The Reading of The Book of Esther

וַיְהִי בִּימֵי אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הוּא אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ הַמֹּלֵךְ מֵהֹדּוּ וְעַד־כּוּשׁ שֶׁבַע וְעֶשְׂרִים וּמֵאָה מְדִינָה׃

vai-Y’-hee b’-Y’-may a-khash-VE-rosh, HU a-khash-VE-rosh ha-m’-LEKH may-HO-du v’-ad-KUSH, SHE-va v’-e-s’-reem u-m’-a, m’-dee-NAH

It happened in the days of Ahasuerus—that Ahasuerus who reigned over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia.

אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה כְּשֹׁךְ חֲמַת הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ זָכַר אֶת־וַשְׁתִּי וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר־עָשָׂתָה וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר־נִגְזַר עָלֶיהָ׃

a-KHAR ha-d’-va-REEM ha-E-leh k’-SHOKH kha-MAT ha-ME-lekh a-kha-sh’-VE-rosh za-KHAR et va-SHE-tee v’-et a-SHER a-SA-ta v’-et a-SHER n’-G’-zar a-LE-ha

Some time afterward, when the anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he thought of Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.

אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה גִּדַּל הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ אֶת־הָמָן בֶּן־הַמְּדָתָא הָאֲגָגִי וַיְנַשְּׂאֵהוּ וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת־כִּסְאוֹ מֵעַל כָּל־הַשָּׂרִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ׃

a-KHAR ha-d’-va-REEM ha-E-leh gi-DAL ha-ME-lekh a-khash-VE-rosh et ha-MAN ben ha-m’-da-TA ha-a-ga-GEE va-y’-na-s’-EHU va-YA-sem et kis-O may-AL kol ha-sa-REEM a-SHER i-TO

Some time afterward, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite; he advanced him and seated him higher than any of his fellow officials.

וּמָרְדֳּכַי יָדַע אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה וַיִּקְרַע מָרְדֳּכַי אֶת־בְּגָדָיו וַיִּלְבַּשׁ שַׂק וָאֵפֶר וַיֵּצֵא בְּתוֹךְ הָעִיר וַיִּזְעַק זְעָקָה גְדֹלָה וּמָרָה׃

u-mor-DO-khai ya-DA ayt kol a-SHER na-a-SA, va-yik-RA mor-DO-khai et b’-ga-DAV, va-yil-BASH sak va-E-fer, va-YAY-tse b’-TOCH ha-iR, va-YIZ-aK ze-A-kah g’-DO-lah u-ma-RAH.

When Mordechai learned all that had happened, Mordechai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went through the city, crying out loudly and bitterly,

וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַתִּלְבַּשׁ אֶסְתֵּר מַלְכוּת וַתַּעֲמֹד בַּחֲצַר בֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְ הַפְּנִימִית נֹכַח בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב עַל־כִּסֵּא מַלְכוּתוֹ בְּבֵית הַמַּלְכוּת נֹכַח פֶּתַח הַבָּיִת׃

vai-HI ba-YOM ha-sh’-li-SHI va-TIL-bash es-TAYR mal-KHUT va-ta-a-MOD ba-cha-TZAR bayt-ha-ME-lekh ha-pe-NI-mit no-KHAKH bayt ha-ME-lekh v’-ha-ME-lekh yo-SHEV al-ki-SAY mal-KHU-to b’-bayt ha-MAL-khut no-KHAKH pe-TAKH ha-ba-YIT

On the third day, Esther put on royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, facing the king’s palace, while the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room facing the entrance of the palace.

בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא נָדְדָה שְׁנַת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לְהָבִיא אֶת־סֵפֶר הַזִּכְרֹנוֹת דִּבְרֵי הַיָּמִים וַיִּהְיוּ נִקְרָאִים לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ׃

ba-LAI-lah ha-HU na-d’-DAH sh’-NAT ha-ME-lekh va-YO-mer l’-ha-VEE et SAY-fer ha-zikh-ro-NOT div-RAY ha-ya-MEEM va-yih-YU nik-ra-EEM lif-NAY ha-ME-lekh

That night, sleep deserted the king, and he ordered the book of records, the annals, to be brought; and it was read to the king.

וַיָּבֹא הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהָמָן לִשְׁתּוֹת עִם־אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה׃

va-ya-VO ha-ME-lekh v’-ha-MAN lish-TOT im es-TAYR ha-mal-KAH

So the king and Haman came to feast with Queen Esther.

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נָתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ לְאֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה אֶת־בֵּית הָמָן צֹרֵר היהודיים [הַיְּהוּדִים] וּמָרְדֳּכַי בָּא לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ כִּי־הִגִּידָה אֶסְתֵּר מַה הוּא־לָהּ׃

ba-YOM ha-HU na-TAN ha-ME-lekh a-khash-VE-rosh l’-es-TEIR ha-MAL-kah et-BEIT ha-MAN tzo-RAYR (ha-YE-hu-DEE-yim) [ha-ye-HU-deem] u-mor-do-KHAI ba LA-fi-NEI ha-ME-lekh kee-hi-GEE-da es-TEIR mah HU-la.

That very day King Ahasuerus gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Yehudim, to Queen Esther. Mordechai presented himself to the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her.

וּבִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ הוּא־חֹדֶשׁ אֲדָר בִּשְׁלוֹשָׁה עָשָׂר יוֹם בּוֹ אֲשֶׁר הִגִּיעַ דְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְדָתוֹ לְהֵעָשׂוֹת בַּיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר שִׂבְּרוּ אֹיְבֵי הַיְּהוּדִים לִשְׁלוֹט בָּהֶם וְנַהֲפוֹךְ הוּא אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁלְטוּ הַיְּהוּדִים הֵמָּה בְּשֹׂנְאֵיהֶם׃

u-vi-sh’-NEEM a-SAR kho-DESH hoo-kho-DESH a-daR bi-sh’-lo-SHA a-SAR yoM bo a-SHER hi-GEE-a d’-var ha-ME-lekh v’-da-TO l’-he-a-SOT ba-YOM a-SHER si-b’-RU oy-VAY ha-y’-hu-DEEM li-sh’-LOT ba-HEM v’-na-ha-FOKH hu a-SHER yish-l’-TU ha-y’-hu-DEEM hay-MAH b’-so-n’-AY-hem

And so, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month—that is, the month of Adar—when the king’s command and decree were to be executed, the very day on which the enemies of the Yehudim had expected to get them in their power, the opposite happened, and the Yehudim got their enemies in their power.

וַיָּשֶׂם הַמֶּלֶךְ אחשרש [אֲחַשְׁוֵרוֹשׁ ] מַס עַל־הָאָרֶץ וְאִיֵּי הַיָּם׃

vai-YA-sem ha-ME-lekh (a-KHA-sher-ASH) [a-khash-VE-vosh] mas al ha-A-retz v’-i-YAY ha-YAM

King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the mainland and the islands.