以斯帖记 4
1 末底改知道所做的这一切事，就撕裂衣服，穿麻衣，蒙灰尘，在城中行走，痛哭哀号。
And Mordecai has known all that has been done, and Mordecai tears his garments, and puts on sackcloth and ashes, and goes forth into the midst of the city and cries—a cry loud and bitter,
2 到了朝门前停住脚步，因为穿麻衣的不可进朝门。
and he comes to the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come to the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.
3 王的谕旨所到的各省各处，犹大人大大悲哀，禁食哭泣哀号，穿麻衣躺在灰中的甚多。
And in each and every province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, the Jews have a great mourning, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.
4 王后以斯帖的宫女和太监来把这事告诉以斯帖，她甚是忧愁，就送衣服给末底改穿，要他脱下麻衣，他却不受。
And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare [it] to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sends garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he has not received [them].
5 以斯帖就把王所派伺候她的一个太监，名叫哈他革召来，吩咐他去见末底改，要知道这是什么事，是什么缘故。
And Esther calls to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he has stationed before her, and gives him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this [is], and why this [is].
6 于是哈他革出到朝门前的宽阔处见末底改。
And Hatach goes out to Mordecai, to a broad place of the city, that [is] before the gate of the king,
7 末底改将自己所遇的事，并哈曼为灭绝犹大人应许捐入王库的银数都告诉了他；
and Mordecai declares to him all that has met him, and the explanation of the money that Haman said to weigh to the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them,
8 又将所抄写传遍书珊城要灭绝犹大人的旨意交给哈他革，要给以斯帖看，又要给她说明，并嘱咐她进去见王，为本族的人在王面前恳切祈求。
and the copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he has given to him, to show Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.
9 哈他革回来，将末底改的话告诉以斯帖；
And Hatach comes in and declares to Esther the words of Mordecai,
10 以斯帖就吩咐哈他革去见末底改，说：
and Esther speaks to Hatach, and charges him for Mordecai:
11 “王的一切臣仆和各省的人民都知道有一个定例：若不蒙召，擅入内院见王的，无论男女必被治死；除非王向他伸出金杖，不得存活。现在我没有蒙召进去见王已经三十日了。”
“All servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, know that any man and woman who comes to the king, into the inner court, who is not called—one law of his [is] to put [them] to death, apart from him to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, then he has lived; and I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
12 人就把以斯帖这话告诉末底改。
And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,
13 末底改托人回复以斯帖说：“你莫想在王宫里强过一切犹大人，得免这祸。
and Mordecai commands to send back to Esther: “Do not think in your soul to be delivered [in] the house of the king, more than all the Jews,
14 此时你若闭口不言，犹大人必从别处得解脱，蒙拯救；你和你父家必致灭亡。焉知你得了王后的位分不是为现今的机会吗？”
but if you keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remains to the Jews from another place, and you and the house of your fathers are destroyed; and who knows whether for a time like this you have come to the kingdom?”
15 以斯帖就吩咐人回报末底改说：
And Esther commands to send back to Mordecai:
16 “你当去招聚书珊城所有的犹大人，为我禁食三昼三夜，不吃不喝；我和我的宫女也要这样禁食。然后我违例进去见王，我若死就死吧！”
“Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, by night and by day; also I and my young women fast likewise, and so I go in to the king, that [is] not according to law, and when I have perished—I have perished.”
17 于是末底改照以斯帖一切所吩咐的去行。
And Mordecai passes on, and does according to all that Esther has charged on him.
