< 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.
And Mordecai has known all that has been done, and Mordecai tears his garments, and puts on sackcloth and ashes, and goes forth into the midst of the city and cries—a cry loud and bitter,
2 Etsi tsitre ɖe fiasã la ƒe agbo nu, elabena womeɖe mɔ be ame aɖeke nanɔ akpanya me age ɖe fiasã la me o.
and he comes to the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come to the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.
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.
And in each and every province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, the Jews have a great mourning, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.
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.
And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare [it] to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sends garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he has not received [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.
And Esther calls to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he has stationed before her, and gives him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this [is], and why this [is].
6 Ale Hatak do go yi ablɔ dzi, eye wòkpɔ Mordekai le fiasã la ƒe agboa godo.
And Hatach goes out to Mordecai, to a broad place of the city, that [is] before the gate of the king,
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.
and Mordecai declares to him all that has 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,
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.
and the copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he has given to him, to show Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.
9 Ale Hatak trɔ yi Ester gbɔ, eye wògblɔ nya si Mordekai be wòagblɔ nɛ la nɛ.
And Hatach comes in and declares to Esther the words of Mordecai,
10 Ester gblɔ na Hatak be wòayi aɖagblɔ na Mordekai be,
and Esther speaks to Hatach, and charges him for 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 servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, know that any man and woman who comes to the king, into the inner court, who is not called—one law of his [is] to put [them] to death, apart from him to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, then he has lived; and I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
12 Ale Hatak yi ɖagblɔ Ester ƒe nya la na Mordekai,
And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,
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?
and Mordecai commands to send back to Esther: “Do not think in your soul to be delivered [in] the house of the king, more than 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?”
but if you keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remains to the Jews from another place, and you and the house of your fathers are destroyed; and who knows whether for a time like this you have come to the kingdom?”
15 Ester ɖo ame ɖa be woagblɔ na Mordekai be:
And Esther commands to send back to Mordecai:
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!”
“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 fast likewise, and so I go in to the king, that [is] not according to law, and when I have perished—I have perished.”
17 Ale Mordekai wɔ nu si Ester ɖo nɛ.
And Mordecai passes on, and does according to all that Esther has charged on him.

< Ester 4 >