ESTHER 4

1 A saii boeih te Mordekai loh a ming. Te dongah Mordekai loh a himbai te a phen tih tlamhni neh hmaiphu a yil. Khopuei khui ah cet tih a pang khaw a len la hlut hlut pang.

Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

2 Tedae tlamhni pueinak neh manghai vongka khuila a kun uh noek pawt dongah manghai vongka hmai hil tah cet.

He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

3 A paeng, paeng boeih ah manghai kah ol neh a olkhan loh a pha nah hmuen kah Judah ham tah nguekcoinah muep om. Te dongah yaehnah, rhahnah rhaengsaelung neh, tlamhni, hmaiphu neh muep bol uh.

In every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning amongst the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 Te vaengah Esther kah hula rhoek neh a imkhoem te cet tih a taengah a puen pah dongah manghainu khaw sut poi. Te dongah Mordekai te himbai bai sak ham neh a dongkah a tlamhni te dul pah ham a tueih pah dae doe pawh.

Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.

5 Esther loh a mikhmuh ah aka thotat manghai imkhoem Hathakh te a khue tih Mordekai kawng te metla om tih mebang khaw ming hamla a uen.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

6 Hathakh khaw khopuei toltung ah manghai vongka hmai kah Mordekai taengla cet.

So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.

7 Te vaengah Mordekai loh amah aka mah boeih khaw, amih Judah, Judah milh sak ham Haman loh manghai baiphaih khuiah a paek ham tangka ciim a thui te khaw,

Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.

8 amih mitmoeng sak ham Shushan ah olkhan catlaep ca a paek te Esther tueng ham neh a taengah thui pah ham khaw Hathakh taengah a paek. Esther te manghai taengah amah hloep ham aka kun la, a pilnam ham a mikhmuh ah a moeh la uen ham khaw a taengah a thui pah.

He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

9 Hathakh te mael tih Mordekai ol te Esther taengah a thui pah.

Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 Esther loh Hathakh te a voek tih Mordekai ham te anih taengah,

Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:

11 “Manghai kah sal rhoek boeih neh pilnam khaw, manghai kah paeng long khaw, huta neh tongpa boeih khaw, a olkhan pakhat nen khaw a khue pawt ah vongup khui la manghai taengla aka mop tah a duek ham coeng ni, manghai loh a taengah sui mancai a doe bueng ni dawk a hing khaw na ming uh. Tedae kamah he manghai taengla kun ham akhaw khohnin sawmthum khuiah n'khue moenih,” tila a uen.

“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

12 Esther kah ol te Mordekai taengla a puen pauh.

They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

13 Mordekai loh Esther taengla ol a mael hamla, “Judah boeih akhaw manghai im kah tah loeih ni tila na hinglu khuiah lutlat boeh.

Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.

14 Tahae tue ah he kholak ah na ngam khaw na ngam mai khaming. Judah ham khangnah he hmuen tloe lamloh ha pai bitni. Tedae namah neh na pa imkhui loh na milh uh khaw u long a ming. Tedae hae tue vaengkah ham manghai la na poeh?” a ti nah.

For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

15 Te dongah Esther loh Mordekai taengla ol a mael tih,

Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

16 “Cet laeh, Shushan ah aka phoe Judah pum te calui lamtah kai hamla yaeh uh laeh. Khoyin khothaih hnin thum khuiah caak ca uh boeh, tui khaw o uh boeh. Kai neh ka tanu rhoek khaw te tlam te ka yaeh uh eh. Te phoeiah tah olkhan bangla a om pawt akhaw manghai taengla ka cet vetih a milh khaw ka milh mai bitni,” a ti nah.

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

17 Te dongah Mordekai te cet tih Esther loh a taengah a uen bangla boeih a saii.

So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.