13 ADDITIONS TO ESTHER

gladness before Elohim, according to

HADASSAH their generations forever among His
ncnn sw people.
a a In the fourth year of the reign of
d Q And Sovereign Ahashwerosh I I Ptolemaeus and Cleopatra,
■ U laid compulsory labour on the Dositheos, who said he was a kohen
land and the islands of the sea. and Lewite, and Ptolemaeus his son,
2 And all the acts of his strength brought this letter of Purim, which they
and his might, and the exact account said was the same, and that
of the greatness of Mordekai, with Lusimakos the son of Ptolemaeus, that
which the sovereign made him great, was in Yerushalayim, had interpreted
are they not written in the book of the it.
annals of the sovereigns of Madai and 2 In the second year of the reign of
Paras? Artahshashta the great, on the first day
3 For Mordekai the Yahudi was second of the month Nisan, Mordekai the son
to Sovereign Ahashwerosh, and great of Ya'ir, the son of Shim'i, the son of
among the Yahudim and pleasing to Qish, of the tribe of Binyamin, had a
his many brothers, seeking the good of dream -
his people and speaking peace to all 3 who was a Yahudi, and dwelt in the
his seed. city of Shushan, a great man, being an
4 Then Mordekai said, "Elohim has attendant in the sovereign's court.
done these matters. 4 He was also one of the captives,
5 "For I remember a dream which I which Nebukadnetstsar the sovereign
saw concerning these matters, and of Babel carried from Yerushalayim
none of them have failed. with Yekonyah sovereign of Yahudah,
6 "A little fountain became a river, and and this was his dream:
there was light, and the sun, and 5 See, a noise of uproar, with thunder,
much water. This river is Ester, whom and earthquakes, and disruption in the
the sovereign married, and made land!
Sovereigness. 6 And, see, two great dragons came
7 "And the two dragons are Haman forth ready to fight, and their cry was
and I, great.
8 and the nations are those who were 7 And at their cry all nations were
assembled to destroy the name of the prepared for battle, that they might
Yahudim. fight against the righteous people.
9 "And my nation is this Yisra'el, which 8 And see, a day of darkness
cried to Elohim, and were saved! for and gloom, distress and anguish,
WW has saved His people, and W affliction and great uproar upon the
has delivered us from all those evils, earth.
and Elohim has wrought signs and 9 And the whole righteous nation was
great wonders, which have not been troubled, fearing their own evils, and
done among the gentiles. were prepared to perish.
10 "Therefore He has made two lots: 10 Then they cried to Elohim, and upon
one for the people of Elohim, and their cry, as it were from a little
another for all the gentiles. fountain, a great flood was made, even
11 "And these two lots came at the much water.
hour, and time, and day of judgment, 11 The light and the sun rose up, and
before Elohim among all nations." the lowly were exalted, and devoured
12 So Elohim remembered His people, the great.
and rightly-ruled His inheritance. 12 Now when Mordekai, who had seen
13 Therefore those days shall be unto this dream, and what Elohim had
them in the month Adar, the fourteenth determined to do, awoke, he regarded
and fifteenth day of the same month, this dream in mind until night, and
with an assembly, and joy, and with desired to know it by all means.
 HADASSAH ADDITIONS 14
d o And Mordekai took his rest in commands of sovereigns, so that the
■ the court with Gabatha and uniting of our reigns, with esteem
Tharra, the two eunuchs of the intended by us would not go forward.
sovereign, and guards of the palace. 5 Seeing therefore, we understand that
2 And he heard their schemes, and these people alone are continually in
searched out their purposes, and opposition to all men, differing in the
learned that they were about to lay strange manner of their Laws, and
hands upon Artahshashta the evilly disposed toward our reign,
sovereign; and so he informed the working all the evil they may that our
sovereign of them. reign may not be firmly established;
3 Then the sovereign examined the 6 therefore we have commanded that
two eunuchs, and after they had all those who are indicated in writing to
confessed it, they were hanged. you by Haman, who is appointed over
4 And the sovereign made a record of the affairs, and is next to us, shall be
these matters, and Mordekai also utterly destroyed by the sword of their
wrote of them. enemies, with all their wives and
5 So the sovereign commanded, children without any kindness or pity,
Mordekai to serve in the court, and for the fourteenth day of the twelfth month
this he rewarded him. Adar of this present year.
