< 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:
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 even before the king’s gate: for none might enter within the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
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 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.
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 And Esther’s maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him: but he received it not.
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 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.
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 So Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the broad place of the city, which was before the king’s 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 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.
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 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to shew 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.
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 Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Hataki ʻo tala kia Eseta ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Motekiai.
10 Then Esther spake unto Hathach, and gave him a message unto Mordecai, [saying]:
Pea naʻe toe lea ʻa Eseta kia Hataki, ʻo ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fekau kia Motekiai;
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.
“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 they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.
Pea naʻa nau tala kia Motekiai ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Eseta.
13 Then Mordecai bade them return answer unto Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s 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 altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house shall perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for 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 Then Esther bade them return answer unto Mordecai,
Pea naʻe toki fekau ʻe Eseta kiate kinautolu ke ʻave kia Motekiai ʻae tali ni,
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.
“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 Mordecai went his way, and did according to 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.

< Esther 4 >