< Esther 4 >

1 But Mardochaeus having perceived what was done, tore his garments, and put on sackcloth, and sprinkled dust upon himself; and having rushed forth through the open street of the city, he cried with a loud voice, A nation that has done no wrong is going to be destroyed.
Pea ʻi he ʻilo ʻe Motekiai ʻaia kotoa pē kuo fai, naʻe haehae hono ngaahi kofu ʻe Motekiai, pea ʻai ʻae kofu tauangaʻa mo e efuefu, pea ʻalu ia kituʻa ki he loto kolo, pea tangi kalanga ia mo fakamamahi:
2 And he came to the king's gate, and stood; for it was not lawful for him to enter into the palace, wearing sackcloth and ashes.
Pea naʻe haʻu ia, ʻio, ki he mata ʻoe matapā ʻoe tuʻi: he naʻe ʻikai ngofua ke hū ha tokotaha ki ai kuo kofu ʻi he kofu tauangaʻa.
3 And in every province where the letters were published, [there was] crying and lamentation and great mourning on the part of the Jews: they spread for themselves sackcloth and ashes.
Pea ko e potu puleʻanga kotoa pē naʻe hoko ki ai ʻae fekau ʻae tuʻi mo ʻene tuʻutuʻuni, naʻe ʻi ai ʻae mamahi lahi ʻi he kakai Siu, mo e ʻaukai, mo e tangi, mo e tangilāulau; pea naʻe tokoto ʻae tokolahi ʻi he kofu tauangaʻa mo e efuefu.
4 And the queen's maids and chamberlains went in and told her: and when she had heard what was done, she was disturbed; and she sent to clothe Mardochaeus, and take away his sackcloth; but he consented not.
Ko ia naʻe haʻu ai ʻae kau fefine ʻa Eseta mo ʻene kautauhi ʻo tala ia kiate ia. Pea naʻe mamahi lahi ʻaupito ai ʻae tuʻi fefine; pea ne fekau [ke ʻave ]ʻae ngaahi kofu ke fakakofuʻaki ʻa Motekiai, pea ke toʻo ʻo ʻave hono ngaahi kofu tauangaʻa meiate ia: ka naʻe ʻikai te ne maʻu ia.
5 So Esther called for her chamberlain Achrathaeus, who waited upon her; and she sent to learn the truth from Mardochaeus.
Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Eseta ke haʻu ʻa Hataki, ko e tokotaha ʻoe kau tangata tauhi ʻae tuʻi, ʻaia naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ia ʻe he tuʻi ke tauhi ia, pea ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fekau kia Motekiai, ke ʻilo pe ko e hā ia, pea kuo tupu ʻi he hā.
6
Ko ia naʻe ʻalu atu ai ʻa Hataki kia Motekiai ki he hala lahi ʻoe kolo, ʻaia naʻe ʻi he mata ʻoe matapā ʻoe tuʻi.
7 And Mardochaeus showed him what was done, and the promise which Aman had made the king of ten thousand talents [to be paid] into the treasury, that he might destroy the Jews.
Pea naʻe fakahā kiate ia ʻe Motekiai ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kuo hoko kiate ia, pea mo e ngaahi paʻanga naʻe fakahā ʻe Hamani ke totongi ki he fale koloa ʻoe tuʻi koeʻuhi ko e kakai Siu, ke fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew [it] unto Esther, and to declare [it] unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people.
Pea naʻa ne ʻatu foki kiate ia hono hiki ʻoe tohi ʻae fono naʻe fai ʻi Susani ke fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu, ke ne fakahā ia kia Eseta, pea ke fakahā ia kiate ia, pea ke fekau kiate ia ke ʻalu ia ki he tuʻi, ke fai ʻae hū kiate ia, pea ke fai ʻae kole ʻi hono ʻao maʻa hono kakai.
9 So Achrathaeus went in and told her all these words.
Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Hataki ʻo tala kia Eseta ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Motekiai.
10 And Esther said to Achrathaeus, Go to Mardochaeus, and say,
Pea naʻe toe lea ʻa Eseta kia Hataki, ʻo ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fekau kia Motekiai;
11 All the nations of the empire know, that whoever, man or woman, shall go in to the king into the inner court uncalled, that person can’t live: only to whoever the king shall stretch out [his] golden sceptre, he shall live: and I have not been called to go into the king, for these thirty days.
“ʻOku ʻilo ʻe he kau tamaioʻeiki kotoa pē ʻae tuʻi, mo e kakai kotoa pē ʻoe ngaahi puleʻanga ʻoe tuʻi ʻoku nau ʻilo, ke ʻilonga ha tokotaha, pe ko ha tangata pe ha fefine, ʻe hū ia ki he tuʻi ʻi he fale ʻi loto fale, pea naʻe ʻikai fekau, ʻoku ai ʻae fono pe taha ʻaʻana ke tāmateʻi ia, ka ko ia pe ʻe mafao atu ki ai ʻe he tuʻi ʻae tokotoko koula ke moʻui ai ia; pea kuo ʻikai ui au ke hū atu ki he tuʻi ʻi he ʻaho ʻe tolungofulu kuo hili ni.”
12 And Achrathaeus reported to Mardochaeus all the words of Esther.
Pea naʻa nau tala kia Motekiai ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Eseta.
13 Then Mardochaeus said to Achrathaeus, Go, and say to her, Esther, say not to yourself that you alone will escape in the kingdom, more than all the [other] Jews.
Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Motekiai ke tala kia Eseta, “ʻOua naʻa ke mahalo te ke muʻaki hao koe ʻi he kakai Siu kotoa pē koeʻuhi ko hoʻo ʻi he fale ʻoe tuʻi.
14 For if you shall refuse to listen on this occasion, help and protection will be to the Jews from another quarter; but you and your father's house will perish: and who knows, if you have been made queen for this [very] occasion?
He kapau te ke mātuʻaki longo pe koe ʻi he kuonga ni, ʻe hoko ai ʻae fakaʻataʻatā mo e fakamoʻui ʻoe kakai Siu mei ha potu ʻe taha: ka ko koe mo e fale ʻo hoʻo tamai ʻe fakaʻauha; pea ko hai ʻoku ne ʻiloʻi naʻa kuo ke hoko ai koe ki he puleʻanga koeʻuhi ko ha kuonga pehē ni?”
15 And Esther sent the [man] that came to her to Mardochaeus, saying,
Pea naʻe toki fekau ʻe Eseta kiate kinautolu ke ʻave kia Motekiai ʻae tali ni,
16 Go and assemble the Jews that are in Susa, and fast you for me, and eat not and drink not for three days, night and day: and I also and my maidens will fast; and then I will go in to the king contrary to the law, even if I must die.
“ʻAlu pea fakakātoa fakataha ʻae ngaahi Siu kotoa pē ʻoku nofo ʻi Susani, pea ke mou ʻaukai koeʻuhi ko au, pea ʻoua naʻa mou kai pe inu ʻi he ʻaho ʻe tolu, [ʻi he pō], pe [ʻi he ]ʻaho: Ko au mo ʻeku kau fefine te mau ʻaukai foki: pea ko ia te u hū ai ki he tuʻi, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai taau mo e fono: pea kapau te u mate ai, te u mate pē.”
17 So Mardochaeus went and did all that Esther commanded him.
Ko ia naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Motekiai ʻi hono hala, pea fai ia ʻo fakatatau ki he fekau kotoa pē ʻa Eseta kiate ia.

< Esther 4 >