Āstar 8
akhasverus yahoodiyon kee madad karta hai
1usee din akhasverus nay aastar malika ko yahoodiyon kay dushman haamaan ka ghar day diya. phir mardkee ko baadshaah kay saamnay laaya gaya, kyoonki aastar nay usay bata diya tha ki vah mera rishtedaar hai. 2baadshaah nay apnee unglee say vah angoothee utaaree jo muhar lagaanay kay liyay istemaal hotee thee aur jisay us nay haamaan say vaapas lay liya tha. ab us nay usay mardkee kay havaalay kar diya. us vaqt aastar nay usay haamaan kee milkiyat ka nigraan bhee bana diya.
3ek baar phir aastar baadshaah kay saamnay gir gaee aur ro ro kar iltimaas karnay lagee, “jo shareer mansooba haamaan ajaajee nay yahoodiyon kay khilaaf baandh liya hai usay rok den.” 4baadshaah nay sonay ka apna asa aastar kee taraf badhaaya, to vah uth kar us kay saamnay khadee ho gaee. 5us nay kaha, “agar baadshaah ko baat achchhee aur munaasib lagay, agar mujhay un kee meharbaanee haasil ho aur vah mujh say khush hon to vah haamaan bin hammadaata ajaajee kay us farmaan ko mansookh karen jis kay mutaabiq saltanat kay tamaam soobon men rahenay vaalay yahoodiyon ko halaak karna hai. 6agar meree qaum aur nasal museebat men phans kar halaak ho jaaay to main yah kis tarah bardaasht karoongee?”
7tab akhasverus nay aastar aur mardkee yahoodee say kaha, “main nay aastar ko haamaan ka ghar day diya. usay khud main nay yahoodiyon par hamla karnay kee vajah say phaansee dee hai. 8lekin jo bhee farmaan baadshaah kay naam men saadir hua hai aur jis par us kee angoothee kee muhar lagee hai usay mansookh naheen kiya ja sakta. lekin aap ek aur kaam kar saktay hain. meray naam men ek aur farmaan jaaree karen jis par meree muhar lagee ho. usay apnee tasallee kay mutaabiq yoon likhen ki yahoodee mahfooz ho jaaen.”
9usee vaqt baadshaah kay muharrir bulaaay gaay. teesray maheenay seevaan ka 23vaan din [a] 25 joon. tha. unhon nay mardkee kee tamaam hidaayaat kay mutaabiq farmaan likh diya jisay yahoodiyon aur tamaam 127 soobon kay gavarnaron, haakimon aur raeeson ko bhejna tha. bhaarat say lay kar ethopiya tak yah farmaan har soobay kay apnay tarz-ay-tahereer aur har qaum kee apnee zabaan men qalamband tha. yahoodee qaum ko bhee us kay apnay tarz-ay-tahereer aur us kee apnee zabaan men farmaan mil gaya. 10mardkee nay yah farmaan baadshaah kay naam men likh kar us par shaahee muhar lagaaee. phir us nay usay shaahee daak kay tezraftaar ghodon par savaar qaasidon kay havaalay kar diya. farmaan men likha tha,
11“baadshaah har shaher kay yahoodiyon ko apnay difa kay liyay jama honay kee ijaazat detay hain. agar mukhtalif qaumon aur soobon kay dushman un par hamla karen to yahoodiyon ko unhen baal-bachchon samet tabaah karnay aur halaak karkay nest-o-naabood karnay kee ijaazat hai. neez, vah un kee milkiyat par qabza kar saktay hain. 12ek hee din yaanee 12ven maheenay adaar kay 13ven din [b] 7 maarch. yahoodiyon ko baadshaah kay tamaam soobon men yah kuchh karnay kee ijaazat hai.”
13har soobay men farmaan kee qaanoonee tasdeeq karnee thee aur har qaum ko is kee khabar pahunchaanee thee taaki muqarrara din yahoodee apnay dushmanon say intiqaam lenay kay liyay tayyaar hon. 14baadshaah kay hukm par tezrau qaasid shaahee daak kay behtareen ghodon par savaar ho kar chal paday. farmaan ka elaan sosan kay qilaay men bhee hua.
15mardkee qirmizee aur safed rang ka shaahee libaas, nafees kataan aur arghvaanee rang kee chaadar aur sar par sonay ka bada taaj pahenay huay mahel say nikla. tab sosan kay baashinday naaray laga laga kar khushee manaanay lagay. 16yahoodiyon kay liyay aab-o-taab, khushee-o-shaadmaanee aur izzat-o-jalaal ka zamaana shuroo hua. 17har soobay aur har shaher men jahaan bhee baadshaah ka naya farmaan pahunch gaya, vahaan yahoodiyon nay khushee kay naaray laga laga kar ek doosray kee ziyaafat kee aur jashn manaaya. us vaqt doosree qaumon kay bahut say log yahoodee ban gaay, kyoonki un par yahoodiyon ka khauf chha gaya tha.