The Jews Destroy Their Enemies
1 The first law that the king had made was to be followed on the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to do away with them. But the Jews turned things around, 2 and in the cities of every province they came together to attack their enemies. Everyone was afraid of the Jews, and no one could do anything to oppose them.
3 The leaders of the provinces, the rulers, the governors, and the court officials were afraid of Mordecai and took sides with the Jews. 4 Everyone in the provinces knew that the king had promoted him and had given him a lot of power.
5 The Jews took their swords and did away with their enemies, without showing any mercy. 6-10 They killed 500 people in Susa, but they did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Haman had been one of the worst enemies of the Jews, and ten of his sons were among those who were killed. Their names were Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.
11 Later that day, someone told the king how many people had been killed in Susa. 12 Then he told Esther, “Five hundred people, including Haman's ten sons, have been killed in Susa alone. If that many were killed here, what must have happened in the provinces? Is there anything else you want done? Just tell me, and it will be done.”
13 Esther answered, “Your Majesty, please let the Jews in Susa fight to defend themselves tomorrow, just as they did today. And order the bodies of Haman's ten sons to be hanged in public.”
14 King Xerxes did what Esther had requested, and the bodies of Haman's sons were hung in Susa. 15 Then on the fourteenth day of Adar the Jews of the city got together and killed 300 more people. But they still did not take anything that belonged to their enemies.
16-17 On the thirteenth day of Adar, the Jews in the provinces had come together to defend themselves. They killed 75,000 of their enemies, but the Jews did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Then on the fourteenth day of the month the Jews celebrated with a feast.
18 On the fifteenth day of the month the Jews in Susa held a holiday and celebrated, after killing their enemies on the thirteenth and the fourteenth. 19 This is why the Jews in the villages now celebrate on the fourteenth day of the month. It is a joyful holiday that they celebrate by feasting and sending gifts of food to each other.
The Festival of Purim
20 Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. Then he sent letters to the Jews everywhere in the provinces 21 and told them:
Each year you must celebrate on both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of Adar, 22 the days when we Jews defeated our enemies. Remember this month as a time when our sorrow was turned to joy, and celebration took the place of crying. Celebrate by having parties and by giving to the poor and by sharing gifts of food with each other.
23 They followed Mordecai's instructions and set aside these two days every year as a time of celebration.
The Reason for the Festival of Purim
24 Haman was the son of Hammedatha and a descendant of Agag. He hated the Jews so much that he planned to destroy them, but he wanted to find out the best time to do it. So he cast lots.
25 Esther went to King Xerxes and asked him to save her people. Then the king gave written orders for Haman and his sons to be punished in the same terrible way that Haman had in mind for the Jews. So they were hanged. 26 Mordecai's letter had said that the Jews must celebrate for two days because of what had happened to them. This time of celebration is called Purim, which is the Hebrew word for the lots that were cast. 27 Now every year the Jews set aside these two days for having parties and celebrating, just as they were told to do. 28 From now on, all Jewish families must remember to celebrate Purim on these two days each year.
29 Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, wanted to give full authority to Mordecai's letter about the Festival of Purim, and with his help she wrote a letter about the feast. 30 Copies of this letter were sent to Jews in the 127 provinces of King Xerxes. In the letter they said:
We pray that all of you will live in peace and safety.
31 You and your descendants must always remember to celebrate Purim at the time and in the way that we have said. You must also follow the instructions that we have given you about mourning and going without eating.
32 These laws about Purim are written by the authority of Queen Esther.
Aajuda taa dhipaga aatondi yawo
1 Esiku etimulongo netitatu lyaAdar olye ya, esiku ndyoka eutho lyomukwaniilwa lya li li na okugwanithwa, esiku uuna aatondi yAajuda ya li ya tegelela, ye ya tule mokakuwilili. Ihe nani Aajuda oye ya sindi. 2 Moshikandjo shAajuda moshilando kehe moshilongo ashihe Aajuda oyi ilongekidha nawa okuhomona kehe ngoka ta kambadhala oku ya etela oshiponga. Aantu oya li ye ya tila akuhe, nokakwa li ngoka a vulu oku ya kondjitha. 3 Aaleli ayehe yomiitopolwa, oongoloneya, ookomufala naakwanepangelo yomukwaniilwa oya gama kAajuda, oshoka oya li ya tila Mordekai. 4 Osha li sha tseyika noshilongo ashihe kutya ngashingeyi Mordekai elenga ekuluntu muuwa nokwa li ta nkondopala natango. 5 Omolwashoka Aajuda ya ningile aatondi yawo shoka ya hala. Oye ya ponokele nomagongamwele e taye ya dhipaga.
6 Moshilandolelo Susa Aajuda oya dhipagele mo aantu omathele gatano. 7-10 Mokati kawo omwa li aana aamati omulongo yaHaman yaHammedata, omutondi gwAajuda. Oyo Parshandata, Dalfon, Aspata, Porata, Adalia, Aridata, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai naVaiesata. Ihe Aajuda inaa yuga iihakanwa.
