< Esther 4 >

1 Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
وَلَمَّا عَلِمَ مُرْدَخَايُ كُلَّ مَا عُمِلَ، شَقَّ مُرْدَخَايُ ثِيَابَهُ وَلَبِسَ مِسْحًا بِرَمَادٍ وَخَرَجَ إِلَى وَسَطِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ وَصَرَخَ صَرْخَةً عَظِيمَةً مُرَّةً،١
2 and he came even before the king's gate; for none might enter within the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
وَجَاءَ إِلَى قُدَّامِ بَابِ ٱلْمَلِكِ، لِأَنَّهُ لَا يَدْخُلُ أَحَدٌ بَابَ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَهُوَ لَابِسٌ مِسْحًا.٢
3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
وَفِي كُلِّ كُورَةٍ حَيْثُمَا وَصَلَ إِلَيْهَا أَمْرُ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَسُنَّتُهُ، كَانَتْ مَنَاحَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ عِنْدَ ٱلْيَهُودِ، وَصَوْمٌ وَبُكَاءٌ وَنَحِيبٌ. وَٱنْفَرَشَ مِسْحٌ وَرَمَادٌ لِكَثِيرِينَ.٣
4 And Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly pained; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai; and to take his sackcloth from off him; but he accepted it not.
فَدَخَلَتْ جَوَارِي أَسْتِيرَ وَخُصْيَانُهَا وَأَخْبَرُوهَا، فَٱغْتَمَّتِ ٱلْمَلِكَةُ جِدًّا وَأَرْسَلَتْ ثِيَابًا لِإِلْبَاسِ مُرْدَخَايَ، وَلِأَجْلِ نَزْعِ مِسْحِهِ عَنْهُ، فَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ.٤
5 Then called Esther for Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was.
فَدَعَتْ أَسْتِيرُ هَتَاخَ، وَاحِدًا مِنْ خِصْيَانِ ٱلْمَلِكِ ٱلَّذِي أَوْقَفَهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا، وَأَعْطَتْهُ وَصِيَّةً إِلَى مُرْدَخَايَ لِتَعْلَمَ مَاذَا وَلِمَاذَا.٥
6 So Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the broad place of the city, which was before the king's gate.
فَخَرَجَ هَتَاخُ إِلَى مُرْدَخَايَ إِلَى سَاحَةِ ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱلَّتِي أَمَامَ بَابِ ٱلْمَلِكِ.٦
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
فَأَخْبَرَهُ مُرْدَخَايُ بِكُلِّ مَا أَصَابَهُ، وَعَنْ مَبْلَغِ ٱلْفِضَّةِ ٱلَّذِي وَعَدَ هَامَانُ بِوَزْنِهِ لِخَزَائِنِ ٱلْمَلِكِ عَنِ ٱلْيَهُودِ لِإِبَادَتِهِمْ،٧
8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show 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.
وَأَعْطَاهُ صُورَةَ كِتَابَةِ ٱلْأَمْرِ ٱلَّذِي أُعْطِيَ فِي شُوشَنَ لِإِهْلَاكِهِمْ، لِكَيْ يُرِيَهَا لِأَسْتِيرَ، وَيُخْبِرَهَا وَيُوصِيَهَا أَنْ تَدْخُلَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلِكِ وَتَتَضَرَّعَ إِلَيْهِ وَتَطْلُبَ مِنْهُ لِأَجْلِ شَعْبِهَا.٨
9 And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
فَأَتَى هَتَاخُ وَأَخْبَرَ أَسْتِيرَ بِكَلَامِ مُرْدَخَايَ.٩
10 Then Esther spoke unto Hathach, and gave him a message unto Mordecai:
فَكَلَّمَتْ أَسْتِيرُ هَتَاخَ وَأَعْطَتْهُ وَصِيَّةً إِلَى مُرْدَخَايَ:١٠
11 'All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live; but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.'
«إِنَّ كُلَّ عَبِيدِ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَشُعُوبِ بِلَادِ ٱلْمَلِكِ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ كُلَّ رَجُلٍ دَخَلَ أَوِ ٱمْرَأَةٍ إِلَى ٱلْمَلِكِ، إِلَى ٱلدَّارِ ٱلدَّاخِلِيَّةِ وَلَمْ يُدْعَ، فَشَرِيعَتُهُ وَاحِدَةٌ أَنْ يُقْتَلَ، إِلَّا ٱلَّذِي يَمُدُّ لَهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ قَضِيبَ ٱلذَّهَبِ فَإِنَّهُ يَحْيَا. وَأَنَا لَمْ أُدْعَ لِأَدْخُلَ إِلَى ٱلْمَلِكِ هَذِهِ ٱلثَّلَاثِينَ يَوْمًا».١١
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
فَأَخْبَرُوا مُرْدَخَايَ بِكَلَامِ أَسْتِيرَ.١٢
13 Then Mordecai bade them to return answer unto Esther: 'Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.
فَقَالَ مُرْدَخَايُ أَنْ تُجَاوَبَ أَسْتِيرُ: «لَا تَفْتَكِرِي فِي نَفْسِكِ أَنَّكِ تَنْجِينَ فِي بَيْتِ ٱلْمَلِكِ دُونَ جَمِيعِ ٱلْيَهُودِ.١٣
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish; and who knoweth whether thou art not come to royal estate for such a time as this?'
لِأَنَّكِ إِنْ سَكَتِّ سُكُوتًا فِي هَذَا ٱلْوَقْتِ يَكُونُ ٱلْفَرَجُ وَٱلنَّجَاةُ لِلْيَهُودِ مِنْ مَكَانٍ آخَرَ، وَأَمَّا أَنْتِ وَبَيْتُ أَبِيكِ فَتَبِيدُونَ. وَمَنْ يَعْلَمُ إِنْ كُنْتِ لِوَقْتٍ مِثْلِ هَذَا وَصَلْتِ إِلَى ٱلْمُلْكِ؟».١٤
15 Then Esther bade them return answer unto Mordecai:
فَقَالَتْ أَسْتِيرُ أَنْ يُجَاوَبَ مُرْدَخَايُ:١٥
16 'Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.'
«ٱذْهَبِ ٱجْمَعْ جَمِيعَ ٱلْيَهُودِ ٱلْمَوْجُودِينَ فِي شُوشَنَ وَصُومُوا مِنْ جِهَتِي وَلَا تَأْكُلُوا وَلَا تَشْرَبُوا ثَلَاثَةَ أَيَّامٍ لَيْلًا وَنَهَارًا. وَأَنَا أَيْضًا وَجَوَارِيَّ نَصُومُ كَذَلِكَ. وَهَكَذَا أَدْخُلُ إِلَى ٱلْمَلِكِ خِلَافَ ٱلسُّنَّةِ. فَإِذَا هَلَكْتُ، هَلَكْتُ».١٦
17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
فَٱنْصَرَفَ مُرْدَخَايُ وَعَمِلَ حَسَبَ كُلِّ مَا أَوْصَتْهُ بِهِ أَسْتِيرُ.١٧

< Esther 4 >