Esther 4
1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the middle of the city, and cried out with a loud and a bitter cry.
モルデカイ凡てこの爲れたる事を知しかばモルデカイ衣服を裂き麻布を纒ひ灰をかぷり邑の中に行て大に哭き痛く號び
2 He went up only as far as the king's gate, because no one was allowed to go through it clothed in sackcloth.
王の門の前までも斯して來れり 其は麻布をまとふては王の門の内に入ること能はざればなり
3 In every province, wherever the king's command and decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and lamenting. Many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
すべて王の命とその詔書と到れる諸州にてはユダヤ人の中におほいなる哀みあり断食哭泣號呼おこれり また麻布をまとふて灰の上に坐する者おほかりき
4 When Esther's young women and her servants came and told her, the queen was in great distress. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai (so he could take off his sackcloth), but he would not accept them.
ここにエステルの侍女およびその侍從等きたりてこれを告ければ后はなはだしく憂ひ衣服をおくり之をモルデカイにきせてその麻布を脱しめんとしたりしがうけざりき
5 Then Esther called for Hathak, one of the king's officials who had been assigned to serve her. She ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what had happened and what it meant.
ここをもてエステルは王の侍從の一人すなはち王の命じて己に侍らしむるハタクといふ者を召しモルデカイの許に往きてその何事なるか何故なるかを知きたれと命ぜり
6 So Hathak went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's gate.
ハタクいでて王の門の前なる邑の廣場にをるモルデカイにいたりしに
7 Mordecai reported to him all that had happened to him, and the total amount of the silver that Haman had promised to weigh out and put into the king's treasuries in order to put the Jews to death.
モルデカイおのれの遇たるところを具にこれに語りかつハマンがユダヤ人を滅ぼす事のために王の府庫に秤りいれんと約したる銀の額を告げ
8 He also gave him a copy of the decree that was issued in Susa for the Jews' destruction. He did this so that Hathak could show it to Esther, and that he should give her the responsibility of going to the king to beg for his favor, and to plead with him on behalf of her people.
またその彼等をほろぼさしむるためにシユシヤンにおいて書て與へられし詔書の写を彼にわたし之をエステルに見せかつ解あかし また彼に王の許にゆきてその民のためにこれに衿恤を請ひその前に順ふことを爲べしと言つたへよと言り
9 So Hathak went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
ハタクかへり來りてモルデカイの言詞をエステルに告ければ
10 Then Esther spoke to Hathak and told him to go back to Mordecai.
エステル、ハタクに命じモルデカイに言をつたへしむ云く
11 She said, “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner courtyard without being summoned, there is only one law: That he must be put to death—except for anyone to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. I have not been called to come to the king these thirty days.”
王の諸臣がよび王の諸州の民みな知る男にもあれ女にもあれ凡て召れずして内庭に入て王にいたる者は必ず殺さるべき一の法律あり されど王これに金圭を伸れば生るを得べし かくて我此三十日は王にいたるべき召をかうむらざるなり
12 So Hathak reported Esther's words to Mordecai.
エステルの言をモルデカイに告げけるに
13 Mordecai sent back this message: “You must not think that in the king's palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews.
モルデカイ命じてエステルに答へしめて曰く 汝王の家にあれば一切のユダヤ人の如くならずして免かるべしと思ふなかれ
14 If you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will rise up for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows whether you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?”
なんぢ若この時にあたりて黙して言ずば他の處よりして助援と拯救ユダヤ人に興らんされど汝どなんぢの父の家は亡ぶべし 汝が后の位を得たるは此のごとき時のためなりしやも知るべからず
15 Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai,
エステルまたモルデカイに答へしめて曰く
16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who live in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My young girls and I will fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”
なんぢ往きシユシヤンにをるユダヤ人をことごとく集めてわがために断食せよ 三日の間夜昼とも食ふことも飮むこともするなかれ 我とわが侍女等もおなじく断食せん しかして我法律にそむく事なれども王にいたらん 我もし死べくば死べし
17 Mordecai went and did all that Esther told him to do.
ここにおいてモルデカイ往てエステルが凡ておのれに命じたるごとく行なへり
