< Esther 4 >

1 And when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry,
Der Mardokaj fik alt det at vide, som var sket, da sønderrev Mardokaj sine Klæder og førte sig i Sæk og Aske og gik ud midt i Staden og raabte med stort og bittert Skrig.
2 and came even before the king's gate; for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
Og han kom hen lige foran Kongens Port; thi man maatte ikke gaa ind ad Kongens Port, klædt i Sæk.
3 And 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: many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Og i hvert Landskab og paa hvert Sted, hvor Kongens Ord og hans Lov kom hen, var der en stor Sorg iblandt Jøderne og Faste og Graad og Hylen; mange laa i Sæk og Aske.
4 And Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told [it] her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he received [it] not.
Da kom Esthers unge Piger og hendes Kammertjenere og gave hende det til Kende, og Dronningen blev meget bange, og hun sendte Klæder for at lade Mardokaj iføre sig dem og for at tage hans Sørgedragt bort fra ham; men han tog ikke imod dem.
5 Then Esther called for Hatach, [one] of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to wait upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
Da kaldte Esther ad Hathak, en af Kongens Kammertjenere, som han havde beskikket til at staa for hendes Ansigt, og hun gav ham Befaling til Mardokaj for at fornemme, hvad det var, og hvorfor dette skete?
6 And Hatach went forth to Mordecai, unto the public place of the city which was before the king's gate.
Da gik Hathak ud til Mardokaj paa Stadens Torv, som var foran Kongens Port.
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and of the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
Og Mardokaj gav ham til Kende alt, hvad ham var vederfaret, og Forklaring om det Sølv, som Haman havde sagt, at han vilde tilveje Kongens Skatkammer for Jøderne, hvis han maatte omkomme dem.
8 And he gave him a copy of the writing of the decree that had been given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew [it] to Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him, for her people.
Og han gav ham Genparten af den skrevne Befaling, som var given i Susan, om at ødelægge dem for at lade Esther se den og underrette hende derom og for at paalægge hende at gaa ind til Kongen og bønfalde ham og bede ham om Naade for sit Folk.
9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Og Hathak kom og gav Esther Mardokajs Ord til Kende.
10 And Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai:
Da sagde Esther til Hathak og gav ham Befaling til Mardokaj:
11 All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces do know that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law, to put [him] to death, except [such] to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live; and I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
Alle Kongens Tjenere og Folket i Kongens Landskaber vide, at for hver Mand eller Kvinde, som gaar til Kongen i den inderste Forgaard uden at være kaldet, er der en Lov, at man skal slaa ham ihjel, uden saa er, at Kongen udrækker Guldspiret imod ham, at han maa leve; jeg er ikke kaldet at komme til Kongen nu i tredive Dage.
12 And they told Mordecai Esther's words.
Og de forkyndte Mardokaj Esthers Ord.
13 And Mordecai bade to answer Esther: Imagine not in thy heart that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
Da sagde Mardokaj, at de skulde give dette Svar tilbage til Esther: Tænk ikke i din Sjæl, at du vil redde dig i Kongens Hus ene af alle Jøderne.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there arise relief and deliverance to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall perish. And who knows whether thou art [not] come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Thi dersom du tier paa denne Tid, da skal en Vederkvægelse og Redning beskikkes for Jøderne fra et andet Sted, men du og din Faders Hus, I skulle omkomme; og hvo ved, om du, for en Tids Skyld som denne, er kommen til kongelig Værdighed?
15 And Esther bade to answer Mordecai:
Da sagde Esther, at man skulde give dette Svar tilbage til Mardokaj:
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise, and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.
Gak, samler alle Jøderne, som findes i Susan, og faster for mig, og I skulle ikke æde, ej heller drikke i tre Dage, Nat og Dag, ogsaa jeg og mine unge Piger ville ligeledes faste; og saaledes vil jeg gaa ind til Kongen, hvilket ikke er efter Loven, og omkommer jeg saa, saa faar jeg at omkomme.
17 And Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
Og Mardokaj gik bort og gjorde efter alt det, som Esther havde befalet ham.

< Esther 4 >