Esther 4

1 And Mordecai hath known all that hath been done, and Mordecai rendeth his garments, and putteth on sackcloth and ashes, and goeth forth into the midst of the city and crieth — a cry loud and bitter,

末底改知道所做的这一切事，就撕裂衣服，穿麻衣，蒙灰尘，在城中行走，痛哭哀号。

2 and he cometh in unto the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come in unto the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.

到了朝门前停住脚步，因为穿麻衣的不可进朝门。

3 And in every province and province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, a great mourning have the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.

王的谕旨所到的各省各处，犹大人大大悲哀，禁食哭泣哀号，穿麻衣躺在灰中的甚多。

4 And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare [it] to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sendeth garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he hath not received [them].

王后以斯帖的宫女和太监来把这事告诉以斯帖，她甚是忧愁，就送衣服给末底改穿，要他脱下麻衣，他却不受。

5 And Esther calleth to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he hath stationed before her, and giveth him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this [is], and wherefore this [is].

以斯帖就把王所派伺候她的一个太监，名叫哈他革召来，吩咐他去见末底改，要知道这是什么事，是什么缘故。

6 And Hatach goeth out unto Mordecai, unto a broad place of the city, that [is] before the gate of the king,

于是哈他革出到朝门前的宽阔处见末底改。

7 and Mordecai declareth to him all that hath met him, and the explanation of the money that Haman said to weigh to the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them,

末底改将自己所遇的事，并哈曼为灭绝犹大人应许捐入王库的银数都告诉了他；

8 and the copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he hath given to him, to shew Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in unto the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.

又将所抄写传遍书珊城要灭绝犹大人的旨意交给哈他革，要给以斯帖看，又要给她说明，并嘱咐她进去见王，为本族的人在王面前恳切祈求。

9 And Hatach cometh in and declareth to Esther the words of Mordecai,

哈他革回来，将末底改的话告诉以斯帖；

10 and Esther speaketh to Hatach, and chargeth him for Mordecai:

以斯帖就吩咐哈他革去见末底改，说：

11 'All servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, do know that any man and woman, who cometh in unto the king, unto the inner court, who is not called — one law [of] his [is] to put [them] to death, apart from him to whom the king holdeth out the golden sceptre, then he hath lived; and I — I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.'

“王的一切臣仆和各省的人民都知道有一个定例：若不蒙召，擅入内院见王的，无论男女必被治死；除非王向他伸出金杖，不得存活。现在我没有蒙召进去见王已经三十日了。”

12 And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,

人就把以斯帖这话告诉末底改。

13 and Mordecai speaketh to send back unto Esther: 'Do not think in thy soul to be delivered [in] the house of the king, more than all the Jews,

末底改托人回复以斯帖说：“你莫想在王宫里强过一切犹大人，得免这祸。

14 but if thou keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remaineth to the Jews from another place, and thou and the house of thy fathers are destroyed; and who knoweth whether for a time like this thou hast come to the kingdom?'

此时你若闭口不言，犹大人必从别处得解脱，蒙拯救；你和你父家必致灭亡。焉知你得了王后的位分不是为现今的机会吗？”

15 And Esther speaketh to send back unto Mordecai:

以斯帖就吩咐人回报末底改说：

16 'Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, by night and by day; also I and my young women do fast likewise, and so I go in unto the king, that [is] not according to law, and when I have perished — I have perished.'

“你当去招聚书珊城所有的犹大人，为我禁食三昼三夜，不吃不喝；我和我的宫女也要这样禁食。然后我违例进去见王，我若死就死吧！”

17 And Mordecai passeth on, and doth according to all that Esther hath charged upon him.

于是末底改照以斯帖一切所吩咐的去行。