Chapter 3

[] Meta ta pragmata tauta emegalunen o basileuV AssouhrhV ton Aman, ton uion tou Ammedaqa tou Agagitou, kai uywsen auton kai eqese ton qronon autou uperanw pantwn twn arcontwn twn peri auton.

Kai panteV oi douloi tou basilewV, oi en th basilikh pulh, eklinon kai prosekunoun ton Aman× dioti outw prosetaxen o basileuV peri autou. O MarodocaioV omwV den ekline kai den prosekunei auton.

Kai eipon oi douloi tou basilewV, oi en th basilikh pulh, proV ton Marodocaion, Dia ti su parabaineiV thn prostaghn tou basilewV;

Afou de kaq' hmeran elegon proV auton, kai ekeinoV den uphkouen eiV autouV, aphggeilan touto proV ton Aman, dia na idwsin an oi logoi tou Marodocaiou hsan stereoi× dioti eice fanerwsei proV autouV oti hto IoudaioV.

Kai ote o Aman eiden oti o MarodocaioV den ekline kai den prosekunei auton, eneplhsqh qumou o Aman.

Kai estocasqh tapeinon na balh ceira epi monon ton Marodocaion× dioti eicon fanerwsei proV auton ton laon tou Marodocaiou× oqen ezhtei o Aman na afanish pantaV touV IoudaiouV touV en panti tw basileiw tou Assouhrou, ton laon tou Marodocaiou.

[] Kai en tw prwtw mhni, outoV einai o mhn Nisan, en tw dwdekatw etei tou basilewV Assouhrou, erriyan four, hgoun klhron, enwpion tou Aman, apo hmeraV eiV hmeran kai apo mhnoV eiV mhna, mecri tou dwdekatou mhnoV, outoV einai o mhn Adar.

Kai eipen o Aman proV ton basilea Assouhrhn, Uparcei tiV laoV diesparmenoV kai diakecwrismenoV metaxu twn lawn kata pasaV taV eparciaV tou basileiou sou× kai oi nomoi autwn diaforoi twn nomwn pantwn twn lawn, kai den fulattousi touV nomouV tou basilewV× oqen den armozei eiV ton basilea na upoferh autouV×

ean hnai areston eiV ton basilea, aV grafh na exoloqreuqwsi kai egw qelw metrhsei deka ciliadaV talantwn arguriou eiV taV ceiraV twn oikonomwn dia na ferwsin eiV ta qhsaurofulakia tou basilewV.

Kai ekbalwn o basileuV to daktulidion autou apo thV ceiroV autou, edwken auto eiV ton Aman ton uion tou Ammedaqa tou Agagitou, ton ecqron twn Ioudaiwn,

Kai eipen o basileuV proV ton Aman× to argurion didetai eiV se, kai o laoV, dia na kamhV eiV auton opwV soi areskei.

Kai proseklhqhsan oi grammateiV tou basilewV thn dekathn trithn hmeran tou prwtou mhnoV, kai egrafh kata panta osa prosetaxen o Aman, proV touV satrapaV tou basilewV kai proV touV dioikhtaV touV kata pasan eparcian kai proV touV arcontaV ekastou laou pashV eparciaV kata to grafein autwn, kai proV ekaston laon kata thn glwssan autwn× en onomati tou basilewV Assouhrou egrafh kai esfragisqh me to daktulidion tou basilewV.

Kai estalhsan grammata dia tacudromwn eiV pasaV taV eparciaV tou basilewV, dia na afaniswsi, na foneuswsi kai na exoloqreuswsi pantaV touV IoudaiouV, neouV kai gerontaV, nhpia kai gunaikaV, en mia hmera, thn dekathn trithn tou dwdekatou mhnoV, outoV einai o mhn Adar, kai na diarpaswsi ta uparconta autwn.

To antigrafon thV epistolhV, to proV diadosin tou prostagmatoV kata pasan eparcian, edhmosieuqh proV pantaV touV laouV, dia na hnai etoimoi en ekeinh th hmera.

Oi tacudromoi exhlqon, speudonteV dia thn prostaghn tou basilewV, kai h diatagh exedoqh en SousoiV th basileuoush. O de basileuV kai o Aman ekaqhsan na sumposiaswsin× h de poliV Sousa hto en amhcania.