エステル 記 3

1 これらの事の後アハシユエロス王アガグ人ハンメダタの子ハマンを貴びこれを高くして己とともにある一切の牧伯の上にその席を定めしむ

After these events King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him to a place above all the officials who were with him.

2 王の門にある主の諸臣みな跪づきてハマンを拝せり 是は王斯かれになすことを命じたればなり 然れどもモルデカイは跪まづかず又これを拝せざりき

All the king’s courtiers who were in the king’s gate used to bow down before Haman, for so the king had commanded, but Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself.

3 ここをもて王の門にある王の諸臣モデカイにむかひて言ふ 汝いかなれば王の命に背くやと

Then the king’s courtiers, who were in the king’s gate, said to Mordecai, ‘Why do you disobey the king’s command?’

4 かれらモルデカイに日々かく言ふといへども聽ざりければその事の爲をふさるべきか否を見んとてハマンにこれを告たり 其はモルデカイおのれのユダヤ人なることを語りたればなり

When they had spoken to him day after day without his listening to them, they informed Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s acts would be tolerated, for he had told them that he was a Jew.

5 ハマン、モルデカイの跪づかずまた己を拝せざるを見たれば ハマン忿怒にたへざりしが

When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down nor prostrate himself before him, he was furious.

6 ただモルデカイ一人を殺すは事小さしと思へり彼らモルデカイの屬する民をハマンに顯はしければハマンはアハシユエロスの國の中にある一切のユダヤ人すなはちモルデカイの屬する民をことごとく殺さんと謀れり

But it seemed to him beneath his dignity to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him who Mordecai’s people were. Instead Haman sought to destroy all the people of Mordecai, all the Jews throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7 アハシユエロス王の十二年正月即ちニサンの月にハマンの前にて十二月すなはちアダルの月まで一日一日のため一月一月のためにプルを投しむプルは即ち籤なり

In the first month (the month of Nisan) in the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahasuerus, Haman had “pur” (which means “lot”) cast before him to determine the best day and best month for his actions. The lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month – the month of Adar.

8 ハマンかくてアハシユエロス王に言けるは御國の各州にある諸民の中に散されて別れ別れになりをる一の民ありその律法は一切の民と異り また王の法律を守らずこの故にこれを容しおくは王の益にあらず

So Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, whose laws differ from those of every other and who do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not right for the king to tolerate them.

9 王もしこれを善としたまはば願くは彼らを滅ぼせと書くだしたまへ さらば我王の事をつかさどる者等の手に銀一萬タラントを秤り交して王の府庫に入しめん

If it seems best to the king, let an order be given to destroy them, and I will pay ten thousand silver coins into the royal treasury.’

10 王すなはち指環をその手より取はづしアガグ人ハンメダタの子ハマンすなはちユダヤ人の敵たる者に交し

So the king took off his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

11 しかしてハマンに言けるはその銀はなんぢに與ふ その民もまた汝にあたふれば汝に善と見ゆるごとく爲よ

‘The money is yours,’ the king said to Haman, ‘and the people also to do with them as you wish.’

12 ここにおいて正月の十三日に王の書記官を召あつめ王に屬する州牧各州の方伯およびもろもろの民の牧伯にハマンが命ぜんとする所をことごとく書しるさしむ 即ちもろもろの州におくるものは其文字をもちひ もろもろの民におくるものはその言語をもちひ おのおのアハシユエロス王の名をもてこれを書き王の指環をもてこれに印したり

And so, on the thirteenth day of the first month, the king’s secretaries were summoned and as Haman instructed an edict was issued to the king’s satraps and provincial governors and the rulers of each of the peoples in their own script and their own language. The edict was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his ring.

13 しかして驛卒をもて書を王の諸州におくり十二月すなはちアダルの月の十三日において一日の内に一切のユダヤ人を若き者老たる者小兒婦人の差別なくことごとく滅ぼし殺し絶しかつその所有物を奪ふべしと諭しぬ

Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, saying: Destroy, kill, put an end to all the Jews, young and old, little children and women, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, and plunder their possessions.

14 この詔旨を諸州に傳へてかの日のために準備をなさしめんとてその書る物の寫本を一切の民に開きて示せり

A copy of the edict was to be published as a decree in every province – publicly displayed so that everyone might be ready for that day.

15 驛卒王の命によりて急ぎて出ゆきぬ この詔書はシユシヤンの城に於て出されたり かくて王とハマンは坐して酒飮ゐたりしがシユシヤンの邑は惑ひわづらへり

By command of the king the couriers raced off, and the edict was published in Susa itself. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.