The great king Artaxerxes, from India to Ethiopia, to the governors and princes of a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, which obey our command, sendeth greeting.

Rex magnus Artaxerxes ab India usque Æthiopiam, centum viginti septem provinciarum ducibus ac principibus qui nostræ jussioni obediunt, salutem dicit.

The great king Artaxerxes, to the governors of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces between India and Ethiopia, and to all his vassal chiefs, sends greeting.

Many have abused unto pride the goodness of princes, and the honour that hath been bestowed upon them:

Multi bonitate principum et honore, qui in eos collatus est, abusi sunt in superbiam:

The favour of princes has often bred insolence in those whom they advanced to high rank;

And not only endeavour to oppress the king’s subjects, but not bearing the glory that is given them, take in hand to practise also against them that gave it.

et non solum subjectos regibus nituntur opprimere, sed datam sibi gloriam non ferentes, in ipsos qui dederunt, moliuntur insidias.

they oppress their fellow-subjects, and are even prompted by their good fortune to plot against the authors of it;

Neither are they content not to return thanks for benefits received, and to violate in themselves the laws of humanity, but they think they can also escape the justice of God who seeth all things.

Nec contenti sunt gratias non agere beneficiis, et humanitatis in se jura violare, sed Dei quoque cuncta cernentis arbitrantur se posse fugere sententiam.

deaf to the claims of gratitude and of humanity, they think to escape the all-seeing scrutiny of God.

And they break out into so great madness, as to endeavour to undermine by lies such as observe diligently the offices committed to them, and do all things in such manner as to be worthy of all men’s praise,

Et in tantum vesaniæ proruperunt, ut eos qui credita sibi officia diligenter observant, et ita cuncta agunt ut omnium laude digni sint, mendaciorum cuniculis conentur subvertere,

A madness comes over them, and they assail with false charges the very men who win the praise of all by faithfulness to their duties;

While with crafty fraud they deceive the ears of princes that are well meaning, and judge of others by their own nature.

dum aures principum simplices, et ex sua natura alios æstimantes, callida fraude decipiunt.

what easier, than to abuse with calumny the confidence of an unsuspecting ruler, who fancies all men to be as honest as himself?

Now this is proved both from ancient histories, and by the things which are done daily, how the good designs of kings are depraved by the evil suggestions of certain men.

Quæ res et ex veteribus probatur historiis, et ex his quæ geruntur quotidie, quomodo malis quorumdam suggestionibus regum studia depraventur.

That men will so practise on the credulity of princes is evident both from history and from daily experience;

Wherefore we must provide for the peace of all provinces.

Unde providendum est paci omnium provinciarum.

no little foresight is needed, if the welfare of a great empire is to be preserved.

Neither must you think, if we command different things, that it cometh of the levity of our mind, but that we give sentence according to the quality and necessity of times, as the profit of the commonwealth requireth.

Nec putare debetis, si diversa jubeamus, ex animi nostri venire levitate, sed pro qualitate et necessitate temporum, ut reipublicæ poscit utilitas, ferre sententiam.

The orders given yesterday must be reversed to-day; not from any caprice of ours, but because we have to consider the changing needs of the moment, in the best interests of the commonwealth.

Now that you may more plainly understand what we say, Aman the son of Amadathi, a Macedonian both in mind and country, and having nothing of the Persian blood, but with his cruelty staining our goodness, was received being a stranger by us:

Et ut manifestius quod dicimus intelligatis, Aman filius Amadathi, et animo et gente Macedo, alienusque a Persarum sanguine, et pietatem nostram sua crudelitate commaculans, peregrinus a nobis susceptus est:

But to our matter. We took under our protection, some time since, one Aman, son of Amadathi, a stranger; a Macedonian by race, with no share of our Persian blood, a Macedonian in his nature, whose cruel temper sorts ill with our Persian kindliness.

And found our humanity so great towards him, that he was called our father, and was worshipped by all as the next man after the king:

et tantam in se expertus humanitatem, ut pater noster vocaretur, et adoraretur ab omnibus post regem secundus:

He received from us nothing but friendly usage; we would have him called our father, we would have reverence paid to him as one that stood next to the king’s person.

But he was so far puffed up with arrogancy, as to go about to deprive us of our kingdom and life.

qui in tantum arrogantiæ tumorem sublatus est, ut regno privare nos niteretur et spiritu.

And he? So was his heart swelled with pride, that he went about to deprive us of our royalty, and of life itself.

