Haman Plots to Destroy the Jews
1 Some time later King Xerxes honored a man named Haman son of Hammedatha, a Bougaean, by promoting him to the position of prime minister. 2 The king ordered all the officials in his service to show their respect for Haman by bowing to him. They all did so, except Mordecai, who refused to bow to Haman. 3 The other officials in the royal service asked him why he was disobeying the king's command. 4 Day after day they urged him to give in, but he would not listen to them. “I am a Jew,” he explained, “and I cannot bow to Haman.” So they told Haman how Mordecai was defying the king's orders. 5 Haman was furious when he realized that Mordecai was not going to bow to him, 6 and so he made plans to kill every Jew in the whole Persian Empire.
7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes' reign, Haman ordered the lots to be cast to find out the right day and month to destroy the Jews, all in a single day. The fourteenth day of the month of Adar was the date chosen.
8 So Haman told the king, “There is a certain race of people scattered among the nations all over your empire. They observe customs that are not like those of any other people. Moreover, they do not obey the laws of the empire, so it is not in your best interests to tolerate them. 9 If it please Your Majesty, issue a decree that they are to be put to death. If you do this, I promise to put 375 tons of silver into the royal treasury.”
10 The king took off his ring, which was used to stamp official proclamations, and gave it to Haman to seal the decree that was to be written against the Jews. 11 The king told him, “Keep the money, and do whatever you want with that race of people.”
12 So on the thirteenth day of the first month, Haman called the king's secretaries and dictated a proclamation to be translated into every language in the empire and to be sent to all the rulers and governors. It was issued in the name of King Xerxes and sent to all the 127 provinces, which stretched from India to Ethiopia. 13 Runners took this proclamation to every province of the empire. It contained the instructions that on a single day in the twelfth month, the month of Adar, all Jews were to be killed and their belongings confiscated.
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Xerxes' Proclamation against the Jews
14 This is a copy of the decree:
“King Xerxes the Great sends the following decree to the governors of his 127 provinces, from India to Ethiopia, and to their subordinate officials:
15 “After I became ruler of many nations and master of the whole world, I resolved that my subjects should always live at peace. I wanted this, not because of pride in my power but because I was always reasonable and governed my subjects with kindness. I determined to renew the peace that everyone longs for and to do what was necessary to create a civilized kingdom, safe for travel from one border to another.
16 “I asked my advisers how to accomplish this goal, and Haman made a suggestion. He is distinguished among us as a man of great wisdom, and at all times he has demonstrated his concern for the welfare of the kingdom. Because of his unfailing loyalty, he has been raised to the second highest position in the empire. 17 Recently Haman told us about a certain unruly people scattered among all the other peoples of the empire. He explained to us that these people have their own laws, are opposed to every other nation, and constantly ignore royal commands. As a result of their attitude, we are not able to establish the kind of unified government which we earnestly intend for the empire.
18 “These people are hostile to our government and commit terrible crimes which threaten the security of the empire. They follow strange customs, obey their own laws, and stand alone in their constant opposition to all people. 19 In the light of these facts, we recommend the slaughter of the people referred to by Haman, our prime minister. All of them, including women and children, must be put to death; no one is to be spared. They are our enemies; we will show them no pity. This order is to be carried out this year on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 20 These people, who have caused so much trouble for so long, will all die a violent death in a single day. From then on, our government will be secure and stable.”
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21 The contents of the proclamation were made public in every province, and everyone was ordered to be prepared for that day.
22 The decree was also rapidly made public in the capital city of Susa. And while the king and Haman got drunk, the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Hamanni ge Jodeǁîna hîkākāsa ra ǀapeǀape
1 [1] Nēn hoan khaoǃgâb ge gao-aob Artaxerxeba, Hamedatab ôab Hamanni, Bougaiǁîba, gao-aob di ǀhōsagu naugu ǂamai ǃgôasib ǃoa ǂgaeǂgui-aose ge ǀgapiǀgapi. 2 [2] Gao-aob ge ǁîb ǃoabas ǃnâ mâ ǂammâisagu hoaga Hamanni aiǃâ gu ǃgôasiba nî ǁgause nî ǃhon ǃkhaisa ge mîmā. ǁÎgu ge Mordekaib, Hamanni aiǃâb nî ǃhon ǃkhaisa ge ǂkhāb ǀguib ose, hoatsama ǁnāti gere dī. 3 [3] Nau ǂamkhoegu gao-aob ǃoabas ǃnâ ge mâ igu ge tare-i ǃaromab gao-aob mîmāsa ra ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ ǃkhaisa ge dî bi. 4 [4] Tsēsa xu tsēs ǁga gu ǁîb mîdeb nî ǂgae-oaga ǁîba gere ǃhoa-ū, xaweb ge ǁîga ge ǃgâ tama hâ i. “Tita ge a Jodeǁî tsî ta ge Hamanni aiǃâ ǃhon ǁoa” tib ge ge ǃeream. ǁNā-amaga gu ge Hamanna, mâtib ge Mordekaiba gao-aob mîmāsa ǁnâuǀnamoǃnâ ǃkhaisa ge mîba. 5 [5] Mordekaib, ǁîb aiǃâ ǃhon tama ǃkhaisab ge mû, ob ge Hamanna kaise ge ǁaixa 6 [6] tsîb ge hoaraga gaosib Artaxerxeb dib ǃnâb Jodeǁîn hoana nî ǃgam ǃkhaisa ge ǀapeǀape.
