< Ester 3 >

1 Beberapa waktu kemudian Raja Ahasyweros mengangkat seorang yang bernama Haman menjadi perdana menteri. Haman adalah anak Hamedata dari keturunan Agag.
After these events did king Achashverosh make great Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and he advanced him; and he placed his seat above that of all the princes that were with him.
2 Raja memerintahkan kepada semua pegawainya supaya menghormati Haman dengan bersujud di depannya. Semuanya mentaati perintah itu, kecuali Mordekhai.
And all the king's servants, that were in the king's gate, bent the knee and prostrated themselves to Haman; for so had the king commanded concerning him; but Mordecai bent not the knee nor prostrated himself.
3 Pegawai-pegawai lain di istana bertanya kepadanya mengapa ia melanggar perintah raja,
Then said the king's, servants, who were in the king's gate, unto Mordecai, Why transgressest thou the king's command?
4 dan setiap hari mereka mendesak dia supaya menurut saja, tetapi ia tidak mau mendengarkan. Katanya, "Aku orang Yahudi; aku tidak dapat sujud kepada manusia." Lalu mereka melaporkan hal itu kepada Haman karena mereka ingin tahu tindakan apa yang akan diambilnya terhadap Mordekhai.
Now it came to pass, when they spoke unto him day by day, and he hearkened not unto them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether the words of Mordecai would be able to stand; for he had told them that be was a Jew.
5 Haman marah sekali ketika mengetahui bahwa Mordekhai tidak mau sujud kepadanya.
And when Haman saw that Mordecai bent not the knee, nor prostrated himself to him, Haman became full of fury.
6 Dan ketika diketahuinya bahwa Mordekhai seorang Yahudi, ia mengambil keputusan untuk menghukum Mordekhai dan bukan dia saja, melainkan akan dibinasakannya juga seluruh bangsa Yahudi di kerajaan Persia.
But it appeared too contemptible in his eyes to lay his hand on Mordecai alone: for they had told him of the people of Mordecai: therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout all the kingdom of Achashverosh, the people of Mordecai.
7 Pada tahun kedua belas pemerintahan Raja Ahasyweros, pada bulan satu, yaitu bulan Nisan, Haman menyuruh membuang undi yang disebut "purim" untuk mengetahui hari dan bulan mana yang cocok untuk melaksanakan niatnya yang jahat itu. Maka ditetapkanlah tanggal tiga belas bulan dua belas, yaitu bulan Adar.
In the first month, that is the month Nissan, in the twelfth year of king Achashverosh, some one cast the Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month [to month], to the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
8 Lalu berkatalah Haman kepada raja, "Baginda, ada suatu bangsa aneh yang tersebar di setiap provinsi kerajaan ini. Adat istiadatnya berbeda sekali dengan bangsa-bangsa lain. Mereka tidak mematuhi hukum-hukum kerajaan. Jadi, sebaiknya Baginda jangan membiarkan mereka berbuat sesuka hati.
Then said Haman unto king Achashverosh, There is one people scattered yet separate among the nations in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are different from those of every people; while they do not execute the laws of the king; and it is no profit for the king to tolerate them.
9 Kalau Baginda tidak keberatan, hendaknya dikeluarkan surat perintah untuk membinasakan mereka. Dan kalau Baginda mau menerima usul hamba, hamba pasti akan dapat memasukkan lebih dari 340.000 kilogram perak ke dalam kas Baginda."
If it be pleasing to the king, let [a decree] be written to destroy them; and ten thousand talents of silver will I weigh out into the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring [the same] into the king's treasuries.
10 Mendengar itu, raja mencabut dari jarinya cincin yang dipakainya untuk mencap pengumumam-pengumuman resmi, lalu diberikannya kepada Haman, musuh besar bangsa Yahudi.
And the king drew his signet-ring from off his hand, and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the adversary of the Jews.
11 Kata raja kepadanya, "Bangsa itu dan juga uangnya kuserahkan kepadamu. Berbuatlah apa yang kaupandang baik terhadap mereka."
And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, that people also, to do therewith as it seemeth good in thy eyes.
12 Maka pada tanggal tiga belas bulan satu, Haman memanggil sekretaris-sekret raja. Mereka disuruhnya menulis surat sesuai dengan segala yang diperintahkannya, lalu surat itu diterjemahkan ke dalam semua bahasa dan disalin dalam semua tulisan yang dipakai di kerajaan itu. Surat itu ditulis atas nama Raja Ahasyweros dan dicap dengan cincinnya, lalu dikirimkan dengan cepat kepada para penguasa, gubernur dan pembesar di semua provinsi. Isinya ialah perintah bahwa pada tanggal tiga belas bulan Adar, seluruh bangsa Yahudi, baik tua maupun muda, baik wanita maupun anak-anak, harus dibunuh tanpa ampun, dan harta benda mereka disita.
Then were called the king's scribes in the first month on the thirteenth day thereof, and there was written all just as Haman had commanded unto the king's lieutenants, and to the governors that were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people according to its language: in the name of king Achashverosh was it written, and it was sealed with the king's signet-ring.
And the letters were sent by the runners unto all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to exterminate all the Jews, from young to old, little ones and women, on one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their property as spoil.
14 Perintah itu harus diumumkan di setiap provinsi supaya semua orang sudah siap siaga pada hari yang telah ditentukan itu.
A copy of the writing, to be given out as a law in every province, was published unto all the nations, that they might be ready against that day.
15 Para pesuruh cepat berangkat mengantarkan surat-surat itu ke semua provinsi kerajaan. Atas suruhan raja, perintah itu diumumkan juga di Susan, ibukota Persia. Setelah itu raja dan Haman duduk-duduk sambil minum anggur, tetapi kota Susan gempar karena berita itu.
The runners went out with all speed with the king's decree, and the law was given out in Shushan the capital: and the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

< Ester 3 >