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.

Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

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 came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with 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.

In every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning amongst the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; 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 maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.

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.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

6 Ale Hatak do go yi ablɔ dzi, eye wòkpɔ Mordekai le fiasã la ƒe agboa godo.

So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s 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 told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries 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.

He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

9 Ale Hatak trɔ yi Ester gbɔ, eye wògblɔ nya si Mordekai be wòagblɔ nɛ la nɛ.

Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 Ester gblɔ na Hatak be wòayi aɖagblɔ na Mordekai be,

Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a 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 servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live. 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,

They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

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?

Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any 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?”

For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

15 Ester ɖo ame ɖa be woagblɔ na Mordekai be:

Then Esther asked them to answer 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 together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

17 Ale Mordekai wɔ nu si Ester ɖo nɛ.

So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.