Bilingual reading

The Lord removed sleep from the king that night; so he told his servant to bring in the books, the registers of daily events, to read to him.

And he found the records written concerning Mordecai, how he had told the king about the king’s two chamberlains, when they were keeping guard, and sought to lay hands on Ahasuerus.

The king said, “What honor or favor have we done for Mordecai?” The king’s servants said, “You haven’t done anything for him.”

And while the king was enquiring about the kindness of Mordecai, behold, Haman was in the court. The king said, “Who is in the court? Now Haman had come in to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows which he had prepared.

The king’s servants said, “Behold, Haman stands in the court.” And the king said, “Call him!”

The king said to Haman, “What should I do for the man whom I wish to honor?” Haman said within himself, “Whom would the king honor but myself?”

He said to the king, “As for the man whom the king wishes to honor,

let the king’s servants bring the robe of fine linen which the king puts on, and the horse on which the king rides,

and let him give it to one of the king’s noble friends, and let him dress the man whom the king loves. Let him mount him on the horse, and proclaim through the streets of the city, saying, “This is what will be done for every man whom the king honors!”

Then the king said to Haman, “You have spoken well. Do so for Mordecai the Jew, who waits in the palace, and let not a word of what you have spoken be neglected!”

So Haman took the robe and the horse, dressed Mordecai, mounted him on the horse, and went through the streets of the city, proclaiming, “This is what will be done for every man whom the king wishes to honor.”

Then Mordecai returned to the palace; but Haman went home mourning, with his head covered.

Haman related the events that had happened to him to Zeresh his wife and to his friends. His friends and his wife said to him, “If Mordecai is of the race of the Jews, and you have begun to be humbled before him, you will assuredly fall; and you will not be able to withstand him, for the living God is with him.”

While they were still speaking, the chamberlains arrived to rush Haman to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

في تِلكَ اللَّيلَة، أَرِقَ المَلِك، فأَمَرَ أَن يُؤتى بِسِفرِ الذِّكرَيات، أَي بِأَخْبارِ الأَيَّام، وقُرِئَ أَمامَ المَلِك

فوُجِدَ مَكْتوبًا أَنَّ مَردَكايَ كانَ قد أَخبَرَ عن بِجْتانا وتارَش، خَصِيَّيِ المَلِك، مِن حُرَّاسِ الأَعْتاب، اللَّذَينِ قَصَدا أَن يُلقِيا أَيدِيَهما على المَلِكِ أَحْشورُش

فقالَ المَلِك: «ماذا صُنِعَ مِنَ الإكرامِ والتَّعظيمِ لِمَردَكايَ لِأَجلِ هٰذا؟» فقالَ خَدَمُ المَلِكِ الَّذينَ يَخدِمونَه: «لم يُصنَعْ لَه شَيء»

فقالَ المَلِك: «مَن في الدَّار؟» وكانَ هامانُ قد جاءَ إِلى دارِ بَيتِ المَلِكِ الخارِجِيَّة، لِيُكَلِّمَ المَلِكَ في تَعْليقِ مَردَكايَ على الخَشَبَةِ الَّتي أَعَدَّها لَه

فقالَ لِلمَلِكِ خَدَمُه: «هُوَذا هامانُ واقِفٌ في الدَّار». فقالَ المَلِك: «لِيَدخُلْ»

فدَخَلَ هامان، فقالَ لَه المَلِك: «ماذا يُصنَعُ لِلرَّجُلِ الَّذي يَرغَبُ المَلِكُ أَن يُكرِمَه؟» فقالَ هامانُ في نَفسِه: «مَن يَرغَبُ المَلِكُ أَن يُكرِمَه أَكثَرَ مِنِّي؟»

فقالَ هامانُ لِلمَلِك: «الرَّجُلُ الَّذي يَرغَبُ المَلِكُ أَن يُكرِمَه

يأتونَه بِثِيابِ المَلِكِ الَّتي يَلبَسُها المَلِك، وبالفَرَسِ الَّذي يَركَبُه المَلِك، ويوضَعُ تاجُ المَلِكِ على رَأسِه

وتُسَلَّمُ الثِّيابُ والفَرَسُ إِلى يَدِ رَجُلٍ مِن رؤساءِ المَلِك، مِن الأَشْراف، فيُلبَسُ الرَّجُلُ الَّذي يَرغَبُ المَلِكُ أَن يُكرِمَه، ويُركَبُ على الفَرَسِ في ساحةِ المَدينَة، ويُنادى أَمامَه: هٰكذا يُصنَعُ لِلرَّجُلِ الَّذي يَرغَبُ المَلِكُ أَن يُكرِمَه»

فقالَ المَلِكُ لِهامان: «أَسرِعْ وخُذِ الثِّيابَ والفَرَسَ، كما قُلتَ، وٱصنَعْ هٰكذا لِمَردَكايَ اليَهودِيِّ الجالِسِ بِبابِ المَلِك، ولا تُهمِلْ كَلِمَةً مِن كُلِّ ما قُلتَه»

فأَخَذَ هامانُ الثِّيابَ والفَرَس، وأَلبَسَ مَردَكاي، وأَركَبَه الفَرَسَ في ساحَةِ المَدينة، ونادى أَمامَه: «هٰكذا يُصنَعُ لِلرَّجُلِ الَّذي يَرغَبُ المَلِكُ أَن يُكرِمَه»

ورَجَعَ مَردَكايُ إِلى بابِ المَلِك، وأَسرَعَ هامانُ إِلى بَيتِه حَزينًا مُغَطَّى الرَّأس

وأَخبَرَ هامانُ زارَشَ زَوجَتَه وجَميعَ أَصدِقائِه بِكُلِّ ما جَرى لَه. فقالَ لَه مُسْتشاروه وزارَشُ زَوجَتُه: «إِن كانَ مَردَكايُ الَّذي أَخَذتَ تَسقُطُ أَمامَه هو مِن نَسْلِ اليَهود، فلا تَقْوى علَيه، بل أَنتَ تَسقُطُ أَمامَه»

وفيما هم يَتَكلَّمونَ معَه، جاءَ خِصْيانُ المَلِك، وأَسرَعوا في الذَّهابِ بِهامانَ إِلى المَأدُبَةِ الَّتي أَعَدَّتها أَستير