Esther 4
1 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.
摩爾德開一知道所發生的事，就撕裂了自己的衣服，披上苦衣，撒上灰土，走到京城中心，大聲哀號，
2 He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
一直走到御門前，因為身披苦衣的，不准進入御門。
3 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.
此時在各省裏，凡是諭文與敕令傳到的地方，猶太人都哀號、禁食、哭泣、悲痛；許多人且身穿苦衣，躺在灰土中。
4 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 did not receive it.
艾斯德爾的宮女和太監跑來報告給她，王后得悉，萬分悲傷，立即送衣服去，叫摩爾德開穿上，脫下苦衣；但是他沒有接受。
5 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.
艾斯德爾就叫王派來侍候她的太監哈塔客來，吩咐他去見摩爾德開，探聽一下發生了何事，為何如此。
6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.
哈塔客遂走到御門前的廣場，去見摩爾德開。
7 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.
摩爾德開便將所遭遇的事，也將哈曼為消滅猶太人給王庫捐獻的銀錢，都詳細告訴了他，
8 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.
並且把在穌撒已公佈的滅絕猶太人的一分諭文交給他，轉呈艾斯德爾披閱，並請她快去懇求君王為自己的民族求情，且叫他向艾斯德爾說：「請你回憶你孤苦零丁的時候，怎樣在我手下長大成人。如今一人之下的哈曼已求准要處死我們。請你呼求上主，並為我們向君王求情，救我們不死! 」
9 Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
哈塔客回來，將摩爾德開的話回報給艾斯德爾。
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:
艾斯德爾吩咐哈塔客去回覆摩爾德開說：「
11 “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 scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
王所有的公卿與各省的百姓都知道，任何人不論男女，未奉召見，而擅入內庭往謁君王的，除非君王向他伸出金杖賜他生存，一律應依法處死。況且我已三十天未蒙召親近君王了。」
12 They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.
哈塔客將艾斯德爾的話轉告給摩爾德開。
13 Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Do not think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.
摩爾德開叫他回覆艾斯德爾說：「不要心想，一個猶太人在王宮裏就可保全性命!
14 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 have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
決不會。在這生死關頭，你若緘默不言，猶太人也必會從別處得到救援和援助。但是，在這光景下，你和你的家族必遭滅亡。誰知你之所以得涉足朝廷，不正是為了挽救現在的危機呢! 」
15 Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,
艾斯德爾令人轉告摩爾德開說：「
16 “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.”
去召集一切住在穌撒的猶太人，為我禁食，三天三夜不吃不喝。同時，我與我的宮女，也同樣禁食；此後，我就越規去見君王，即便我死，死也情願! 」
17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
於是摩爾德開走了，進行艾斯德爾所吩咐他的一切事。
