< 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 knew all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry.
2 Tedae tlamhni pueinak neh manghai vongka khuila a kun uh noek pawt dongah manghai vongka hmai hil tah cet.
And he came even before the king's gate, for none might enter 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.
And in every province, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among 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.
And Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it to her. And the queen was exceedingly grieved. And she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him, but he did not 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 chamberlains whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was.
6 Hathakh khaw khopuei toltung ah manghai vongka hmai kah Mordekai taengla cet.
So Hathach went forth to Mordecai to the broad place of the city, 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,
And 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 Jews to destroy them.
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.
Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to charge her that she should 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.
And 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 saying,
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, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter that he may live. But I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.
12 Esther kah ol te Mordekai taengla a puen pauh.
And 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 bade them return answer to Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shall escape in the king's house 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 thou altogether keep quiet at this time, then relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish. And who knows whether thou have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15 Te dongah Esther loh Mordekai taengla ol a mael tih,
Then Esther bade them return answer to 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 that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I also and my maidens will fast in like manner. And so I will go in to the king, which is not according to 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.

< Esther 4 >