Ester 4
1 Da Mordokaj fik at vide alt, hvad der var sket, sønderrev han sine Klæder, klædte sig i Sæk og Aske og gik ud i Byen og udstødte høje Veraab;
When Mordecai found out about those [letters, he was so anguished that] he tore his clothes and put on [rough] sackcloth and [threw] ashes over himself. Then he went into the city, crying very loudly.
2 og han kom hen paa Pladsen foran Kongens Port, men heller ikke længere, fordi det ikke var tilladt at gaa ind i Kongens Port, naar man var klædt i Sæk.
He stood outside the gate of the palace, because no one who was wearing sackcloth was allowed to enter the palace.
3 Og i hver eneste Landsdel, overalt, hvor Kongens Bud og Forordning naaede hen, var der blandt Jøderne stor Sorg og Faste, Graad og Klage, og mange af dem redte sig et Leje af Sæk og Aske.
In every province [of the empire], when the letter from the king was read to the Jewish people, they cried and mourned. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), and wailed loudly. Many of them also put on sackcloth and threw ashes on themselves and lay [on the ground].
4 Da nu Esters Piger og Hofmænd kom og fortalte hende det, grebes Dronningen af heftig Smerte; og hun sendte Klæder ud til Mordokaj, for at man skulde give ham dem paa og tage Sørgeklæderne af ham; men han tog ikke imod dem.
When Esther’s maids and other officials came to her and told her what Mordecai had done, she was very distressed. So she sent to Mordecai [some good] clothes to wear instead of the sackcloth, but he refused to take them.
5 Da lod Ester Hatak, en af Kongens Hofmænd, som han havde stillet til hendes Tjeneste, kalde, og sendte ham til Mordokaj for at faa at vide, hvad det skulde betyde, og hvad Grunden var dertil.
Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s officials whom he had appointed to help take care of Esther. She told him to go [out and talk] to Mordecai to find out what was distressing him and why [he was wearing sackcloth to show] that he was grieving.
6 Da Hatak kom ud til Mordokaj paa Byens Torv foran Kongens Port,
Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the plaza in front of the palace gate.
7 fortalte Mordokaj ham alt, hvad der var hændt ham, og opgav ham nøje, hvor meget Sølv Haman havde lovet at tilveje Kongens Skatkamre for at faa Lov til at tilintetgøre Jøderne.
Mordecai told him everything that had happened. He told him how much money Haman had promised to give to the government if the king commanded that all the Jews be killed.
8 Desuden gav han ham en Afskrift af Skrivelsen med den i Susan udgaaede Forordning om at udrydde dem, for at han skulde vise Ester den og tilkendegive hende det og paalægge hende at gaa ind til Kongen og bede ham om Naade og gaa i Forbøn hos ham for sit Folk.
Mordecai also gave to Hathach a copy of the decree that had been read in Susa, [in which it was stated] that all the Jews must be killed. He told Hathach to show the copy to Esther. He told Hathach to explain to Esther what (it meant/would happen). Then he told him to urge her to go to the king and request the king to act mercifully to her people.
9 Hatak gik saa ind og lod Ester vide, hvad Mordokaj havde sagt.
So Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.
10 Men Ester sendte Hatak til Mordokaj med følgende Svar:
Then Esther told Hathach to [return to] Mordecai [and] tell this [to him]:
11 »Alle Kongens Tjenere og Folkene i Kongens Lande ved, at der for enhver, Mand eller Kvinde, som ukaldet gaar ind til Kongen i den inderste Gaard, kun gælder een Lov, den, at han skal lide Døden, medmindre Kongen rækker sit gyldne Scepter ud imod ham; i saa Fald beholder han Livet. Men jeg har nu i tredive Dage ikke været kaldt til Kongen!«
“There is a law [about people going to talk to the king]. All the king’s officials and all the people in the empire know this law. [In that law it states that] anyone who goes to the king in his inner court without having been summoned by the king must be executed. Only those to whom the king has extended his scepter/staff will not be executed. And a month has passed since the king has summoned me, [so what will happen to me if I try to see him and he doesn’t want to see me?]”
12 Da han havde meddelt Mordokaj Esters Ord,
So Hathach [went back to] Mordecai [and] told [him] what Esther had said.
13 bød Mordokaj ham svare Ester: »Tro ikke, at du alene af alle Jøder skal undslippe, fordi du er i Kongens Hus!
Mordecai replied, “[Go back and] tell this to Esther: 'Do not think that just because you live there in the palace, you will escape when all the other Jews [are killed].
14 Nej, dersom du virkelig tier ved denne Lejlighed, saa kommer der andetsteds fra Hjælp og Redning til Jøderne; men du og din Slægt skal omkomme. Hvem ved, om det ikke netop er for sligt Tilfældes Skyld, at du er kommet til kongelig Værdighed!«
If you say nothing now, someone from some other place will rescue [many of] us Jews, but you and your relatives will be killed. Furthermore, (perhaps [God]/who knows if [God]) has put you here [as queen] (for a situation like this/to prevent this from happening to us)!'” [RHQ]
15 Da sendte Ester Mordokaj det Svar:
Then [after Hathach told this to] Esther, [she] told him to return to Mordecai and say this to him:
16 »Gaa hen og kald alle Susans Jøder sammen og hold Faste for mig, saaledes at I hverken spiser eller drikker Dag eller Nat i tre Døgn; paa samme Maade vil ogsaa jeg og mine Terner faste; og derefter vil jeg gaa ind til Kongen, skønt det er imod Loven; skal jeg omkomme, saa lad mig da omkomme!«
“Gather together all the Jews here in Susa, and tell them to (fast/abstain from food) for my sake. Tell them to not eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My maids and I will also fast. Then, I will go to talk to the king. Even if (I am executed/they execute me) for disobeying the law [by seeing him when he does not hold out the scepter/staff toward me, I am willing for that to happen”].
17 Saa gik Mordokaj hen og gjorde ganske som Ester havde paalagt ham.
So [after Hathach told this to Mordecai, ] Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.
