Persian Era

Jews’ Self-Defense

Esther 8:3-13

3 Esther again spoke before the king and fell at his feet, begging and supplicating him to transgress the evil of Haman the Agagite and the plot he thought against the Jews. 4 The king extended the golden scepter to Esther, and it neared Esther. 5 She stood before the king and said, “If it is seemly about the king and the statement pleasing before the king, if I found mercy in his eyes, we shall write and overturn the letters and plots Haman the Agagite, who wrote to destroy all the Jews in all the king’s cities. 6 For how do I manage to see the evil that will happen to my people? How can I see the destruction of my tribe?” 7 King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to the Jew Mordecai, “See, I have given you and him the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the wood for stretching his hands on the Jews. 8 May you all seal with the king’s signet on the scroll about the Jews as it is seemly in your eyes in the name of the king so what is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s ring does not overturn.” 9 The king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month. They wrote everything Mordecai wrote about the Jews to the forces’ generals, the dominions, and the nobles of the cities from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven cities: to each city in its own script, to each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their script and in their language. 10 It was written in King Ahasuerus’ name and sealed with the king’s ring. He sent letters by runners and couriers riding steeds of the herds. 11 The letters the king wrote are about the Jews in all cities to gather together, to stand for themselves, to destroy, to kill, and to destroy anyone oppressing them, with the youths, women, and their property as spoil 12 on one day in all the cities of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is Adar. 13 A copy of the text was given to every city and commanded to all the people so the Jews would be ready on that day to be avenged from their enemies.

