Esther Addition B— King's First Decree

This is a copy of the letter: 'The Great King Artaxerxes writes as follows to the governors of the one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia and to their subordinate officials:'

Greek: Τόδε ἐστὶν τὸ ἀντίγραφον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς

'Having become ruler over many nations and sovereign of the whole inhabited world — not elated by the presumption of authority but governing always with moderation and kindness —'

Greek: ἄρχων πολλῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ κρατήσας πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης

'I have resolved to secure for my subjects a life of perpetual tranquility, and by making my kingdom peaceable and passable to its farthest borders, to restore the peace that all people desire.'

Greek: βουλόμενος τοῖς ὑπηκόοις ἀτάραχον παρέχεσθαι τὸν βίον

'When I inquired of my counselors how this might be accomplished, Haman — who excels among us in sound judgment and is distinguished for his constant goodwill and unwavering loyalty, and who has attained the second rank in the kingdom —'

Greek: πυθόμενος δὲ παρὰ τῶν συμβούλων

'has pointed out to us that scattered among all the nations throughout the world there is a certain hostile people whose laws are contrary to those of every nation, who continually disregard the ordinances of kings,'

Greek: ἐπέδειξεν ἡμῖν ἔθνος τι δυσμενές

'so that the government we honorably direct cannot be brought to stability. We understand that this people — and this people alone — stands in constant opposition to every nation,'

Greek: μηδαμῶς εἰς εὐστάθειαν τὰ πράγματα ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν κατευθυνόμενα

'We have therefore decreed that those designated to you in the letters of Haman — who is over the affairs of state and is our second father — shall all, together with their wives and children, be utterly destroyed by the swords of their enemies, without any pity or mercy, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, of the present year,'

Greek: προστετάχαμεν οὖν τοὺς σημαινομένους ὑμῖν ἐν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ὑπὸ Αμαν