Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help
1When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. 2But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. 3In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
6So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
9Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, 11“All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
12When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 13he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”
15Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16“Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
17So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
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.
