Esther 4

1 And Mordecai has known all that has been done, and Mordecai tears his garments, and puts on sackcloth and ashes, and goes forth into the midst of the city and cries—a cry loud and bitter,

摩爾德開一知道所發生的事，就撕裂了自己的衣服，披上苦衣，撒上灰土，走到京城中心，大聲哀號，

2 and he comes to the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come to the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.

一直走到御門前，因為身披苦衣的，不准進入御門。

3 And in each and every province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, the Jews have a great mourning, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.

此時在各省裏，凡是諭文與敕令傳到的地方，猶太人都哀號、禁食、哭泣、悲痛；許多人且身穿苦衣，躺在灰土中。

4 And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare [it] to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sends garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he has not received [them].

艾斯德爾的宮女和太監跑來報告給她，王后得悉，萬分悲傷，立即送衣服去，叫摩爾德開穿上，脫下苦衣；但是他沒有接受。

5 And Esther calls to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he has stationed before her, and gives him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this [is], and why this [is].

艾斯德爾就叫王派來侍候她的太監哈塔客來，吩咐他去見摩爾德開，探聽一下發生了何事，為何如此。

6 And Hatach goes out to Mordecai, to a broad place of the city, that [is] before the gate of the king,

哈塔客遂走到御門前的廣場，去見摩爾德開。

7 and Mordecai declares to him all that has met him, and the explanation of the money that Haman said to weigh to the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them,

摩爾德開便將所遭遇的事，也將哈曼為消滅猶太人給王庫捐獻的銀錢，都詳細告訴了他，

8 and the copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he has given to him, to show Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.

並且把在穌撒已公佈的滅絕猶太人的一分諭文交給他，轉呈艾斯德爾披閱，並請她快去懇求君王為自己的民族求情，且叫他向艾斯德爾說：「請你回憶你孤苦零丁的時候，怎樣在我手下長大成人。如今一人之下的哈曼已求准要處死我們。請你呼求上主，並為我們向君王求情，救我們不死! 」

9 And Hatach comes in and declares to Esther the words of Mordecai,

哈塔客回來，將摩爾德開的話回報給艾斯德爾。

10 and Esther speaks to Hatach, and charges him for Mordecai:

艾斯德爾吩咐哈塔客去回覆摩爾德開說：「

11 “All servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, know that any man and woman who comes to the king, into the inner court, who is not called—one law of his [is] to put [them] to death, apart from him to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, then he has lived; and I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

王所有的公卿與各省的百姓都知道，任何人不論男女，未奉召見，而擅入內庭往謁君王的，除非君王向他伸出金杖賜他生存，一律應依法處死。況且我已三十天未蒙召親近君王了。」

12 And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,

哈塔客將艾斯德爾的話轉告給摩爾德開。

13 and Mordecai commands to send back to Esther: “Do not think in your soul to be delivered [in] the house of the king, more than all the Jews,

摩爾德開叫他回覆艾斯德爾說：「不要心想，一個猶太人在王宮裏就可保全性命!

14 but if you keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remains to the Jews from another place, and you and the house of your fathers are destroyed; and who knows whether for a time like this you have come to the kingdom?”

決不會。在這生死關頭，你若緘默不言，猶太人也必會從別處得到救援和援助。但是，在這光景下，你和你的家族必遭滅亡。誰知你之所以得涉足朝廷，不正是為了挽救現在的危機呢! 」

15 And Esther commands to send back to Mordecai:

艾斯德爾令人轉告摩爾德開說：「

16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, by night and by day; also I and my young women fast likewise, and so I go in to the king, that [is] not according to law, and when I have perished—I have perished.”

去召集一切住在穌撒的猶太人，為我禁食，三天三夜不吃不喝。同時，我與我的宮女，也同樣禁食；此後，我就越規去見君王，即便我死，死也情願! 」

17 And Mordecai passes on, and does according to all that Esther has charged on him.

於是摩爾德開走了，進行艾斯德爾所吩咐他的一切事。