Esther 4
1 Now when Mardochai had heard these things, he rent his garments, and put on sackcloth, strewing ashes on his head: and he cried with a loud voice in the street in the midst of the city, shewing the anguish of his mind.
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ぷり邑の中に行て大に哭き痛く號び
2 And he came lamenting in this manner even to the gate of the palace: for no one clothed with sackcloth might enter the king’s court.
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 all provinces, towns, and places, to which the king’s cruel edict was come, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, wailing, and weeping, many using sackcloth and ashes for their bed.
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断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 Then Esther’s maids and her eunuchs went in, and told her. And when she heard it she was in a consternation: and she sent a garment, to clothe him, and to take away the sackcloth: but he would not receive it.
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 And she called for Athach the eunuch, whom the king had appointed to attend upon her, and she commanded him to go to Mardochai, and learn of him why he did this.
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 And Athach going out went to Mardochai, who was standing in the street of the city, before the palace 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 Mardochai told him all that had happened, how Aman had promised to pay money into the king’s treasures, to have the Jews destroyed.
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 He gave him also a copy of the edict which was hanging up in Susan, that he should shew it to the queen, and admonish her to go in to the king, and to entreat 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写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衿恤を請ひその前に順ふことを爲べしと言つたへよと言り
9 And Athach went back and told Esther all that Mardochai 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 She answered him, and bade him say to Mardochai:
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 king’s servants, and all the provinces that are under his dominion, know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, cometh into the king’s inner court, who is not called for, is immediately to be put to death without any delay: except the king shall hold out the golden sceptre to him, in token of clemency, that so he may live. How then can I go in to the king, who for these thirty days now have not been called unto him?
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 when Mardochai had heard this,
エステルの言をモルデカイに告げけるに
13 He sent word to Esther again, saying: Think not that thou mayst save thy life only, because thou art in the king a house, more than 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思ふなかれ
14 For if thou wilt now hold thy peace, the Jews shall be delivered by some other occasion: and thou, and thy father’s house shall perish. And who knoweth whether thou art not therefore come to the kingdom, that thou mightest be ready in such a time as this?
なんぢ若この時にあたりて黙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 And again Esther sent to Mardochai in these words:
エステルまたモルデカイに答へしめて曰く
16 Go, and gather together all the Jews whom thou shalt find in Susan, and pray ye for me. Neither eat nor drink for three days and three nights: and I with my handmaids will fast in like manner, and then I will go in to the king, against the law, not being called, and expose myself to death and to danger.
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断食せよ 三日の間夜昼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断食せん 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 Mardochai went, and did all that Esther had commanded 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
