Ester 4
1 Esi Mordekai se nya si dzɔ la, edze eƒe awuwo, ta akpanya, si dzowɔ ɖe ŋuti, eye wòyi dua me henɔ avi fam sesĩe nublanuitɔe.
When Mordecai found out all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and walked through the city, crying and wailing in grief.
2 Etsi tsitre ɖe fiasã la ƒe agbo nu, elabena womeɖe mɔ be ame aɖeke nanɔ akpanya me age ɖe fiasã la me o.
He went as far as the palace gate, because no one was allowed to enter the palace gate wearing sackcloth.
3 Yudatɔwo ta akpanya mlɔ afi ma, tsi nu dɔ, fa avi kple ɣli, eye dzi ɖe le wo ƒo le nutowo katã me le anyigba blibo la dzi le ɖoɖo si fia la wɔ la ta.
When the king's decree and orders reached all the different provinces the Jews began to mourn in terrible distress. They fasted, they wept, and they wailed; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 Esi Ester ƒe nyɔnudɔlawo kple ŋutsu tata siwo le edzi kpɔm la va gblɔ nu si Mordekai nɔ wɔwɔm nɛ la, exa nu, eye wòɖo awuwo ɖee be wòatsɔ aɖɔli akpanya si wòta la, gake melɔ̃ o.
Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was very upset. She sent clothes to him so he could take off his sackcloth, but he refused to accept them.
5 Azɔ Ester ɖo Hatak, ŋutsu tata si wotia be wòasubɔe la ɖa be wòayi Mordekai gbɔ, abia nu si le fu ɖem nɛ kple nu si tae.
She called Hathatch, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what he was doing and why.
6 Ale Hatak do go yi ablɔ dzi, eye wòkpɔ Mordekai le fiasã la ƒe agboa godo.
Hathatch went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the palace gate.
7 Tete Mordekai gblɔ nu siwo katã dzɔ la nɛ kple ga home si ŋugbe Haman do be yeatsɔ ade fia la ƒe gadzraɖoƒe me hena Yudatɔwo wuwu.
Mordecai explained to him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.
8 Mordekai tsɔ agbalẽ si me fia la ƒe se si wòde le Susa be woatsrɔ̃ Yudatɔwo katã le la na Hatak, eye wòbia tso esi be wòatsɔe afia Ester. Egblɔ na Hatak be wòagblɔ nya si dzɔ la na Ester, eye wòabia tso esi be wòayi fia la gbɔ, aɖe kuku nɛ be wòakpɔ nublanui na eƒe amewo.
Mordecai also gave him a copy of the decree that had been issued in Susa for their destruction to show Esther and explain it to her, and asked him to instruct her to go to the king and appeal for mercy and plead before him for her people.
9 Ale Hatak trɔ yi Ester gbɔ, eye wògblɔ nya si Mordekai be wòagblɔ nɛ la nɛ.
Hathatch went back and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
10 Ester gblɔ na Hatak be wòayi aɖagblɔ na Mordekai be,
Then Esther spoke with Hathatch and ordered him to deliver this message to Mordecai.
11 “Fia la ƒe dɔnunɔlawo katã kple ame siwo katã le nutowo me la nya be ne ŋutsu alo nyɔnu aɖe yi ɖe fia la gbɔ le xɔ titinatɔ me, evɔ fia la meyɔe o la, se ɖeka si le nu sia ŋuti koe nye be woawu amea. Negbe ɖeko fia la tsɔ eƒe sikatikplɔ ɖo ɖee hafi wòaɖe eƒe agbe. Ke ŋkeke blaetɔ̃e nye esi fia la meɖo du ɖem o.”
“All the king's officials, and even the people in the provinces of the king's empire, know that any man or any woman who goes to the king, entering his inner court without being summoned, is sentenced to death—that is the king's one law—unless the king holds out his golden scepter to them so they can live. In my case, I have not been called to go to the king for thirty days.”
12 Ale Hatak yi ɖagblɔ Ester ƒe nya la na Mordekai,
When Mordecai was told what Esther said,
13 eye Mordekai ɖo eŋu ɖo ɖe Ester be, “Ɖe nèbu be ye ya yeanɔ dedie le afi ma, le fiasã la me, ne wowu Yudatɔwo katã?
Mordecai sent a message back to Esther, saying, “Don't think that just because you live in the king's palace that your life is the only one that will be saved of all the Jews!
14 Ne èzi ɖoɖoe le ɣeyiɣi sia tɔgbi me la, Mawu ato mɔ bubu aɖe dzi aɖe Yudatɔwo, ke wò kple fofowò ƒe aƒemetɔwo miatsrɔ̃. Gawu la, ame kae nya be Mawu ŋutɔe da wò ɖe teƒe sia le fiasã la me le ɣeyiɣi sia tɔgbi me?”
If you stay silent right now, help and rescue will come to the Jews from some other place, and you and your relatives will die. Who knows—it could be you came to be queen for such a time as this!”
15 Ester ɖo ame ɖa be woagblɔ na Mordekai be:
Esther replied to Mordecai, saying,
16 “Yi nàƒo Yudatɔ siwo katã le Susa la nu ƒu, eye miatsi nu dɔ ɖe tanye, migaɖu nu alo miano nu o, ŋkeke etɔ̃ kple zã etɔ̃. Nye kple nye subɔlawo hã míawɔ nenema ke. Ekema, togbɔ be wode se sesẽ aɖe ɖe eŋu hã la, mayi aɖakpɔ fia la kpɔ. Ne meku la, maku faa!”
“Have all the Jews in Susa meet together and fast for me. Don't eat or drink anything for three days and nights. I and my girls will also fast. After that, I will go to the king, even though it's against the law, and if I die, I die.”
17 Ale Mordekai wɔ nu si Ester ɖo nɛ.
Mordecai went and did everything Esther had told him to do.
