< 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.
Awo Moluddekaayi bwe yategeera byonna ebyakolebwa, n’ayuza ebyambalo bye n’ayambala ebibukutu ne yeesiiga evvu, n’afuluma n’agenda mu kibuga wakati, n’akaaba n’eddoboozi ddene olw’ennaku ennyingi:
2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.
naye n’akoma ku wankaaki wa kabaka, kubanga tewali eyakirizibwanga okuyingira mu mulyango gwa Kabaka ng’ayambadde ebibukutu.
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.
Mu buli kitundu ekiragiro kya Kabaka n’etteeka lye gye byatuukanga ne waba okukuba ebiwoobe bingi n’okusiiba n’okukaaba amaziga mangi mu Bayudaaya era bangi ku bo ne bambala ebibukutu.
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.
Awo abaweereza ba Eseza abakazi n’abalaawe be ne bajja gyali okumutegeeza ku bibadde wo, era Nnabagereka n’anakuwala nnyo: n’aweereza Moluddekaayi ebyambalo yeyambulemu ebibukutu bye yali ayambadde naye Moluddekaayi n’atabikkiriza.
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.
Eseza n’atumya Kasaki omu ku balaawe ba Kabaka, gwe yali ataddewo okumuweereza n’amukuutira okugenda okumanya ekizibu ekyali kituuse ku Moluddekaayi era n’ensonga.
6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate,
Awo Kasaki n’afuluma n’agenda ebweru mu kifo ekigazi eky’ekibuga ekyayolekera omulyango gwa Kabaka, Moluddekaayi gye yali.
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.
Moluddekaayi n’amutegeeza byonna ebyamutuukako, n’omuwendo gw’ensimbi Kamani gwe yali asuubizza okuteeka mu ggwanika lya Kabaka olw’okuzikiriza Abayudaaya.
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.
Era n’amuwa n’ebyaggyibwa mu kiwandiiko eky’etteeka eryalaalikibwa mu Susani, okuliraga Eseza n’okulimunnyonnyola ate era n’okukuutira Eseza okugenda amwegayiririre ye n’abantu be eri Kabaka.
9 So Hathach went back and relayed Mordecai’s response to Esther.
Amangwago Kasaki n’agenda n’abuulira Eseza ebigambo Moluddekaayi bye yali amutegeezezza.
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai,
Awo Eseza n’alagira Kasaki okuzzaayo obubaka ewa Moluddekaayi nti,
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.”
“Abakungu ba kabaka bonna n’abantu bonna ab’omu bitundu byonna eby’obwakabaka bakimanyi nti tewali musajja oba mukyala eyeeyanjula mu maaso ga Kabaka mu luggya olw’omunda ng’atayitiddwa kabaka. Era waliwo n’etteeka nti akolanga bw’atyo attibwenga, wabula nga Kabaka amugololedde omuggo gwe ogwa zaabu, n’aba omulamu. Naye wayiseewo ennaku amakumi asatu kasookedde mpitibwa kugenda wa kabaka.”
12 When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai,
Ebigambo ebyo bwe byatuuka ku Moluddekaayi,
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.
Moluddekaayi n’amuddamu nti, “Tolowooza nti olw’okuba oli mu lubiri lwa Kabaka, gwe onowonawo wekka mu Bayudaaya bonna.
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?”
Kubanga ggwe bw’onoosirika mu kiseera kino, okubeerwa n’okulokolebwa kw’Abayudaaya kuliva awalala, naye ggwe n’ennyumba ya Kitaawo mulizikizibwa. Ate ani amanyi obanga wafuulibwa Nnabagereka lwa kiseera kino?”
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
Awo Eseza n’aweereza obubaka eri Moluddekaayi nti,
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!”
“Genda okuŋŋaanye Abayudaaya bonna abali mu Susani, musiibe ku lwange, so temulya wadde okunywa ekintu emisana n’ekiro okumala ennaku ssatu. Nze n’abaweereza bange abakyala tunaasiibira wamu nammwe. Ekyo nga kiwedde, ndigenda eri Kabaka, newaakubadde nga tekikkirizibwa mu mateeka. Bwe ndiba ow’okuzikirira, nzikirira.”
17 So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him.
Amangwago Moluddekaayi n’agenda, era n’akola byonna Eseza bye yamulagira.

< Esther 4 >