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.
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 lamenting in this manner even to the gate of the palace: for no one clothed with sackcloth might enter the king’s court.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 And Athach going out went to Mardochai, who was standing in the street of the city, before the palace gate:
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 Mardochai told him all that had happened, how Aman had promised to pay money into the king’s treasures, to have the Jews destroyed.
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 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.
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 And Athach went back and told Esther all that Mardochai had said.
Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Hataki ʻo tala kia Eseta ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Motekiai.
10 She answered him, and bade him say to Mardochai:
Pea naʻe toe lea ʻa Eseta kia Hataki, ʻo ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fekau kia Motekiai;
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?
“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 when Mardochai had heard this,
Pea naʻa nau tala kia Motekiai ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Eseta.
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:
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 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?
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 again Esther sent to Mardochai in these words:
Pea naʻe toki fekau ʻe Eseta kiate kinautolu ke ʻave kia Motekiai ʻae tali ni,
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.
“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 Mardochai went, and did all that Esther had 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.