11 Esiku tuu ndyoka omwaalu gwaadhipagwa yomuSusa ogwa tseyithilwa omukwaniilwa. 12 Okwa ti komunyekadhi Ester: “MuSusa amuke Aajuda oya dhipaga aantu omathele gatano, mumwe naana aamati yaHaman. Ngele omiitopolwa yilwe nduno, oya ningi ngiini! Ngashingeyi owa hala shike? Otandi ke shi ku pa. Lombwela ndje owala shoka wa hala natango, neindilo lyoye otali gwanithwa.”
13 Ester okwa yamukula a ti: “Nkeyama, ngele otashi ku opalele, ongula pitika natango, Aajuda ya ninge muSusa shoka ya ningi nena. Omidhimba dhaana aamati yaHaman nadhi tulwe kohake.” 14 Omukwaniilwa okwa tokola shi ningwe, neutho ndika olya gandjwa muSusa. Omidhimba dhaana aamati omulongo yaHaman odha tsilikwa puuyelele. 15 Mesiku etimulongo netine lyaAdar Aajuda yomuSusa oya dhipaga ishewe aantu omathele gatatu moshilando. Natango inaa hakana iihakanwa nande.
16 Aajuda yomiitopolwa oya li ya gongala okwiipopila. Oya manguluka kaatondi yawo, sho ya dhipaga aantu omayuvi omilongo heyali nagatano mboka ya li ye ya tonde. Ihe inaa hakana iihakanwa. 17 Esiku ndika etimulongo netitatu lyaAdar. Mesiku etimulongo netine inaku dhipagwa we omuntu, nolya ningi esiku lyoshituthi nolyenyanyu. 18 Aajuda yomuSusa oya yapula esiku etimulongo netitano, li ninge esiku lyoshituthi nolyenyanyu, oshoka oya dhipagele aatondi yawo mesiku etimulongo netitatu mesiku etimulongo netine. 19 Omolwashoka ano Aajuda mboka ya kala momikunda omishona, oya ningi esiku etimulongo netine lyomwedhi Adar esiku lyenyanyu nolyoshituthi notaa tuminathana iikunditha.
Oshituthi shaPurim
20 Mordekai okwa nyolitha ondjokonona yiinima mbika e ta tumine Aajuda ayehe moshilongo shaPersia, ongele popepi nenge kokule, oontumwafo 21 tadhi ya lombwele, ya dhane oshituthi kehe omumvo mesiku etimulongo netine netimulongo netitano lyaAdar. 22 Momasiku ngaka Aajuda oyi imangulula kaatondi yawo, nomomwedhi nguka oluhodhi lwawo olwa shituka enyanyu nokutakuma kwawo eligolo. Oya lombwelwa, ya dhane momasiku ngaka iituthi noonshingo nokutuminathana iikunditha yiikulya nokupa oohepele omagano. 23 Okudhana oshituthi shika okwa ningi omukalondjigilile, ngaashi Mordekai e ya nyolele.
24 Haman yaHammedata, oluvalo lwaAgag nomutondi gwAajuda, okwa li u umbu iihogololitho (nenge “purim”, ngaashi ye shi luka), opo a uthe esiku lyokuyonagula po Aajuda; okwa dhiladhila e ya kombe po sheke. 25 Ihe Ester okwa yi komukwaniilwa, nomukwaniilwa okwa gandja eutho lyopakunyola, ndyoka lya galulile Haman omupya ngoka e gu dhiladhilile Aajuda. Oye pamwe noyana oya tulwa kohake. 26 Omolwashoka omasiku ngaka oga lukwa Purim. Molwontumwafo yaMordekai nomolwiinima ayihe mbyoka ye yi ningilwa, 27 Aajuda oyi iyuthile omukalo gwokwaalunduluka kutya yo yene noluvalo lwawo naayehe mboka taa iningi Aajuda, oye na okudhana omasiku ngaka gaali kehe omumvo palombwelo lyaMordekai pethimbo lyo opala. 28 Omasiku ngaka oga li ge na okudhimbulukiwa pwaa na elunduluko nokudhanwa kepipi kehe lyAajuda megumbo kehe moshitopolwa kehe nomoshilando kehe.
29 Omunyekadhi Ester yaAbihail pamwe naMordekai oya nyola ontumwafo ontiyali kombinga yaPurim nokulongitha oonkondo dhawo, opo ye yi koleke. 30 Mordekai okwa tumine Aajuda ayehe yomiitopolwa 127 yoshilongo shaPersia oontumwafo noku ya halela ombili negameno. 31 Okwa koleke kutya Aajuda ayehe noluvalo lwawo oye na okudhana omasiku gaPurim pethimbo lyo opala, ngaashi omunyekadhi Ester naMordekai, Omujuda, ye shi utha nongaashi Aajuda yo yene ya li yu utha kombinga yeidhiliko lyiikulya noontakumo. 32 Elombwelo lyaEster olya koleke omautho gaPurim noga nyolelwa membo.
