton Aridai kai ton Baiezaqa,

touV deka uiouV tou Aman uiou tou Ammedaqa, tou ecqrou twn Ioudaiwn, efoneusan× epi lafura omwV den ebalon thn ceira autwn.

En th hmera ekeinh o ariqmoV twn foneuqentwn en SousoiV th basileuoush eferqh enwpion tou basilewV.

Kai eipen o basileuV proV Esqhr thn basilissan, En SousoiV th basileuoush efoneusan oi Ioudaioi kai apwlesan pentakosiouV andraV kai touV deka uiouV tou Aman× en taiV loipaiV eparciaiV tou basilewV ti ekamon; twra ti to zhthma sou; kai qelei doqh eiV se× kai tiV eti h aithsiV sou; kai qelei geinei.

Kai eipen h Esqhr, Ean hnai areston eiV ton basilea, aV doqh eiV touV IoudaiouV touV en SousoiV, na kamwsi kai aurion kata thn diataghn thV hmeraV tauthV× kai touV deka uiouV tou Aman na kremaswsin epi xulwn.

Kai prosetaxen o basileuV na geinh outw× kai exedoqh diatagh en SousoiV× kai ekremasan touV deka uiouV tou Aman.

Kai sunhcqhsan oi Ioudaioi oi en SousoiV kai thn dekathn tetarthn tou mhnoV Adar kai efoneusan triakosiouV andraV en SousoiV× epi lafura omwV den ebalon thn ceira autwn.

Oi de alloi Ioudaioi, oi en taiV eparciaiV tou basilewV, sunhcqhsan kai estaqhsan uper thV zwhV autwn, kai elabon anapausin apo twn ecqrwn autwn kai efoneusan ek twn misountwn autouV ebdomhkonta pente ciliadaV× epi ta lafura omwV den ebalon thn ceira autwn×

thn dekathn trithn hmeran tou mhnoV Adar× kai thn dekathn tetarthn hmeran tou autou anepauqhsan kai ekamon tauthn hmeran sumposiou kai eufrosunhV.

Oi de Ioudaioi oi en SousoiV sunhcqhsan thn dekathn trithn autou kai thn dekathn tetarthn autou× thn de dekathn pempthn tou autou anepauqhsan kai ekamon tauthn hmeran sumposiou kai eufrosunhV.

Dia touto oi Ioudaioi oi cwrikoi oi katoikounteV en taiV ateicistoiV polesin ekamnon thn dekathn tetarthn hmeran tou mhnoV Adar hmeran eufrosunhV kai sumposiou kai hmeran agaqhn, kai apestellon meridaV proV allhlouV.

Kai egrayen o MarodocaioV ta pragmata tauta kai apesteilen epistolaV proV pantaV touV IoudaiouV touV en pasaiV taiV eparciaiV ton basilewV Assouhrou, touV plhsion kai touV makran,

prosdiorizwn eiV autouV na fulattwsi thn dekathn tetarthn hmeran tou mhnoV Adar kai thn dekathn pempthn tou autou kaq' ekaston etoV,

wV taV hmeraV kaq' aV oi Ioudaioi anepauqhsan apo twn ecqrwn autwn, kai ton mhna kaq' on h luph autwn etraph eiV autouV eiV caran kai to penqoV eiV hmeran agaqhn× wste na kamnwsin autaV hmeraV sumposiou kai eufrosunhV kai na apostellwsi meridaV proV allhlouV kai dwra proV touV ptwcouV.

Kai edecqhsan oi Ioudaioi ekeino to opoion hrcisan na kamnwsi kai ekeino to opoion egrayen o MarodocaioV proV autouV×

dioti o Aman o uioV tou Ammedaqa, o AgagithV, o ecqroV pantwn twn Ioudaiwn, eskeuwrhse kata twn Ioudaiwn na apolesh autouV, kai erriye Four, hgoun klhron, dia na analwsh autouV kai na afanish autouV×

Ote omwV hlqen auth h Esqhr enwpion tou basilewV, prosetaxe di' epistolwn na traph kata thV kefalhV autou h kakh autou skeuwria, thn opoian eskeuwrhse kata twn Ioudaiwn, kai ekremasan epi tou xulou auton kai touV uiouV autou.

Dia touto wnomasan taV hmeraV tautaV Foureim ek tou onomatoV Four. Oqen dia pantaV touV logouV thV epistolhV tauthV, kai di' ekeino to opoion eidon peri tou pragmatoV toutou kai to opoion sunebh eiV autouV,

dietaxan oi Ioudaioi, kai edecqhsan ef' eautouV kai epi to sperma autwn kai epi pantaV touV prostiqemenouV eiV autouV, na mh leiywsi pote apo tou na fulattwsi taV duo tautaV hmeraV, kata to gegrammenon peri autwn kai kata ton kairon autwn ekastou etouV×

kai ai hmerai autai na mnhmoneuwntai kai na fulattwntai en pash genea, ekasth suggeneia, ekasth eparcia, kai ekasth polei kai ai hmerai autai Foureim na mh ekleiywsin ek mesou twn Ioudaiwn, kai na mh paush to mnhmosunon autwn apo tou spermatoV autwn.

Tote h Esqhr h basilissa, h qugathr tou Abicail, kai o MarodocaioV o IoudaioV, egrayan ek deuterou meq' olou tou kurouV, dia na sterewswsi tauta ta peri Foureim gegrammena.

Kai epemyen epistolaV proV pantaV touV IoudaiouV, eiV taV ekaton eikosiepta eparciaV tou basileiou tou Assouhrou, me logouV eirhnhV kai alhqeiaV,

dia na sterewsh taV hmeraV tautaV Foureim en toiV kairoiV autwn, kaqwV prosdiwrisan eiV autouV o MarodocaioV o IoudaioV kai Esqhr h basilissa, kai kaqwV diwrisan, ef' eautouV kai epi to sperma autwn, thn upoqesin twn nhsteiwn kai thV kraughV autwn.

Kai dia diataghV thV Esqhr ekurwqh h upoqesiV auth twn Foureim, kai egrafh en bibliw.