Ɛster 4 – ASCB & NIRV

Asante Twi Contemporary Bible

Ɛster 4:1-17

Mordekai Pɛ Ɛster Mmoa

1Ɛberɛ a Mordekai hunuu asɛm a asi no, ɔtetee ne ntadeɛ mu, hyɛɛ ayitadeɛ, de nsõ huraa ne ho, de agyaadwoɔ denden faa kuropɔn no mu. 2Ɔgyinaa ahemfie no ɛpono akyi, ɛfiri sɛ wɔmma obi a ɔhyɛ ayitadeɛ no nkɔ mu. 3Na ɛberɛ a ɔhene no mmara no duruu amantam no nyinaa so no, na ɛyɛ osu ne agyaadwoɔ wɔ Yudafoɔ no mu. Wɔdii mmuada, suiɛ, twaa agyaadwoɔ a wɔn mu bebree hyehyɛ ayitadeɛ de nsõ ahura wɔn ho.

4Ɛberɛ a ɔhemmaa Ɛster mmaawa ne nʼapiafoɔ bɛkaa Mordekai ho asɛm kyerɛɛ no no, ɛhaa no yie. Ɔbrɛɛ no ntadeɛ sɛ ɔmfa nsi ayitadeɛ no anan nanso, ɔpoeɛ. 5Na Ɛster soma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ Hatak a ɔyɛ ɔhene apiafoɔ no mu baako a wɔayi no sɛ ne ɔsomfoɔ. Ɔhyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnkɔ Mordekai nkyɛn nkɔbisa no deɛ ɛreha no, ne deɛ enti a ɔretwa agyaadwoɔ saa.

6Enti, Hatak kɔɔ Mordekai nkyɛn wɔ adwaberem a ɛwɔ ahemfie no ɛpono ano. 7Mordekai kaa asɛm no nyinaa kyerɛɛ no, kaa sika a Haman ahyɛ bɔ sɛ ɔde bɛgu adehyeɛ fotoɔ no mu, nam so de atɔre Yudafoɔ no ase. 8Mordekai de mmara no sɛso a wɔyii no Susa a ɛkyerɛ sɛ wɔnkum Yudafoɔ nyinaa no baeɛ, na ɔde maa Hatak sɛ ɔmfa nkɔma Ɛster. Ɔsane frɛɛ Hatak sɛ ɔnkyerɛ mu nkyerɛ Ɛster, na ɔnsrɛ no sɛ, ɔnkɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn nkɔsrɛ no ahummɔborɔ, na ɔnka bi mma ne nkurɔfoɔ.

9Enti, Hatak sane kɔɔ Ɛster nkyɛn kɔkaa Mordekai nkra no. 10Ɛster ka kyerɛɛ Hatak sɛ, ɔnsane mfa nkra nkɔma Mordekai sɛ, 11“Ewiase nyinaa nim sɛ, obiara a wobɛkɔ ɔhene anim wɔ nʼasɛnnipiamu a wɔntoo nsa mfrɛɛ wo no, owuo na wobɛwuo gye sɛ, ɔde ne sika ahempoma no kyerɛ wo so. Na ɛbɛyɛ bosome nie no, ɔhene no nsomaa sɛ wɔmmɛfrɛ me.” 12Enti, Hatak de Ɛster nkra no kɔmaa Mordekai.

13Mordekai nso de saa mmuaeɛ yi maa Ɛster sɛ, “Ɛnsusu da biara da sɛ, sɛ wɔkunkum Yudafoɔ no nyinaa a, wobɛnya wo tiri adidi mu wɔ ahemfie hɔ. 14Na sɛ woyɛ komm wɔ ɛberɛ a ɛte sei mu a, Yudafoɔ no gyeɛ bɛtumi afiri baabi aba, nanso wo ne wʼabusuafoɔ bɛwuwu. Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wohunu sɛ, ɛberɛ a ɛte sɛɛ yi enti na wɔasi wo hemaa wɔ ahemfie.”

15Na Ɛster de mmuaeɛ yi kɔmaa Mordekai sɛ, 16“Kɔ na kɔboaboa Yudafoɔ a wɔwɔ Susa no nyinaa ano ntɛm. Nnidi anaa nnom nnansa, anadwo anaa awia. Me ne me mmaawa nso bɛyɛ saa ara. Ɛwom sɛ, ɛtia mmara deɛ, nanso, mɛkɔ akɔhunu ɔhene no na sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ mɛwu koraa a, mɛwu.”

17Enti, Mordekai kɔyɛɛ sɛdeɛ Ɛster ka kyerɛɛ no no.

New International Reader’s Version

Esther 4:1-17

Mordecai Talks Esther Into Helping the Jews

1Mordecai found out about everything that had been done. So he tore his clothes. He put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. He sat down in ashes. Then he went out into the city. He wept out loud. He cried bitter tears. 2But he only went as far as the palace gate. That’s because no one dressed in that rough clothing was allowed to go through it. 3All the Jews were very sad. They didn’t eat anything. They wept and cried. Many of them put on the rough clothing people wear when they’re sad. They were lying down in ashes. They did all these things in every territory where the king’s order and law had been sent.

4Esther’s male and female attendants came to her. They told her about Mordecai. So she became very troubled. She wanted him to take off his rough clothing. So she sent him other clothes to wear. But he wouldn’t accept them. 5Then Esther sent for Hathak. He was one of the king’s officials. He had been appointed to take care of her. She ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai. She wanted to know why he was so upset.

6So Hathak went out to see Mordecai. He was in the open area in front of the palace gate. 7Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He told him about the exact amount of money Haman had promised to add to the royal treasures. He said Haman wanted it to be used to pay some men to destroy the Jews. 8Mordecai also gave Hathak a copy of the order. It commanded people to wipe out the Jews. The order had been sent from Susa. Mordecai told Hathak to show the order to Esther. He wanted Hathak to explain it to her. Mordecai told him to tell her to go and beg the king for mercy. Mordecai wanted her to make an appeal to the king for her people.

9Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10Then Esther directed him to give an answer to Mordecai. She told him to say, 11“There is a certain law that everyone knows about. All the king’s officials know about it. The people in the royal territories know about it. It applies to any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard without being sent for. It says they must be put to death. But there is a way out. Suppose the king reaches out his gold scepter toward them. Then their lives will be spared. But 30 days have gone by since the king sent for me.”

12Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai. 13Then he sent back an answer. He said, “You live in the king’s palace. But don’t think that just because you are there you will be the only Jew who will escape. 14What if you don’t say anything at this time? Then help for the Jews will come from another place. But you and your family will die. Who knows? It’s possible that you became queen for a time just like this.”

15Then Esther sent a reply to Mordecai. She said, 16“Go. Gather together all the Jews who are in Susa. And fast for my benefit. Don’t eat or drink anything for three days. Don’t do it night or day. I and my attendants will fast just as you do. Then I’ll go to the king. I’ll do it even though it’s against the law. And if I have to die, I’ll die.”

17So Mordecai went away. He carried out all Esther’s directions.