7 [7] Disiǀgamǀaǁî kurib gao-aob Artaxerxeb ǂgaeǂguis dib ǃnâb ge Hamanna ǀkhūs nî aohe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā, ǂhanu tsēs tsî ǁkhâb, ǁîs aib Jodeǁîna ǀgui tsēs ǃnâ nî hîkākāsab nî ǂanǂuise. ǀKhūs ge disihakaǀaǁî tsēs, Adarǁkhâb disa, ǂhanu tsēs ase ge ǁgauǂui.
8 [8] Hamanni ge gao-aoba ge mîba: “ǂAnǂansa ǁaes di khoen ge hoa ǀkharigu sa gaosib hoab digu ǃnâ nau ǃhaodi ǁaegu ǀgarusase hâ. ǁÎn ǂhanugu ge nau khoen diga xu a ǀkhara. ǁNās ǀgui tamas, ǁîn ge gaosib ǂhanugu tsîna ǁnâuǀnam tama hâ tsî sats ge ǁnāsa mā-am tide. 9 [9] ǃGôahesatse, satsa iga ǃgâibao, mîmā-e māǂui în ǃgamhe. Nēsats ga dī, o ta ge disiǀoadisi ǀhaiǀuri marina ta gaosi ǁuiǂgaes ǃnâ nî ǂgā ǃkhaisa ra mîmâi.”
10 [10] Gao-aob ge ǁîb ǀkhunuǂnûidas, ǂhanusi mîmādi nî ǁgâi-ai-ūhegas tsîna gere sîsenūhesa ūǁnâ tsî Hamanna Jodeǁîn ǃoagu xoasa mîmāsab nî ǁgâi-aise ge mā. 11 [11] Ob ge gao-aoba “ǁNā mari-e ūhâ, îts ǂgaots ra xū-i hoa-e ǁnā ǁaes khoen ǀkha dī” ti ge mî.
12 [12] Disiǃnonaǀaǁî tsēs ǂguro ǁkhâb dis aib ge Hamanna gao-aob xoa-aoga ǂgaiǀhao tsî mîmāsa gaosib ǃnâ ǂanhe gowa-i hoa-i ǃnâ nî ǂnûiǃkhunihese khomaiba tsî toroǂnubis ǂgaeǂgui-aogu tsî gowoniagu ǃoa ge sîǂui. Nēs ge gao-aob Artaxerxeb ǀons ǃnâ māǂuihe tsî ǀguikaidisi tsî ǀgamdisihûǀa ǀkharigu, Indiaba xu Etiopiab kōse ǁgoegu ǃoa ge sîhe. 13 [13] Sîǂkhanitani-aogu ge mâ ǀkharib gaosib dib hoab ǃoa nē mîmāsa ge ǃgû-ū. Nē ǂanǂandi ge mîǁguisa tsēs, disiǀgamǀaǁî ǁkhâb, Adari dis ain nî hoaraga Jodeǁîna ǃgamhe tsî ǁîn ūhâ xūna ūxūhe ǃkhaisa ge ǃkhōǂgā hâ i.
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Gao-aob Artaxerxeb sîǂkhanis Jodeǁîn ǃoagu hâs
14 [1] Nēb ge sîǂkhanis di ǁgâiǁnâba: “Kai gao-aob Artaxerxeb ge sao ra xoaǁguiba gowoniagu ǁîb ǀguikaidisi tsî ǀgamdisihûǀa ǀkharigu, Indiaba xu Etiopiab kōse ǁgoegu tsî ǁîgu ǃnaka hâ ǂamkhoegu ǃoa ge sîǂui.