For with certain new and unheard of devices he hath sought the destruction of Mardochai, by whose fidelity and good services our life was saved, and of Esther the partner of our kingdom, with all their nation:

Nam Mardochæum, cujus fide et beneficiis vivimus, et consortem regni nostri Esther cum omni gente sua, novis quibusdam atque inauditis machinis expetivit in mortem:

First, with daring unheard-of, he would compass the death of two persons, through the general massacre of their race; Mardochaeus, to whose loyalty we owe life itself, and Esther, the queen-consort of our realm.

Thinking that after they were slain, he might work treason against us left alone without friends, and might transfer the kingdom of the Persians to the Macedonians.

hoc cogitans ut illis interfectis, insidiaretur nostræ solitudini, et regnum Persarum transferret in Macedonas.

Then, when their deaths had left us unbefriended, he would plot against our own empire and transfer it to the Macedonians.

But we have found that the Jews, who were by that most wicked man appointed to be slain, are in no fault at all, but contrariwise, use just laws,

Nos autem a pessimo mortalium Judæos neci destinatos, in nulla penitus culpa reperimus, sed e contrario justis utentes legibus,

Meanwhile, the race this inhuman wretch had marked down for slaughter, the Jewish race, proves to have deserved no blame whatever. The laws they follow are just;

And are the children of the highest and the greatest, and the ever living God, by whose benefit the kingdom was given both to our fathers and to us, and is kept unto this day.

et filios altissimi et maximi semperque viventis Dei, cujus beneficio et patribus nostris et nobis regnum est traditum, et usque hodie custoditur.

they are the children of that most high, most powerful and ever-living God by whose favour my fathers won this realm, and I maintain it.

Wherefore know ye that those letters which he sent in our name, are void and of no effect.

Unde eas litteras, quas sub nomine nostro ille direxerat, sciatis esse irritas.

Take note, then, that the directions which were sent out by Aman under our name are to be left unheeded.

For which crime both he himself that devised it, and all his kindred hang on gibbets, before the gates of this city Susan: not we, but God repaying him as he deserved.

Pro quo scelere ante portas hujus urbis, id est, Susan, et ipse qui machinatus est, et omnis cognatio ejus pendet in patibulis: non nobis, sed Deo reddente ei quod meruit.

He, the author of this plot, hangs now on a gibbet, here at the gates of Susan, with all his kindred; to God, not to us, thanks are due that he has received his deserts.

But this edict, which we now send, shall be published in all cities, that the Jews may freely follow their own laws.

Hoc autem edictum, quod nunc mittimus, in cunctis urbibus proponatur, ut liceat Judæis uti legibus suis.

The decree we are now sending you, giving the Jews liberty to follow their own laws, is to be posted up in every city of the realm;

And you shall aid them that they may kill those who had prepared themselves to kill them, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is called Adar.

Quibus debetis esse adminiculo, ut eos qui se ad necem eorum paraverant, possint interficere tertiadecima die mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar.

and you must furnish them with the means to make an end of all those who would have compassed their murder, on the thirteenth day of Adar, the last month of the year.

For the almighty God hath turned this day of sadness and mourning into joy to them.

Hanc enim diem, Deus omnipotens, mœroris et luctus, eis vertit in gaudium.

Here is a day marked down for mourning and lament, turned by God Almighty into a day of triumph for them;

Wherefore you shall also count this day among other festival days, and celebrate it with all joy, that it may be known also in times to come,

Unde et vos inter ceteros festos dies, hanc habetote diem, et celebrate eam cum omni lætitia, ut et in posterum cognoscatur,

you too must keep it as one of the year’s holidays, and observe it with due rejoicing; so making it known to posterity

That all they who faithfully obey the Persians, receive a worthy reward for their fidelity: but they that are traitors to their kingdom, are destroyed for their wickedness.

omnes qui fideliter Persis obediunt, dignam pro fide recipere mercedem; qui autem insidiantur regno eorum, perire pro scelere.

that Persia’s loyal subjects are well rewarded for their loyalty, and that all who plot against her sovereignty atone for their crime with death.

And let every province and city, that will not be partaker of this solemnity, perish by the sword and by fire, and be destroyed in such manner as to be made unpassable, both to men and beasts, for an example of contempt, and disobedience.

Omnis autem provincia et civitas quæ noluerit solemnitatis hujus esse particeps, gladio et igne pereat, et sic deleatur, ut non solum hominibus, sed etiam bestiis invia sit in sempiternum, pro exemplo contemptus et inobedientiæ.

Be there province or city that will not take its part in this observance, let it be laid waste with fire and sword; man nor beast shall tread its ways hereafter; to warn men what doom they suffer, that set edict of ours at defiance.