ג ܘܗܷܦܟܰܬ̤ ܐܷܣܬܷ̇ܝܪ ܘܡܰܠܠܰܬ̤ ܩܕ݂ܳܡ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܘܢܷܦܠܰܬ̤ ܥܰܠ ܪܷ̈ܓ̣ܠܳܘܗܝ ܘܒ̣ܳܥܝܳܐ ܘܡܷܬ̣ܟܰܫܦܳܐ ܠܷܗ ܕܢܰܥܒܰܪ ܒܝܼܫܬܳܐ ܕܗܳܡܳܢ ܐܳܓ̣ܳܓ̣ܳܝܳܐ ܘܡܰܚܫܰܒ̣ܬܳܐ ܕܐܷܬ̣ܚܰܫܰܒ̣ ܥܰܠ ܝܗ̱ܘܼܕ݂ܳܝܷ̈ܐ. ד ܘܐܳܘܫܷܛ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܠܐܷܣܬܷ̇ܝܪ ܫܰܒ̣ܛܳܐ ܕܕܰܗܒ̣ܳܐ. ܘܩܷܪܒܰܬ̤ ܠܷܗ ܐܷܣܬܷ̇ܝܪ. ה ܘܩܳܡܰܬ̤ ܩܕ݂ܳܡ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ. ܘܐܷܡܪܰܬ̤. ܐܷܢ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܫܰܦܝܼܪ. ܘܫܳܦܰܪ ܦܷܬ̣ܓ̣ܳܡܳܐ ܩܕ݂ܳܡ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܘܐܷܢ ܐܷܫܟ̇ܚܷ̇ܬ̣ ܪ̈ܰܚܡܷܐ ܒܥܰܝܢܳܘ̈ܗܝ ܢܷܟ݂ܬ̇ܘܿܒ̣ ܘܢܰܗܦܷܟ݂ ܐܷܓ̇ܪ̈ܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܘܡܰܚܫ̈ܒ̣ܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܕܗܳܡܳܢ ܐܳܓ̣ܓ̣ܳܝܳܐ ܕܰܟ݂ܬܰܒ̣ ܠܡܳܘܒܳܕ݂ܘܼ ܠܟ݂ܠܗܘܿܢ ܝܗ̱ܘܼܕ݂ܳܝܷ̈ܐ ܒܟ݂ܠܗܷܝܢ ܡܕ݂ܝܼ̈ܢܳܬܷܗ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ. ו ܐܰܝܟܰܢܳܐ ܓܷܝܪ ܡܰܨܝܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܐܷܚܙܷܐ ܒܒ̣ܝܼܫܬܳܐ ܕܬܷܓ̣ܕܰܫ ܠܥܰܡܝ ܘܐܰܝܟܰܢܳܐ ܡܷܫܟ̇ܚܳܐ ܐ̱ܢܳܐ ܕܐܷܚܙܷܐ ܒܐܰܒ̣ܕܳܢܳܐ ܕܫܰܪܒܰܬ̣ܝ. ז ܘܐܷܡܰܪ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܐܰܚܫܝܼܪܷܫ ܠܐܷܣܬܷ̇ܝܪ ܡܰܠܟ̇ܬ̣ܳܐ ܗܳܐ ܒܰܝܬܷ̇ܗ ܕܗܳܡܳܢ ܝܷܗ̱ܒܷ̇ܬ̣ ܠܷܟ݂ܝ ܘܠܷܗ ܬܠܳܘ ܥܰܠ ܩܰܝܣܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܕܐܳܘܫܷܛ ܐܝܼܕ݂ܳܐ ܒܰܝܗܘܼ̈ܕ݂ܳܝܷܐ. ח ܘܐܰܢ̱ܬ̇ܘܿܢ ܥܰܠ ܝܗ̱ܘܼܕ݂ܳܝܷ̈ܐ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܕܫܰܦܝܼܪ ܒܥܰܝܢܰܝ̈ܟ̇ܘܿܢ ܒܰܫܡܳܐ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܚܬ̣ܘܿܡܘ ܒܥܷܙܰܩܬ̣ܳܐ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܒܰܟ݂ܬ̣ܳܒ̣ܳܐ ܕܡܷܬ̣ܟ̇ܬܷܒ̣ ܒܫܷܡ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܘܡܷܬ̣ܚܬܷܡ ܒܥܷܙܰܩܬܷܗ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܘܠܳܐ ܗܳܦܷ̇ܟ݂. ט ܘܐܷܬ̣ܩܪܝܼܘ ܣܷܦܪܷ̈ܐ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܒܙܰܒ̣ܢܳܐ ܗܳܘܿ ܒܝܰܪܚܳܐ ܬܠܝܼܬ̣ܳܝܳܐ ܕܗ̤ܘ ܚܙܝܼܪܳܢ ܒܰܬ̣ܠܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܘܥܷܣܪܝܼܢ ܒܷܗ ܒܝܰܪܚܳܐ ܘܰܟ݂ܬܰܒ̣ܘ ܟܠ ܡܷܕܷ̇ܡ ܕܰܟ݂ܬܰܒ̣ ܡܘܪܕ̇ܟܰܝ ܥܰܠ ܝܗ̱ܘܼܕ݂ܳܝܷ̈ܐ ܠܪ̈ܰܒܰܝ ܚܰܝܠܷ̈ܐ ܘܰܠܡܳܪ̈ܳܘܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܘܰܠܪ̈ܳܘ̱ܪ̈ܒ̣ܳܢܷܐ ܕܰܡܕ݂ܝܼ̈ܢܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܡ̣ܢ ܗܘܿܕ݂ ܘܰܥܕܰܡܳܐ ܠܟ݂ܘܼܫ ܡܳܐܐ ܘܥܷܣܪܝܼܢ ܘܰܫܒܰܥ ܡܕ݂ܝܼ̈ܢܳܢ ܡܕ݂ܝܼܢ̱ܬܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܟܬ̣ܳܒ̣ܳܗ̇ ܘܰܠܥܰܡܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܠܷܫܳܢܷܗ ܘܠܰܝܗܘܼܕ݂ܳܝܷ̈ܐ ܐܰܝܟ݂ ܟܬ̣ܳܒ̣ܗܘܿܢ ܘܐܰܝܟ݂ ܠܷܫܳܢܗܘܿܢ. אי ܘܐܷܬ̣ܟ̇ܬܷܒ̣ܘ ܒܫܷܡ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܐܰܚܫܝܼܪܷܫ ܘܐܷܬ̣ܚܬܷܡܘ ܒܥܷܙܰܩܬ̣ܳܐ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ. ܘܫܰܕܰܪ ܐܷܓ̇ܪ̈ܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܒܝܰܕ݂ ܪ̈ܰܗܛܷܐ ܘܰܒ̣ܝܰܕ݂ ܐܷܣܦ̈ܘܿܟܷ̇ܐ ܪ̈ܳܟ݂ܒܰܝ ܪ̈ܰܟ݂ܫܳܐ ܒܢ̈ܰܝ ܪ̈ܰܡܟܳܐ. אא ܐܷܓ̇ܪ̈ܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܕܰܟ݂ܬܰܒ̣ ܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܥܰܠ ܝܗ̱ܘܼܕ݂ܳܝܷ̈ܐ ܕܰܒ̣ܟ݂ܠ ܡܕ݂ܝܼ̈ܢܳܬ̣ܳܐ ܠܡܷܬ̣ܟܰܢܳܫܘܼ ܘܠܰܡܩܳܡ ܠܢܰܦ̮ܫܗܘܿܢ ܘܰܠܡܷܚܪܰܒ̣ ܘܰܠܡܷܩܛܰܠ ܘܰܠܡܳܘܒܳܕ݂ܘܼ ܠܟ݂ܠ ܐ̱ܢܳܫ ܕܰܡܥܝܼܩ ܠܗܘܿܢ ܘܰܛܠܳܝܷ̈ܐ ܘܢܷܫܷ̈ܐ ܘܩܷܢܝܳܢܗܘܿܢ ܠܒܷܙܬ̣ܳܐ. אב ܒܚܰܕ݂ ܝܘܿܡ ܕܰܒ̣ܟ݂ܠܗܷܝܢ ܡܕ݂ܝܼ̈ܢܳܬܷܗ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܐܰܚܫܝܼܪܷܫ ܒܰܬ̣ܠܳܬ̣ܥܷܣܪܷ̈ܐ ܒܝܰܪܚܳܐ ܕܰܬ̣ܪܷܥܣܰܪ ܕܗ̤ܘ ܐܳܕ݂ܳܪ. אג ܘܦܰܪܫܰܓ̣ܢܷܗ ܕܰܟ݂ܬ̣ܳܒ̣ܳܐ ܐܷܬ̣̱ܝܼܗܷܒ̣ ܒܟ݂ܠ ܡܕ݂ܝܼܢܳܐ. ܘܰܦܩܰܕ݂ ܠܟ݂ܠܗܘܿܢ ܥܰܡܡܷ̈ܐ ܕܢܷܗܘܘܿܢ ܝܗ̱ܘܼܕ݂ܳܝܷ̈ܐ ܡܛܰܝܒ̣ܝܼܢ ܠܝܳܘܡܳܐ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܕܢܷܬ̣ܦܰܪܥܘܼܢ ܡ̣ܢ ܒܥܷܠܕ̇ܒ̣ܳܒܰܝ̈ܗܘܿܢ.