Esther 4
1 When Mordecai found out about those [letters, he was so anguished that] he tore his clothes and put on [rough] sackcloth and [threw] ashes over himself. Then he went into the city, crying very loudly.
Quæ cum audisset Mardochæus, scidit vestimenta sua, et indutus est sacco, spargens cinerem capiti: et in platea mediæ civitatis voce magna clamabat, ostendens amaritudinem animi sui,
2 He stood outside the gate of the palace, because no one who was wearing sackcloth was allowed to enter the palace.
et hoc ejulatu usque ad fores palatii gradiens. Non enim erat licitum indutum sacco aulam regis intrare.
3 In every province [of the empire], when the letter from the king was read to the Jewish people, they cried and mourned. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), and wailed loudly. Many of them also put on sackcloth and threw ashes on themselves and lay [on the ground].
In omnibus quoque provinciis, oppidis, ac locis, ad quæ crudele regis dogma pervenerat, planctus ingens erat apud Judæos, jejunium, ululatus, et fletus, sacco et cinere multis pro strato utentibus.
4 When Esther’s maids and other officials came to her and told her what Mordecai had done, she was very distressed. So she sent to Mordecai [some good] clothes to wear instead of the sackcloth, but he refused to take them.
Ingressæ autem sunt puellæ Esther et eunuchi, nuntiaveruntque ei. Quod audiens consternata est, et vestem misit, ut ablato sacco induerent eum: quam accipere noluit.
5 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s officials whom he had appointed to help take care of Esther. She told him to go [out and talk] to Mordecai to find out what was distressing him and why [he was wearing sackcloth to show] that he was grieving.
Accitoque Athach eunucho, quem rex ministrum ei dederat, præcepit ei ut iret ad Mardochæum, et disceret ab eo cur hoc faceret.
6 Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the plaza in front of the palace gate.
Egressusque Athach, ivit ad Mardochæum stantem in platea civitatis, ante ostium palatii:
7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened. He told him how much money Haman had promised to give to the government if the king commanded that all the Jews be killed.
qui indicavit ei omnia quæ acciderant: quomodo Aman promisisset ut in thesauros regis pro Judæorum nece inferret argentum.
8 Mordecai also gave to Hathach a copy of the decree that had been read in Susa, [in which it was stated] that all the Jews must be killed. He told Hathach to show the copy to Esther. He told Hathach to explain to Esther what (it meant/would happen). Then he told him to urge her to go to the king and request the king to act mercifully to her people.
Exemplar quoque edicti, quod pendebat in Susan, dedit ei, ut reginæ ostenderet, et moneret eam ut intraret ad regem et deprecaretur eum pro populo suo.
9 So Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.
Regressus Athach, nuntiavit Esther omnia quæ Mardochæus dixerat.
10 Then Esther told Hathach to [return to] Mordecai [and] tell this [to him]:
Quæ respondit ei, et jussit ut diceret Mardochæo:
11 “There is a law [about people going to talk to the king]. All the king’s officials and all the people in the empire know this law. [In that law it states that] anyone who goes to the king in his inner court without having been summoned by the king must be executed. Only those to whom the king has extended his scepter/staff will not be executed. And a month has passed since the king has summoned me, [so what will happen to me if I try to see him and he doesn’t want to see me?]”
Omnes servi regis, et cunctæ, quæ sub ditione ejus sunt, norunt provinciæ, quod sive vir, sive mulier non vocatus, interius atrium regis intraverit, absque ulla cunctatione statim interficiatur: nisi forte rex auream virgam ad eum tetenderit pro signo clementiæ, atque ita possit vivere. Ego igitur quomodo ad regem intrare potero, quæ triginta jam diebus non sum vocata ad eum?
12 So Hathach [went back to] Mordecai [and] told [him] what Esther had said.
Quod cum audisset Mardochæus,
13 Mordecai replied, “[Go back and] tell this to Esther: 'Do not think that just because you live there in the palace, you will escape when all the other Jews [are killed].
rursum mandavit Esther, dicens: Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo regis es præ cunctis Judæis:
14 If you say nothing now, someone from some other place will rescue [many of] us Jews, but you and your relatives will be killed. Furthermore, (perhaps [God]/who knows if [God]) has put you here [as queen] (for a situation like this/to prevent this from happening to us)!'” [RHQ]
si enim nunc silueris, per aliam occasionem liberabuntur Judæi: et tu, et domus patris tui, peribitis. Et quis novit utrum idcirco ad regnum veneris, ut in tali tempore parareris?
15 Then [after Hathach told this to] Esther, [she] told him to return to Mordecai and say this to him:
Rursumque Esther hæc Mardochæo verba mandavit:
16 “Gather together all the Jews here in Susa, and tell them to (fast/abstain from food) for my sake. Tell them to not eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My maids and I will also fast. Then, I will go to talk to the king. Even if (I am executed/they execute me) for disobeying the law [by seeing him when he does not hold out the scepter/staff toward me, I am willing for that to happen”].
Vade, et congrega omnes Judæos quos in Susan repereris, et orate pro me. Non comedatis et non bibatis tribus diebus et tribus noctibus: et ego cum ancillis meis similiter jejunabo, et tunc ingrediar ad regem contra legem faciens, non vocata, tradensque me morti et periculo.
17 So [after Hathach told this to Mordecai, ] Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.
Ivit itaque Mardochæus, et fecit omnia quæ ei Esther præceperat.
