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 learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the middle of the city, and cried out with a loud and a bitter cry.
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 went up only as far as the king's gate, because no one was allowed to go through it clothed in sackcloth.
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, wherever the king's command and decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and lamenting. Many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
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 young women and her servants came and told her, the queen was in great distress. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai (so he could take off his sackcloth), but he would not accept 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 called for Hathak, one of the king's officials who had been assigned to serve her. She ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what had happened and what it meant.
6 Da Hatak kom ud til Mordokaj paa Byens Torv foran Kongens Port,
So Hathak went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's 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 reported to him all that had happened to him, and the total amount of the silver that Haman had promised to weigh out and put into the king's treasuries in order to put the Jews to death.
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.
He also gave him a copy of the decree that was issued in Susa for the Jews' destruction. He did this so that Hathak could show it to Esther, and that he should give her the responsibility of going to the king to beg for his favor, and to plead with him on behalf of her people.
9 Hatak gik saa ind og lod Ester vide, hvad Mordokaj havde sagt.
So Hathak went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
10 Men Ester sendte Hatak til Mordokaj med følgende Svar:
Then Esther spoke to Hathak and told him to go back to Mordecai.
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!«
She said, “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner courtyard without being summoned, there is only one law: That he must be put to death—except for anyone to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. I have not been called to come to the king these thirty days.”
12 Da han havde meddelt Mordokaj Esters Ord,
So Hathak reported Esther's words to Mordecai.
13 bød Mordokaj ham svare Ester: »Tro ikke, at du alene af alle Jøder skal undslippe, fordi du er i Kongens Hus!
Mordecai sent back this message: “You must not think that in the king's palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews.
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 remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will rise up for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows whether you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?”
15 Da sendte Ester Mordokaj det Svar:
Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai,
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!«
“Go, gather together all the Jews who live in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My young girls and I will fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
17 Saa gik Mordokaj hen og gjorde ganske som Ester havde paalagt ham.
Mordecai went and did all that Esther told him to do.
