Chapter 8

[] En th hmera ekeinh o basileuV AssouhrhV edwken eiV thn Esqhr thn basilissan ton oikon tou Aman, tou ecqrou twn Ioudaiwn. Kai hlqen o MarodocaioV enwpion tou basilewV× dioti h Esqhr efanerwse ti hto authV.

Kai ekbalwn o basileuV to daktulidion autou, to opoion afhresen apo tou Aman, edwken auto eiV ton Marodocaion. Kai katesthsen h Esqhr ton Marodocaion epi ton oikon tou Aman.

[] Kai elalhse palin h Esqhr enwpion tou basilewV, kai prosepesen eiV touV podaV autou kai iketeusen auton meta dakruwn na akurwsh thn kakian tou Aman tou Agagitou, kai thn skeuwrian autou thn opoian eskeuwrhse kata twn Ioudaiwn.

Kai exeteinen o basileuV to crusoun skhptron proV thn Esqhr. Tote shkwqeisa h Esqhr estaqh enwpion tou basilewV,

kai eipen, Ean hnai areston eiV ton basilea, kai ean eurhka carin enwpion autou, kai to pragma fainhtai orqon eiV ton basilea kai areskhtai eiV eme, aV grafh na anakalesqwsi ta grammata ta skeuwrhqenta upo tou Aman tou uiou Ammedaqa tou Agagitou, ta opoia egraye dia na apolesqwsin oi Ioudaioi oi en pasaiV taiV eparciaiV tou basilewV×

dioti pwV dunamai na upoferw na idw to kakon, to opoion qelei eurei ton laon mou; h pwV dunamai na upoferw na idw ton afanismon thV suggeneiaV mou;

Tote eipen o basileuV AssouhrhV proV Esqhr thn basilissan kai proV ton Marodocaion ton Ioudaion, Idou, edwka eiV thn Esqhr ton oikon tou Aman kai auton ekremasan epi tou xulou, dioti exhplwse thn ceira autou kata twn Ioudaiwn×

seiV loipon grayate uper twn Ioudaiwn, opwV fainetai eiV esaV kalon, en onomati tou basilewV, kai sfragisate me to basilikon daktulidion× dioti to gramma to gegrammenon en onomati tou basilewV kai esfragismenon me to basilikon daktulidion, einai ametatrepton.

Kai proseklhqhsan oi grammateiV tou basilewV en tw kairw ekeinw en tw tritw mhni, outoV einai o mhn Siban, thn eikosthn trithn autou× kai egrafh kata panta osa o MarodocaioV prosetaxe, proV touV IoudaiouV kai proV touV satrapaV kai dioikhtaV kai arcontaV twn eparciwn twn apo IndiaV ewV AiqiopiaV, ekaton eikosiepta eparciwn, eiV pasan eparcian kata to grafein authV kai proV panta laon kata thn glwssan autou kai proV touV IoudaiouV kata to grafein autwn kai kata thn glwssan autwn.

Kai egrayen en onomati tou basilewV Assouhrou kai esfragisen auto me to basilikon daktulidion kai exapesteile ta grammata dia tacudromwn efippwn, ippazontwn epi tacupodwn kai gennaiwn hmionwn×

di' wn epetrepen o basileuV eiV touV IoudaiouV touV kata pasan polin, na sunacqwsi kai na staqwsin uper thV zwhV autwn, na apoleswsi, na foneuswsi kai na afaniswsi pasan thn dunamin tou laou kai thV eparciaV twn kataqlibontwn autouV, paidia kai gunaikaV, kai ta lafura autwn na diarpaswsin,

en mia hmera, kata pasaV taV eparciaV tou basilewV Assouhrou, th dekath trith tou dwdekatou mhnoV, outoV einai o mhn Adar.

To antigrafon thV epistolhV, to proV diadosin tou prostagmatoV kata pasan eparcian, edhmosieuqh proV pantaV touV laouV, dia na hnai oi Ioudaioi etoimoi kat' ekeinhn thn hmeran na ekdikhqwsin enantion twn ecqrwn autwn.

Kai exhlqon oi tacudromoi, ippazonteV epi tacupodwn hmionwn, speudonteV kai katepeigomenoi upo thV prostaghV tou basilewV. Kai h diatagh exedoqh en SousoiV th basileuoush.

[] O de MarodocaioV exhlqen ap' emprosqen tou basilewV en stolh basilikh kuanh kai leukh kai forwn megan stefanon crusoun kai ependuma bussinon kai porfuroun× kai h poliV Sousa ecaire kai eufraineto.

EiV touV IoudaiouV hto fwV kai agalliasiV kai cara kai doxa.

Kai en pash eparcia kai en pash polei, opou hlqe tou basilewV to prostagma kai h diatagh, egeinen eiV touV IoudaiouV cara kai agalliasiV, euwcia kai hmera agaqh. Kai polloi ek twn lawn thV ghV egeinan Ioudaioi dioti o foboV twn Ioudaiwn epepesen ep' autouV.