Ester 3
O Livro
Hamã planeia destruir os judeus
3 Pouco tempo depois, o rei Assuero nomeou Hamã, filho de Hamedata, o agagita, como primeiro-ministro; era o mais poderoso magistrado no império, a seguir ao próprio rei. 2 Todos os outros oficiais de serviço ao portão do palácio tinham de inclinar-se reverentemente na sua presença quando por ele passavam, porque era assim que o rei tinha ordenado. Mardoqueu, porém, recusou-se a fazê-lo.
3 “Não seria melhor obedeceres às ordens do rei?”, perguntavam-lhe os outros funcionários. 4 Mas ele mantinha a mesma atitude. Por fim, foram contá-lo a Hamã, para ver se mudava de comportamento; Mardoqueu tinha-lhes explicado que a sua condição de judeu o impedia de proceder deste modo.
5-6 Hamã ficou furioso, e decidiu liquidar não apenas Mardoqueu, mas todo o povo judeu, e fazê-los desaparecer do território do reino de Assuero.
7 No primeiro mês, que é o mês de Nisan, no décimo segundo ano do reinado de Assuero, foi lançado o “pur”, isto é, as sortes, diante de Hamã, para escolher o dia e o mês em que deveria levar a cabo os seus intentos; a escolha caiu no mês de Adar[a], que é o décimo segundo mês.
8 Hamã resolveu abordar o rei sobre o assunto: “Há um povo de uma certa raça, espalhado por todas as províncias do teu reino, cujas leis são diferentes das leis das outras nações, e que se recusam obedecer às tuas; por isso, não é do interesse do rei deixá-los viver. 9 Se o rei estiver de acordo, publique um decreto que os mande destruir; eu próprio pagarei 10 000 talentos[b] de prata ao tesouro real para as despesas que essa ação implique.”
10 O rei concordou e confirmou a sua decisão, tirando o anel do dedo e dando-o a Hamã. 11 E disse-lhe: “Guarda o teu dinheiro e faz conforme achares melhor em relação a esse povo.”
12 No décimo terceiro dia do primeiro mês, Hamã chamou os secretários do rei e ditou cartas para os governadores e chefes políticos de cada província em todo o império, nas suas respetivas línguas e dialetos. Essas cartas foram escritas em nome do rei e seladas com o seu anel. 13 Foram levadas por mensageiros que se dirigiram a cada uma das províncias do império, decretando que todos os judeus, velhos e novos, mulheres e crianças, deveriam morrer num só dia, o dia 13 de Adar, e que os seus bens deveriam ser dados a quem os matasse. 14 “Uma cópia deste édito”, continuava a carta, “deverá ser tornada pública nas províncias e dada a conhecer a todo o vosso povo, para que esteja pronto no dia indicado.”
15 O édito seguiu para os seus destinos, levado pelos mensageiros mais rápidos, após ter sido proclamado primeiramente na cidade de Susã. O rei e Hamã sentaram-se satisfeitos, a comer e a beber, enquanto o pânico caía sobre a cidade.
Esther 3
New King James Version
Haman’s Conspiracy Against the Jews
3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the (A)Agagite, and (B)advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. 2 And all the king’s servants who were (C)within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai (D)would not bow or pay homage. 3 Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the (E)king’s command?” 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai (F)did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was (G)filled with wrath. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman (H)sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.
7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, (I)they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman [a]to determine the day and the [b]month, [c]until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; (J)their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. 9 If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”
10 So the king (K)took (L)his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the (M)enemy of the Jews. 11 And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”
12 (N)Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province (O)according to its script, and to every people in their language. (P)In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. 13 And the letters were (Q)sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, (R)in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and (S)to plunder their [d]possessions. 14 (T)A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. 15 The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in [e]Shushan the [f]citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but (U)the city of Shushan was [g]perplexed.
Footnotes
- Esther 3:7 Lit. from day to day and month to month
- Esther 3:7 LXX adds to destroy the people of Mordecai in one day; Vg. adds the nation of the Jews should be destroyed
- Esther 3:7 So with MT, Vg.; LXX and the lot fell on the fourteenth of the month
- Esther 3:13 LXX adds the text of the letter here
- Esther 3:15 Or Susa
- Esther 3:15 palace
- Esther 3:15 in confusion
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
