Est 16:1Rēx magnus Artaxerxēs ab Indiā ūsque Aethiopiam, centum vīgintī septem prōvinciārum ducibus ac prīncipibus quī nostrae jussiōnī obēdiunt, salūtem dīcit.The great king Artaxerxes, from India as far as Ethiopia, to the leaders and princes of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces who obey our command, says greeting. Est 16:2Multī bonitāte prīncipum et honōre, quī in eōs collātus est, abūsī sunt in superbiam: et nōn sōlum subjectōs rēgibus nītuntur opprimere, sed datam sibi glōriam nōn ferentēs, in ipsōs quī dedērunt, mōliuntur īnsidiās.Many have abused the goodness of princes and the honour which has been conferred on them, to the point of pride: and not only do they strive to oppress those subject to kings, but, not bearing the glory given to them, they contrive plots against the very ones who gave it. Est 16:4Nec contentī sunt grātiās nōn agere beneficiīs, et hūmānitātis in sē jūra violāre, sed Deī quoque cūncta cernentis arbitrantur sē posse fugere sententiam.Nor are they content not to give thanks for benefits, and to violate in themselves the rights of humanity, but they think that they can escape even the sentence of God, who sees all things.
Est 16:5Et in tantum vēsāniae prōrūpērunt, ut eōs quī crēdita sibi officia dīligenter observant, et ita cūncta agunt ut omnium laude dignī sint, mendāciōrum cunīculīs cōnentur subvertere, dum aurēs prīncipum simplicēs, et ex suā nātūrā aliōs aestimantēs, callidā fraude dēcipiunt.And they have burst forth into such madness, that those who diligently observe the offices entrusted to them, and do all things so as to be worthy of the praise of all, they try to overthrow with the tunnels of lies, while they deceive with crafty fraud the ears of princes, which are simple and judge others from their own nature. Est 16:7Quae rēs et ex veteribus probātur historiīs, et ex hīs quae geruntur quotīdiē, quōmodo malīs quōrumdam suggestiōnibus rēgum studia dēprāventur.Which thing is proved both from the old histories, and from those things which are done daily, how the pursuits of kings are corrupted by the evil suggestions of certain men. Est 16:8Unde prōvidendum est pācī omnium prōvinciārum.Hence provision must be made for the peace of all the provinces. Est 16:9Nec putāre dēbētis, sī dīversa jubeāmus, ex animī nostrī venīre levitāte, sed prō quālitāte et necessitāte temporum, ut reīpūblicae poscit ūtilitās, ferre sententiam.Nor ought you to think, if we order different things, that it comes from the fickleness of our mind, but that we give sentence according to the nature and necessity of the times, as the advantage of the state demands.
Est 16:10Et ut manifestius quod dīcimus intelligātis, Aman fīlius Amadathī, et animō et gente Macedō, aliēnusque ā Persārum sanguine, et pietātem nostram suā crūdēlitāte commaculāns, peregrīnus ā nōbīs susceptus est: et tantam in sē expertus hūmānitātem, ut pater noster vocārētur, et adōrārētur ab omnibus post rēgem secundus: quī in tantum arrogantiae tumōrem sublātus est, ut regnō prīvāre nōs nīterētur et spīritū.And that you may understand more clearly what we say, Haman son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian both in mind and in race, and alien from the blood of the Persians, and staining our kindness with his cruelty, was received by us as a stranger: and experienced such great humanity towards himself, that he was called our father, and was worshipped by all as second after the king: who was lifted up into such a swelling of arrogance, that he strove to deprive us of our kingdom and of our life. Est 16:13Nam Mardochaeum, cujus fidē et beneficiīs vīvimus, et cōnsortem regnī nostrī Esther cum omnī gente suā, novīs quibusdam atque inaudītīs māchinīs expetīvit in mortem: hoc cōgitāns ut illīs interfectīs, īnsidiārētur nostrae sōlitūdinī, et regnum Persārum trānsferret in Macedonas.For Mordecai, by whose faithfulness and good services we live, and Esther, the partner of our kingdom, with all her nation, he sought out for death by certain new and unheard-of machinations: thinking this, that, they having been killed, he might lay a trap for us in our solitude, and transfer the kingdom of the Persians to the Macedonians.
Est 16:15Nōs autem ā pessimō mortālium Jūdaeōs necī dēstinātōs, in nūllā penitus culpā reperīmus, sed ē contrāriō jūstīs ūtentēs lēgibus, et fīliōs altissimī et maximī semperque vīventis Deī, cujus beneficiō et patribus nostrīs et nōbīs regnum est trāditum, et ūsque hodiē custōdītur.But we have found the Jews, destined for slaughter by the worst of mortals, in no fault at all, but on the contrary using just laws, and the sons of the most high and greatest and ever-living God, by whose kindness the kingdom was handed over both to our fathers and to us, and is guarded until today. Est 16:17Unde eās litterās, quās sub nōmine nostrō ille dīrēxerat, sciātis esse irritās.Hence know that those letters, which he had sent under our name, are void. Est 16:18Prō quō scelere ante portās hujus urbis, id est, Susan, et ipse quī māchinātus est, et omnis cognātiō ejus pendet in patibulīs: nōn nōbīs, sed Deō reddente eī quod meruit.For which crime, before the gates of this city, that is, Susa, both he himself who devised it, and all his kindred, hang on gibbets: not we, but God, repaying him what he deserved. Est 16:19Hoc autem ēdictum, quod nunc mittimus, in cūnctīs urbibus prōpōnātur, ut liceat Jūdaeīs ūtī lēgibus suīs.But let this edict, which we now send, be set up in all cities, so that it may be lawful for the Jews to use their own laws.
Est 16:20Quibus dēbētis esse adminiculō, ut eōs quī sē ad necem eōrum parāverant, possint interficere tertiādecimā diē mēnsis duodecimī, quī vocātur Adar.To them you ought to be a support, so that those who had prepared themselves for their slaughter they may be able to kill on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is called Adar. Est 16:21Hanc enim diem, Deus omnipotēns, moerōris et lūctūs, eīs vertit in gaudium.For this day, a day of grief and mourning, God almighty has turned for them into joy. Est 16:22Unde et vōs inter cēterōs fēstōs diēs, hanc habētōte diem, et celebrāte eam cum omnī laetitiā, ut et in posterum cognōscātur, omnēs quī fidēliter Persīs obēdiunt, dignam prō fidē recipere mercēdem;Hence you too, among the other festal days, keep this day, and celebrate it with all gladness, so that in future too it may be known that all who faithfully obey the Persians receive a worthy reward for their faithfulness; Est 16:23Quī autem īnsidiantur regnō eōrum, perīre prō scelere.but that those who plot against their kingdom perish for their crime. Est 16:24Omnis autem prōvincia et cīvitās quae nōluerit solemnitātis hujus esse particeps, gladiō et igne pereat, et sīc dēleātur, ut nōn sōlum hominibus, sed etiam bēstiīs invia sit in sempiternum, prō exemplō contemptūs et inobēdientiae.But every province and city which will not be a partaker of this solemnity, let it perish by sword and fire, and be so destroyed, that it be impassable not only to men, but also to beasts, for ever, as an example of contempt and disobedience.