6 However, Haman the son of 7 That they, who of old and now also
Hammedatha the Agagite, who was are malicious, shall in one day with
great in esteem with the sovereign, violence go into the grave, and so,
sought to torture Mordekai and his from now on cause our affairs to be
people because of the two eunuchs of well settled, and without trouble.
the sovereign. 8 Then Mordekai thought upon all the
a q The copy of the letters was works of and made his prayer to
I O this: The great Sovereign Him,
Artahshashta writes these matters to 9 saying, "O Adonai the
the princes and governors that are Sovereign Almighty! For the whole
under him from Hodu to Kush in a world is in Your power, and if You have
hundred and twenty-seven provinces. appointed to save Yisra'el, there is
2 After I became ruler over many none that disputes You.
nations and reigned over the whole 10 "For You have made the shamayim
world, not lifted up with presumption and earth, and all the wonders under
of my authority, but carrying myself the shamayim.
always with straightness and kindness, 11 You are Adon of all, and there is
I purposed to settle my subjects none that resists You, who is WMd
continually in a quiet life, and make 12 "You know all, and You know,
my reign peaceable, and open for that it was neither in contempt nor
passage to the farthest coasts, to pride, nor for any desire of esteem,
renew peace, which is desired of all that I did not bow down to proud
men. Haman.
3 Now when I asked my counsellors 13 "For I could have been content for
how this might be brought to pass, the salvation of Yisra'el to kiss the
Haman, who excelled in wisdom soles of his feet with kindness.
among us, and was approved for his 14 "But I did this, that I might not prefer
continual kindness and steadfast the esteem of man above the esteem
trustworthiness, and had the esteem of <of Elohim; neither shall I worship any
the second place in the reign, but You, O Elohim, neither shall I do it
4 declared to us, that in all nations in pride.
throughout the world there was 15 And now, 0 W Elohim and
• scattered a certain malicious people, Sovereign, spare Your people, for their
that had Laws contrary to all <eyes are upon us to bring us to
nations, and continually despised the inaught! Indeed, they desire to destroy
 15 ADDITIONS TO ESTHER
the inheritance, that has been Yours to those who are naught, and do not
from the beginning. let them laugh at our fall; but turn their
16 " Do not despise the portion, which scheme upon themselves, and make
you have delivered out of Mitsrayim for an example of he who has begun this
Yourself. against us.
17 "Hear my prayer, and be kind to 12 "Remember O 'XWC make Yourself
Your inheritance. Turn our sorrow into known in the time of our affliction, and
joy, that we may live, O W*. and give me boldness, O Sovereign of the
praise Your Name, and do not destroy nations, and Adon of all power.
the mouths of those who praise you, O 13 "Give me eloquent speech in my
mouth before the lion; turn his heart to
18 All Yisra'el likewise cried most hate he who fights against us, that
earnestly to because their death there may be an end of him and of all
was before their eyes. that are like-minded as him.
d Sovereigness Ester also, being 14 "But deliver us with Your hand, and
l >■ in fear of death, came to help me, who is abandoned, and who
2 and laid aside her splendid apparel, has no other help but You.
and put on the garments of anguish 15 "You know all, O You know
and mourning. And instead of precious that I hate the esteem of the
ointments, she covered her head with unrighteous, and abhor the bed of the
ashes and dung, and she humbled her uncircumcised and of all the gentiles.
body greatly, and all the places of her 16 "You know my need; for I abhor the
joy she filled with her torn hair. sign of my high estate, which is upon
3 And she prayed to Elohim of my head in the days in which I show
Yisra'el, saying, "O Adonai, You alone myself, and that I abhor it as a
are our Sovereign. Help me, an empty menstrual cloth, and that I do not wear
woman, who has no helper but You; it when I am alone by myself,
4 for my danger is at my hand! 17 and that your female servant has
5 "From my youth I have heard in the not eaten at Haman's table, and that I
tribe of my family that You, O have not greatly esteemed the
took Yisra'el from among all people, sovereign's feast, nor drunk the wine
and our fathers from all their of the drink offerings.
forefathers, for an inheritance forever, 18 Neither has Your female servant had
and you have performed whatever You any joy since the day that I was
promised them. brought here to the present, but in You,
6 "And now we have sinned before O W, Elohim of Abraham.
You. Therefore You have given us into 19 "You O mighty Elohim above all,
the hands of our enemies, hear the voice of the destitute and
7 because we worshipped their mighty deliver us out of the hands of the evil­
ones. O You are righteous! doers, and deliver me from my fear.
