< Esther 4 >
1 Now when Mordecai saw what was done, pulling off his robe, he put on haircloth, with dust on his head, and went out into the middle of the town, crying out with a loud and bitter cry.
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 And he came even before the king's doorway; for no one might come inside the king's door clothed in haircloth.
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 And in every part of the kingdom, wherever the king's word and his order came, there was great sorrow among the Jews, and weeping and crying and going without food; and numbers of them were stretched on the earth covered with dust and haircloth.
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 And Esther's women and her servants came and gave her word of it. Then great was the grief of the queen: and she sent robes for Mordecai, so that his clothing of haircloth might be taken off; but he would not have 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 sent for Hathach, one of the king's unsexed servants whom he had given her for waiting on her, and she gave him orders to go to Mordecai and see what this was and why it was.
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 and saw Mordecai in the open square of the town before the king's doorway.
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 gave him an account of what had taken place, and of the amount of money which Haman had said he would put into the king's store for the destruction of 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 And he gave him the copy of the order which had been given out in Shushan for their destruction, ordering him to let Esther see it, and to make it clear to her; and to say to her that she was to go in to the king, requesting his mercy, and making prayer 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 And Hathach came back and gave Esther an account of what Mordecai had said.
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 sent Hathach to say to 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 It is common knowledge among all the king's servants and the people of every part of the kingdom, that if anyone, man or woman, comes to the king in his inner room without being sent for, there is only one law for him, that he is to be put to death; only those to whom the king's rod of gold is stretched out may keep their lives: but I have not been sent for to come before the king these 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 And they said these words to Mordecai.
エステルの言をモルデカイに告げけるに
13 Then Mordecai sent this answer back to Esther: Do not have the idea that you in the king's house will be safe from 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 If at this time you say nothing, then help and salvation will come to the Jews from some other place, but you and your father's family will come to destruction: and who is to say that you have not come to the kingdom even 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 them back to Mordecai with this answer:
エステルまたモルデカイに答へしめて曰く
16 Go, get together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and go without food for me, taking no food or drink night or day for three days: and I and my women will do the same; and so I will go in to the king, which is against the law: and if death is to be my fate, then let it come.
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 away and did everything as Esther had said.
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