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.

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 He stood outside the gate of the palace, because no one who was wearing sackcloth was allowed to enter the palace.

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 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].

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 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.

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 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.

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 Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the plaza in front of the palace 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 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.

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 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.

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 So Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.

Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Hataki ʻo tala kia Eseta ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Motekiai.

10 Then Esther told Hathach to [return to] Mordecai [and] tell this [to him]:

Pea naʻe toe lea ʻa Eseta kia Hataki, ʻo ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fekau kia Motekiai;

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?]”

“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 So Hathach [went back to] Mordecai [and] told [him] what Esther had said.

Pea naʻa nau tala kia Motekiai ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Eseta.

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].

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 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]

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 [after Hathach told this to] Esther, [she] told him to return to Mordecai and say this to him:

Pea naʻe toki fekau ʻe Eseta kiate kinautolu ke ʻave kia Motekiai ʻae tali ni,

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”].

“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 [after Hathach told this to Mordecai, ] Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.

Ko ia naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Motekiai ʻi hono hala, pea fai ia ʻo fakatatau ki he fekau kotoa pē ʻa Eseta kiate ia.