8 "Nevertheless it does not satisfy a c And on the third day, when she
them that we are in bitter captivity; but I v? had ended her prayers, she put
they have vowed to their idols away her mourning garments, and put
9 that they shall abolish that which You on her splendid apparel.
have established with Your mouth, and 2 And being adorned in esteem, after
destroy Your inheritance and stop the she had called upon Elohim, who sees
mouth of those who praise You, and all and is Deliverer of all, she took two
quench the esteem of Your House and female servants with her,
of Your altar. 3 and she leaned on the one, to carry
10 "And open the mouths of the herself daintily;
gentiles to give the praises to their 4 and the other followed, bearing up
idols, and to exalt a fleshly sovereign her train.
forever. 5 And she was tanned through the
11 "O W, do not give Your sceptre perfection of her beauty, and her
 HADASSAH ADDITIONS 16
countenance was cheerful and very those who do good to them!
delightful; but her heart was in anguish 4 And not only take respect away from
for fear. among men, but also lifted up with the
6 Then having passed through all the esteemed words of wicked men that
doors, she stood before the sovereign, were never good, they think to escape
who sat upon his royal throne, and the judgment of Elohim, who sees all
was clothed with all his splendid robes, and hates evil.
all glittering with gold and precious 5 Also often flattering speech of those
stones; and he was very frightening. who are put in trust to manage the
7 Then lifting up his face that shone affairs of their friends, has caused
with splendour, he looked very fiercely many that are in authority to be
upon her. And the Sovereigness fell partakers of innocent blood, and has
down, and went pale and fainted, surrounded them in incurable evils,
and bowed herself upon the head of 6 deceiving with the falsehood and
the female servant that went before deceit of their evil disposition the
her. innocence and goodness of princes.
8 Then Elohim changed the spirit 7 Now you may see this, as we have
of the sovereign into compassion, declared, not so much by ancient
who in alarm leaped from his throne, histories, as you may, if you search
and took her in his arms till she what has been done evilly of late
came to herself again, and comforted through the corrupt behaviour of those
her with loving words and said to who are unworthily placed in authority.
her, 8 And we must guard for the time to
9 "Ester, what is the matter? I am your come, that our reign may be at rest
brother, take courage. and peaceable for all men,
10 "Though our law is established, you 9 both by changing our purposes, and
shall not die. Come near." always rightly ruling that which is
11 And so he held up his golden evident with more equal proceeding.
sceptre, and laid it upon her neck, 10 For Haman, a Makedonian, the son
12 and embraced her, and said, "Speak of Hammedatha, being indeed a
to me." foreigner of Parasian blood, and far
13 Then she said to him, "I saw you, removed from our goodness, and as a
my master, as a messenger of Elohim, foreigner received by us,
and my heart was troubled for fear of 11 had obtained the favour that we
your greatness. show toward every nation so much,
14 "For you are wondrous, master, and that he was called 'our father,' and was
your face is full of favour." continually esteemed by all being the
15 And as she was speaking, she fell second to the sovereign.
down from faintness. 12 But he, not upholding his greatness,
16 Then the sovereign was troubled, went about to deprive us of our reign
and all his servants comforted her. and life;
a r The great Sovereign 13 having by many crafty deceits also
I O Artahshashta, to the princes sought from us the destruction of
and governors of a hundred and Mordekai, who saved our life, and
twenty-seven provinces from Hodu continually worked for our good, as
to Kush, and to all our trustworthy well as blameless Ester, a member of
subjects, greetings: our reign, with their whole nation.
2 For many, the more often they are 14 For by these means he thought,
esteemed with the great bounty of their finding us lacking friends, to have the
esteemed princes, the prouder they reign of Paras transferred to the
have grown; Makedonians.
3 and do their best not only to harm our 15 But we find that the Yahudim, whom
subjects, but not being able to handle this wicked wretch has delivered to
wealth, also undertake to do against utter destruction, are not evildoers, but
 17 ADDITIONS TO ESTHER
live by most righteous Laws, the twelfth month Adar, that they may
16 and that they are children of the be avenged on those, who in the time
Most High and Almighty, living Elohim, of their affliction shall assault them.
who has appointed the reign both to us 21 For El Shaddai has turned the day
and to our forefathers in the most to joy for them, in which the chosen
excellent manner. people should have perished.
17 Therefore you shall do well not to 22 You shall therefore guard it a high
put into action the letters sent to you day among your solemn Feasts with all
by Haman the son of Hammedatha, feasting,
18 for he who was the worker of these 23 that both now and hereafter there
matters, has been hanged at the gates may be safety for us and the highly
of Shushan with all his family - Elohim, respected of Paras. But to those who
who rules over all, speedily rendering conspire against us - a remembrance
vengeance to him according to his of destruction.
deeds. 24 Therefore every city and land
19 Therefore you shall publish the copy whatever, which shall not do according
of this letter in all places, that the to these matters, shall be destroyed
Yahudim may freely live after their own without kindness with fire and sword,
Laws. and shall be made not only impassable
20 And you shall aid them, even the for men, but also greatly loathed by
same day, being the thirteenth day of wild beasts and birds forever.