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Ester 3
Nuova Riveduta 2006
Ester 3
Nuova Riveduta 2006
Aman, favorito del re, ottiene un decreto di morte contro i Giudei
3 (A)Dopo queste cose, il re Assuero innalzò Aman, figlio di Ammedata, l’Agaghita, alla più alta dignità e pose il suo seggio al di sopra di quelli di tutti i prìncipi che erano con lui. 2 Tutti i servitori del re che stavano alla porta del re si inchinavano e si prostravano davanti ad Aman, perché così aveva ordinato il re. Ma Mardocheo non s’inchinava né si prostrava. 3 I servitori del re che stavano alla porta del re dissero a Mardocheo: «Perché trasgredisci l’ordine del re?» 4 Per quanto glielo ripetessero tutti i giorni, egli non dava loro ascolto. Quelli riferirono la cosa ad Aman, per vedere se Mardocheo avrebbe persistito nel dire, come aveva detto loro, che era giudeo. 5 Aman vide che Mardocheo non s’inchinava né si prostrava davanti a lui, per cui ne fu irritatissimo; 6 ma gli sembrò poca cosa mettere le mani addosso a Mardocheo soltanto, poiché gli avevano detto a quale popolo Mardocheo apparteneva. Cercò quindi di distruggere il popolo di Mardocheo, cioè tutti i Giudei che si trovavano in tutto il regno di Assuero.
7 Il primo mese, cioè il mese di Nisan, il dodicesimo anno del re Assuero, si tirò il Pur, vale a dire si tirò a sorte, in presenza di Aman, un giorno dopo l’altro e un mese dopo l’altro, finché uscì designato il dodicesimo mese, cioè il mese di Adar.
8 E Aman disse al re Assuero: «C’è un popolo separato e disperso fra i popoli di tutte le province del tuo regno, le cui leggi sono diverse da quelle di ogni altro popolo e che non osserva le leggi del re; non è quindi interesse del re tollerarlo. 9 Se il re è d’accordo, si faccia un decreto per distruggerlo e io metterò diecimila talenti d’argento nelle mani dei funzionari del re, perché siano portati nel tesoro reale».
10 Allora il re si tolse di mano l’anello con il sigillo e lo diede ad Aman l’Agaghita, figlio di Ammedata, nemico dei Giudei. 11 Il re disse ad Aman: «Tieni pure il denaro e fa’ di quel popolo quello che vuoi».
12 Il tredicesimo giorno del primo mese furono chiamati i segretari del re, che scrissero, seguendo in tutto gli ordini di Aman, ai satrapi del re, ai governatori di ogni provincia e ai capi di ogni popolo, a ogni provincia secondo il suo modo di scrivere e a ogni popolo nella sua lingua. Lo scritto fu redatto in nome del re Assuero e sigillato con il sigillo reale. 13 Furono mandate delle lettere per mezzo di corrieri in tutte le province del re perché si distruggessero, si uccidessero, si sterminassero tutti i Giudei, giovani e vecchi, bambini e donne, in un medesimo giorno, il tredici del dodicesimo mese, cioè il mese di Adar, e si abbandonassero al saccheggio i loro beni. 14 Queste lettere contenevano una copia del decreto che doveva essere pubblicato in ogni provincia e invitavano tutti i popoli a tenersi pronti per quel giorno. 15 I corrieri partirono in tutta fretta per ordine del re, e il decreto fu promulgato nella residenza reale di Susa; il re e Aman se ne stavano seduti a bere, ma la città di Susa era costernata.
Esther 3
New International Version
Esther 3
New International Version
Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews
3 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,(A) elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. 2 All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.
3 Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”(B) 4 Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply.(C) Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.(D) 6 Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way(E) to destroy(F) all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,(G) throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.
7 In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur(H) (that is, the lot(I)) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.(J)
8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs(K) are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey(L) the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.(M) 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”(N)
10 So the king took his signet ring(O) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. 11 “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”
12 Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language(P) of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed(Q) with his own ring. 13 Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews(R)—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,(S) and to plunder(T) their goods. 14 A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so they would be ready for that day.(U)
15 The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.(V) The king and Haman sat down to drink,(W) but the city of Susa was bewildered.(X)
Footnotes
- Esther 3:7 Septuagint; Hebrew does not have And the lot fell on.
- Esther 3:9 That is, about 375 tons or about 340 metric tons
Esther 3
English Standard Version
Esther 3
English Standard Version
Haman Plots Against the Jews
3 After these things King Ahasuerus (A)promoted Haman (B)the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, (C)and advanced him and set his throne above all the officials who were with him. 2 And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. (D)But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. 3 Then the king's servants who were (E)at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress (F)the king's command?” 4 And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 And when Haman saw that (G)Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was (H)filled with fury. 6 But he disdained[a] to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy[b] all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, (I)they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is (J)the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. (K)Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws, so that it is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. 9 If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents[c] of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king's business, that they may put it into the king's treasuries.” 10 (L)So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman (M)the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, (N)the enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.”
12 (O)Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded, was written to the king's (P)satraps and to the governors over all the provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, (Q)to every province in its own script and every people in its own language. It was written (R)in the name of King Ahasuerus (S)and sealed with the king's signet ring. 13 Letters were sent (T)by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction (U)to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, (V)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, (W)and to plunder their goods. 14 (X)A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by proclamation to all the peoples to be ready for that day. 15 (Y)The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, (Z)but the city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
Footnotes
- Esther 3:6 Hebrew disdained in his eyes
- Esther 3:6 Or annihilate
- Esther 3:9 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms
Nuova Riveduta 2006 (NR2006)
Copyright © 2006 Società Biblica di Ginevra
New International Version (NIV) 
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English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.