Esther 4
1 When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
モルデカイ凡てこの爲れたる事を知しかばモルデカイ衣服を裂き麻布を纒ひ灰をかぶり邑の中に行て大に哭き痛く號び
2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.
王の門の前までも斯して來れり 其は麻布をまとふては王の門の内に入ること能はざればなり
3 In every province to which the king’s command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
すべて王の命とその詔書と到れる諸州にてはユダヤ人の中におほいなる哀みあり斷食哭泣號呼おこれり また麻布をまとふて灰の上に坐する者おほかりき
4 When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
ここにエステルの侍女およびその侍從等きたりてこれを告ければ后はなはだしく憂ひ衣服をおくり之をモルデカイにきせてその麻布を脱しめんとしたりしがうけざりき
5 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to her, and she dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why.
ここをもてエステルは王の侍從の一人すなはち王の命じて己に侍らしむるハタクといふ者を召しモルデカイの許に往きてその何事なるか何故なるかを知きたれと命ぜり
6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate,
ハタクいでて王の門の前なる邑の廣場にをるモルデカイにいたりしに
7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to destroy the Jews.
モルデカイおのれの遇たるところを具にこれに語りかつハマンがユダヤ人を滅ぼす事のために王の府庫に秤りいれんと約したる銀の額を告げ
8 Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people.
またその彼等をほろぼさしむるためにシユシヤンにおいて書て與へられし詔書の寫本を彼にわたし之をエステルに見せかつ解あかし また彼に王の許にゆきてその民のためにこれに矜恤を請ひその前に願ふことを爲べしと言つたへよと言り
9 So Hathach went back and relayed Mordecai’s response to Esther.
ハタクかへり來りてモルデカイの言詞をエステルに告ければ
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai,
エステル、ハタクに命じモルデカイに言をつたへしむ云く
11 “All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.”
王の諸臣がよび王の諸州の民みな知る男にもあれ女にもあれ凡て召れずして内庭に入て王にいたる者は必ず殺さるべき一の法律あり されど王これに金圭を伸れば生るを得べし かくて我此三十日は王にいたるべき召をかうむらざるなり
12 When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai,
エステルの言をモルデカイに告げけるに
13 he sent back to her this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews.
モルデカイ命じてエステルに答へしめて曰く 汝王の家にあれば一切のユダヤ人の如くならずして免かるべしと心に思ふなかれ
14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
なんぢ若この時にあたりて默して言ずば他の處よりして助援と拯救ユダヤ人に興らんされど汝どなんぢの父の家は亡ぶべし 汝が后の位を得たるは此のごとき時のためなりしやも知るべからず
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
エステルまたモルデカイに答へしめて曰く
16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
なんぢ往きシユシヤンにをるユダヤ人をことごとく集めてわがために斷食せよ 三日の間夜晝とも食ふことも飮むこともするなかれ 我とわが侍女等もおなじく斷食せん しかして我法律にそむく事なれども王にいたらん 我もし死べくば死べし
17 So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him.
ここにおいてモルデカイ往てエステルが凡ておのれに命じたるごとく行なへり
