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 rọ Esteri láti ràn àwọn Júù lọ́wọ́
1Nígbà tí Mordekai gbọ́ gbogbo nǹkan tí ó ṣẹlẹ̀, ó fa aṣọ rẹ̀ ya, ó wọ aṣọ ọ̀fọ̀, ó sì fi eérú kun ara, ó jáde lọ sí inú ìlú ó kígbe sókè ó sì sọkún kíkorò. 2Ṣùgbọ́n ó lọ sí ẹnu-ọ̀nà ọba nìkan, nítorí kò sí ẹnìkan tí ó wọ aṣọ ọ̀fọ̀ tì a gbà láààyè láti wọ ibẹ̀. 3Ní gbogbo ìgbèríko tí àṣẹ ikú ọba dé, ọ̀fọ̀ ńlá dé bá àwọn Júù, pẹ̀lú àwẹ̀, ẹkún àti ìpohùnréré ẹkún. Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ wà nínú aṣọ ọ̀fọ̀ tí wọ́n fi eérú kúnra.
4Nígbà tí àwọn ìránṣẹ́bìnrin àti àwọn ìwẹ̀fà Esteri wá, wọ́n sọ nípa Mordekai fún un, ayaba sì wà nínú ìbànújẹ́ ńlá. Ó fi aṣọ ránṣẹ́ sí i kí ó wọ̀ ọ́ dípò aṣọ ọ̀fọ̀ tí ó wọ̀, ṣùgbọ́n òun kò gbà wọ́n. 5Nígbà náà ni Esteri pe Hataki, ọ̀kan nínú àwọn ìwẹ̀fà ọba tí a yàn láti máa jíṣẹ́ fún un, ó pàṣẹ fún un pé kí ó béèrè ohun tí ó ń dààmú Mordekai àti ohun tí ó ṣe é.
6Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni Hataki jáde lọ bá Mordekai ní ìta gbangba ìlú níwájú ẹnu-ọ̀nà ọba. 7Mordekai sọ ohun gbogbo tí ó ṣẹlẹ̀ fún un, papọ̀ pẹ̀lú iye owó tí Hamani ti ṣe ìpinnu láti san sínú àpò ìṣúra ọba fún ìparun àwọn Júù. 8Ó sì tún fún un ní ọ̀kan lára ìwé tí ó gbé jáde fún ìparun wọn, èyí tí a tẹ̀ jáde ní Susa, láti fihan Esteri kí ó sì ṣe àlàyé e rẹ̀ fún un, ó sì sọ fún un pé kí ó bẹ̀ ẹ́ kí ó lọ síwájú ọba láti bẹ̀bẹ̀ fún àánú, kí ó bẹ̀bẹ̀ nítorí àwọn ènìyàn rẹ̀.
9Hataki padà ó sì lọ ṣàlàyé fún Esteri ohun tí Mordekai sọ. 10Nígbà náà ni Esteri pàṣẹ fún Hataki pé kí ó sọ fún Mordekai, 11“Gbogbo àwọn ìjòyè ọba àti àwọn ènìyàn agbègbè ìjọba rẹ̀ mọ̀ wí pé: fún ẹnikẹ́ni ọkùnrin tàbí obìnrin kan tàbí tí ó bá bá ọba sọ̀rọ̀ láìjẹ́ pé a ránṣẹ́ pè é (ọba ti gbé òfin kan kalẹ̀ pé) kíkú ni yóò kú. Ohun kan tí ó le yẹ èyí ni pé, kí ọba na ọ̀pá wúrà rẹ̀ sí i kí ó sì dá ẹ̀mí rẹ sí. Ṣùgbọ́n, ọgbọ̀n ọjọ́ ti kọjá tí a ti pè mí láti lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ ọba.”
12Nígbà tí a sọ ọ̀rọ̀ Esteri fún Mordekai, 13Nígbà náà ni Mordekai sọ kí a dá Esteri lóhùn pé; “Má ṣe rò nínú ara rẹ pé nítorí pé ìwọ wà ní ilé ọba ìwọ nìkan là láàrín gbogbo àwọn Júù. 14Nítorí bí ìwọ bá dákẹ́ ní àkókò yìí, ìrànlọ́wọ́ àti ìtúsílẹ̀ fún àwọn Júù yóò dìde láti ibòmíràn, ṣùgbọ́n ìwọ àti àwọn ìdílé baba à rẹ yóò ṣègbé. Ta ni ó mọ̀ wí pé nítorí irú àkókò yìí ni o ṣe wà ní ipò ayaba?”
15Nígbà náà ni Esteri rán iṣẹ́ yìí sí Mordekai: 16“Lọ, kí o kó gbogbo àwọn Júù tí ó wà ní Susa jọ, kí ẹ sì gbààwẹ̀ fún mi. Ẹ má ṣe jẹun tàbí omi fún ọjọ́ mẹ́ta, ní òru àti ní ọ̀sán. Èmi àti àwọn ìránṣẹ́bìnrin mi náà yóò gbààwẹ̀ gẹ́gẹ́ bí ẹ̀yin náà ti ṣe. Nígbà tí ẹ bá ṣe èyí, èmi yóò tọ ọba lọ, bí ó tilẹ̀ jẹ́ pé ó lòdì sí òfin. Bí mo bá sì ṣègbé, mo ṣègbé.”
17Bẹ́ẹ̀ ni Mordekai lọ, ó sì sọ gbogbo ohun tí Esteri pàṣẹ fún un.
