< 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.
No te mohiotanga o Mororekai ki nga mea katoa i meatia, haehaea ana e Mororekai ona kakahu, kei te kakahu i te kakahu taratara, kei te mea i te pungarehu ki a ia: haere ana ki waenganui o te pa, he nui, he tiwerawera tana tangi.
2 He stood outside the gate of the palace, because no one who was wearing sackcloth was allowed to enter the palace.
Na haere ana ia ki mua i te kuwaha o te kingi; e kore hoki e ahei kia haere ki roto i te kuwaha o te kingi ki te mea he taratara te kakahu.
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].
Na, i nga kawanatanga katoa, i nga wahi i tae atu ai te kupu a te kingi me tana ture, nui atu te tangi o nga Hurai, te nohopuku, te aue, me te uhunga: a he tokomaha he kakahu taratara to ratou whariki, he pungarehu.
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.
Na kua tae nga kotiro a Ehetere me ana rangatira ruma, kei te whakaatu ki a ia. Na tino mamae rawa te kuini. Hoatu ana e ia he kakahu kia kawea hei kakahu mo Mororekai, kia tangohia hoki ona kakahu taratara i a ia: otiia kihai ia i tango atu.
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.
Katahi a Ehetere ka karanga ki a Hataka, ki tetahi o nga rangatira ruma a te kingi i whakaritea nei e ia kia tu ki tona aroaro, a ka whakahau i a ia kia haere ki a Mororekai, kia mohiotia he aha ra tenei mea, a na te aha hoki.
6 Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the plaza in front of the palace gate.
Heoi haere ana a Hataka ki a Mororekai, ki te waharoa o te pa, ara ki te aronga o te kuwaha o te kingi.
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.
A whakaaturia ana e Mororekai ki a ia nga mea katoa i pa ki a ia, me te tuturu o te moni i kiia e Hamana kia paunatia e ia ki roto ki nga whare taonga o te kingi hei mea mo nga Hurai kia whakangaromia.
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.
I homai ano e ia ki a ia nga kupu o te ture i tuhituhia, i homai nei i Huhana kia whakangaromia ratou, a mana e whakakite ki a Ehetere, e whakaatu ki a ia, mana hoki ia e whakahau kia haere ki te kingi wawao ai; kia rapua hoki i tona aroaro he me a mo tona iwi.
9 So Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.
Na haere ana a Hataka, whakaaturia ana e ia ki a Ehetere nga kupu a Mororekai.
10 Then Esther told Hathach to [return to] Mordecai [and] tell this [to him]:
Katahi a Ehetere ka korero ki a Hataka, a hoatu ana e ia he kupu ki a Mororekai, hei mea:
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?]”
E mohio ana nga tangata katoa a te kingi, me te iwi o nga kawanatanga a te kingi, ko nga tangata katoa, ahakoa tane, ahakoa wahine, e haere ana ki to roto marae, ki te kingi, i te mea kihai i karangatia, kotahi tonu tana ture kia whakamatea, ki te kahore ia e torona atu e te kingi te hepeta koura ki a ia kia ora ai. Engari ko ahau, ka toru tekau enei ra oku kihai i karangatia kia haere ki te kingi.
12 So Hathach [went back to] Mordecai [and] told [him] what Esther had said.
Na korerotia ana e ratou ki a Mororekai nga kupu a Ehetere.
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].
Katahi a Mororekai ka ki atu kia whakahokia tenei kupu ki a Ehetere, Kei mahara koe na ka ora koe i te whare o te kingi, i nga Hurai katoa.
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]
Ki te wahangu rawa hoki koe i tenei wa, tera e puta ake he tanga manawa, he whakaoranga mo nga Hurai i tetahi atu wahi. Na ko koe, ko te whare hoki o tou papa, ka ngaro; ko wai hoki ka mohio mo te wa penei pea i tae mai ai koe ki te kingitanga?
15 Then [after Hathach told this to] Esther, [she] told him to return to Mordecai and say this to him:
Katahi ka ki a Ehetere kia whakahokia tenei kupu ki a Mororekai,
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”].
Tikina, huihuia nga Hurai katoa e kitea ki Huhana, ka nohopuku ai koutou, hei mea moku; kaua hoki e kai, kaua e inu, kia toru nga ra, po, ao, ko ahau hoki, ko matou ko aku kotiro ka nohopuku ano; ko reira ahau haere ai ki te kingi; he mea kahore nei e rite ki te ture. A ki te mea ka huna ahau, ka huna ahau.
17 So [after Hathach told this to Mordecai, ] Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.
Heoi haere ana a Mororekai, meatia ana e ia nga mea katoa i whakahaua ki a ia e Ehetere.

< Esther 4 >