Esther Chapter 16

Other Translations

vul1914 (vul1914) - Vulgate 1914 UTF-8 (sacredbible.org)

1 Rex magnus Artaxerxes ab India usque Æthiopiam centum vigintiseptem provinciarum ducibus ac principibus, qui nostræ iussioni obediunt, salutem dicit.

2 Multi bonitate principum et honore, qui in eos collatus est, abusi sunt in superbiam:

3 et non solum subiectos regibus nituntur opprimere, sed datam sibi gloriam non ferentes, in ipsos, qui dederunt, moliuntur insidias.

4 Nec contenti sunt gratias non agere beneficiis, et humanitatis in se iura violare, sed Dei quoque cuncta cernentis arbitrantur se posse fugere sententiam.

5 Et in tantum vesaniæ proruperunt, ut eos, qui credita sibi officia diligenter observant, et ita cuncta agunt ut omnium laude digni sint, mendaciorum cuniculis conentur subvertere,

6 dum aures principum simplices, et ex sua natura alios æstimantes, callida fraude decipiunt.

7 Quæ res et ex veteribus probatur historiis, et ex his, quæ geruntur quotidie, quo modo malis quorumdam suggestionibus regum studia depraventur.

8 Unde providendum est paci omnium provinciarum.

9 Nec putare debetis, si diversa iubeamus, ex animi nostri venire levitate, sed pro qualitate et necessitate temporum, ut reipublicæ poscit utilitas, ferre sententiam.

10 Et ut manifestius quod dicimus, intelligatis, Aman filius Amadathi, et animo et gente Macedo, alienusque a Persarum sanguine, et pietatem nostram sua crudelitate commaculans, peregrinus a nobis susceptus est:

11 et tantam in se expertus humanitatem, ut pater noster vocaretur, et adoraretur ab omnibus post regem secundus:

12 qui in tantum arrogantiæ tumorem sublatus est, ut regno privare nos niteretur et spiritu.

13 Nam Mardochæum, cuius fide et beneficiis vivimus, et consortem regni nostri Esther cum omni gente sua novis quibusdam atque inauditis machinis expetivit in mortem:

14 hoc cogitans ut illis interfectis, insidiaretur nostræ solitudini, et regnum Persarum transferret in Macedonas.

15 Nos autem a pessimo mortalium Iudæos neci destinatos, in nulla penitus culpa reperimus, sed econtrario iustis utentes legibus,

16 et filios altissimi et maximi, semperque viventis Dei, cuius beneficio et patribus nostris et nobis regnum est traditum, et usque hodie custoditur.

17 Unde eas litteras, quas sub nomine nostro ille direxerat, sciatis esse irritas.

18 Pro quo scelere ante portas huius urbis, id est, Susan, et ipse qui machinatus est, et omnis cognatio eius pendet in patibulis: non nobis, sed Deo reddente ei quod meruit.

19 Hoc autem edictum, quod nunc mittimus, in cunctis urbibus proponatur, ut liceat Iudæis uti legibus suis.

20 Quibus debetis esse adminiculo, ut eos, qui se ad necem eorum paraverant, possint interficere tertiadecima die mensis duodecimi, qui vocatur Adar.

21 hanc enim diem, Deus omnipotens, mœroris et luctus, eis vertit in gaudium.

22 Unde et vos inter ceteros festos dies, hanc habetote diem, et celebrate eam cum omni lætitia, ut et in posterum cognoscatur,

23 omnes, qui fideliter Persis obediunt, dignam pro fide recipere mercedem: qui autem insidiantur regno eorum, perire pro scelere.

24 Omnis autem provincia et civitas, quæ noluerit sollemnitatis huius esse particeps, gladio et igne pereat, et sic deleatur, ut non solum hominibus, sed etiam bestiis invia sit in sempiternum, pro exemplo contemptus, et inobedientiæ.

Explanations by Age Level

Explain Like I'm 5

A long, long time ago, there was nothing at all - no earth, no sky, no animals, no people. It was all dark and empty. But God was there! God is so powerful that He can make anything just by speaking. So God said "Let there be light!" and BOOM! There was light everywhere! God saw that the light was beautiful and good. He called the light "day" and the darkness "night." This was the very first day when God started making our wonderful world!

Explain Like I'm 10

Before anything existed - no planets, stars, or life - God decided to create the universe. The earth started out as a dark, empty place covered with water. But God's Spirit was there, ready to bring order and beauty to everything. When God spoke and said "Let there be light," light immediately appeared because God's words have incredible power. God looked at the light and was pleased with what He had made. He organized time by separating light (day) from darkness (night), creating the first 24-hour period. This shows us that God is organized and purposeful in everything He does.

Explain Like I'm 15

Genesis 1:1-5 establishes fundamental theological truths about God and creation. The Hebrew word "bara" (created) indicates creation from nothing (ex nihilo), demonstrating God's absolute sovereignty and power. The phrase "without form and void" (tohu wa-bohu) describes a state of chaos that God transforms into order. The Spirit of God "hovering" or "brooding" over the waters suggests active, caring involvement in creation. The creation of light before the sun (created on day 4) indicates that God Himself is the ultimate source of light and energy. The establishment of day and night creates the framework of time, showing that God operates within orderly patterns while transcending them. This passage refutes both atheistic materialism and pantheism, establishing that God is both transcendent (separate from creation) and immanent (actively involved in it).