< Esther 6 >

1 noctem illam rex duxit insomnem iussitque adferri sibi historias et annales priorum temporum qui cum illo praesente legerentur
On that night, the king couldn’t sleep. He commanded the book of records of the chronicles to be brought, and they were read to the king.
2 ventum est ad eum locum ubi scriptum erat quomodo nuntiasset Mardocheus insidias Bagathan et Thares eunuchorum regem Asuerum iugulare cupientium
It was found written that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were doorkeepers, who had tried to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
3 quod cum rex audisset ait quid pro hac fide honoris ac praemii Mardocheus consecutus est dixeruntque ei servi illius ac ministri nihil omnino mercedis accepit
The king said, “What honor and dignity has been given to Mordecai for this?” Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.”
4 statimque rex quis est inquit in atrio Aman quippe interius atrium domus regiae intraverat ut suggereret regi et iuberet Mardocheum adfigi patibulo quod ei fuerat praeparatum
The king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had come into the outer court of the king’s house, to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.
5 responderunt pueri Aman stat in atrio dixitque rex ingrediatur
The king’s servants said to him, “Behold, Haman stands in the court.” The king said, “Let him come in.”
6 cumque esset ingressus ait illi quid debet fieri viro quem rex honorare desiderat cogitans Aman in corde suo et reputans quod nullum alium rex nisi se vellet honorare
So Haman came in. The king said to him, “What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?” Now Haman said in his heart, “Who would the king delight to honor more than myself?”
7 respondit homo quem rex honorare cupit
Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor,
8 debet indui vestibus regiis et inponi super equum qui de sella regis est et accipere regium diadema super caput suum
let royal clothing be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides on, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.
9 et primus de regis principibus ac tyrannis teneat equum eius et per plateam civitatis incedens clamet ac dicat sic honorabitur quemcumque rex voluerit honorare
Let the clothing and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that they may array the man whom the king delights to honor with them, and have him ride on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him, ‘Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!’”
10 dixitque ei rex festina et sumpta stola et equo fac ita ut locutus es Mardocheo Iudaeo qui sedet ante fores palatii cave ne quicquam de his quae locutus es praetermittas
Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry and take the clothing and the horse, as you have said, and do this for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king’s gate. Let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.”
11 tulit itaque Aman stolam et equum indutumque Mardocheum in platea civitatis et inpositum equo praecedebat atque clamabat hoc honore condignus est quemcumque rex voluerit honorare
Then Haman took the clothing and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and had him ride through the city square, and proclaimed before him, “Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!”
12 reversus est Mardocheus ad ianuam palatii et Aman festinavit ire in domum suam lugens et operto capite
Mordecai came back to the king’s gate, but Haman hurried to his house, mourning and having his head covered.
13 narravitque Zares uxori suae et amicis omnia quae evenissent sibi cui responderunt sapientes quos habebat in consilio et uxor eius si de semine Iudaeorum est Mardocheus ante quem cadere coepisti non poteris ei resistere sed cades in conspectu eius
Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of Jewish descent, you will not prevail against him, but you will surely fall before him.”
14 adhuc illis loquentibus venerunt eunuchi regis et cito eum ad convivium quod regina paraverat pergere conpulerunt
While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs came, and hurried to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

< Esther 6 >