15 [2] “ǂGui ǁaedi di ǂgaeǂgui-ao tsî ta ge hoaraga ǃhūbaib di ǀhonkhoe kais khaoǃgâ ta ge ti ǃnaka hâ khoen nî ǂkhîb ǃnâ ûi ǃkhaisa ge ǂâibasen. Tita ge nēna ti ǁkhāsiba ǁgauǂuis ǃaroma dī tama hâ, xawe ta ge ti ǂhanub hugaǀgui ta ǂhanu-ai tsî tsamtsiǃnâse ti khoena ra ǂgaeǂgui xui-ao ge dī. Tita ge khoe-i hoa-e ta ǁkhore i hâ ǂkhîba nî ǀasaǀasaba ǃkhais, tsî ǃgâise omkhâihe hâ gaosib ǃaroma ta ǂhâbasana nî dī ǃkhais, tsî khoen ǃnorasase nē ǃhūǀgorasa xu naus ǃoa nî ǃgû ǃkhais tsîna ge mîǁgui.
16 [3] “Tita ge ti ǀapemā-aoga mâti gu nî nē ǃkhais ǃnâ dīǀoaǀoa ǃkhaisa ge dî, tsîb ge Hamanna aoǁgui-e ge dī. ǁÎb ge sige ǁaegu, kai gā-aisiba ūhâ khoeb ase ra mûhe tsîb ge hoaǁae gaosib aiǃgûs ǃaroma gere ǂâiǂhansen. ǁÎb di ǂgomǂgomsa îǂhôasib ǃaromab ge ǀgamǁî ǀgapi ǃharosa gaosib ǃnâ ge hō. 17 [4] ǁAero-i ǃkharu hâseb ge Hamanna sige ǂanǂansa khākhoen, nau khoen ǁaegu gaosib ǃnâ hân xa ge mîba. ǁÎb ge sige nē khoen, ǁîn ǂhunuma ǂhanugu nau hoaraga khoen diga xu a ǀkharaga ūhâ tsî gaosib di mîmāde ra ǂhara ǃkhaisa ge mîǃgāǃgāba. ǁÎn di tanisenǀgaub xa ǃaromahe hâse ta ge ǀguiǃnâxa ǂhanub hîa ge gaosib ǃaroma ra ǂâiǃnâǁguiba dī ǁkhā tide.
18 [5] “Nē khoen ge sada ǂhanub ǃoagu khākhoexa tsî ǁgaisi, tsū xūn hîa gaosib di ǂgaeǂguisa ra ǁgoaǂuina ra dī. ǁÎn ge ǃhao ǁnaetigu tsî ǂhanuga sao tsî xūna nau khoena xu ǀkharase dī tsî ǁîn di hâhâ ra mâǃoas ǃnâ hoaraga khoesib ǃoagu ǀguri ra mâ. 19 [6] Nēn hoan mûǁae da ge Hamanni, sida ǂgaeǂgui-aob ge xoadi ǃnâ ǁgauǂui hâ i khoen nî ǃgamhe ǃkhaisa ge mîmā. Hoan ge tarekhoedi tsî ǀgôan tsîna ǁaraǂui tamase nî ǃgamǂuihe tsîb ge ǀgui-i di ûib tsîna sâuhe tide. ǁÎn ge a sada khākhoe tsî da ge ǁîna ǀkhom tide. Nē mîmās ge nē kurib di disihakaǀaǁî tsēs, disiǀgamǀaǁî ǁkhâb, Adari dis ai nî sîsenǂuihe. 20 [7] Nē khoen nētikō ǃgomsiba ge nētikō gaxu ǁaeba ǃaroman ge hoatsama ǀgui tsēs ai ǁkhōǁkhōsa ǁōba nî ǁō. ǁNās khaoǃgâ ǀgui ta ge gaosiba ǂkhîb tsî ǃnōsasib ǃnâ a ǂgaeǂgui ǁkhā.”
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21 [14] ǃKhōǂgāb ǂanǂans dib ge mâ ǀkharib hoab ǃnâ ge ǂanǂanhe tsî i ge mâ khoe-i hoa-e, ǁnā tsēs ǃaroma ǂhomisensa ge mîmāhe.
22 [15] Nē mîmās ge ǁkhāti ǃhaese kaiǃās Susas ǃnâ ge ǂanǂanhe. Gao-aob tsî Hamanni tsîkha ra ǀhoro hîas ge kaiǃās Susasa ǀhomaxasib ǃnâ ge hâ i.
