< Ester 5 >

1 Le ŋkeke etɔ̃a gbe la, Ester do eƒe fiawu, eye wòyi fiasã la ƒe xɔxɔnu emetɔ me le afi si amewo ƒoa ƒu ɖo le fiasã la me la ŋgɔ. Fia la nɔ eƒe fiazikpui dzi le afi ma hedze ŋgɔ mɔa nu.
Three days later Esther put on her royal robes and went and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the king's hall, facing the entrance.
2 Esi wòkpɔ Fianyɔnu Ester wòtsi tsitre ɖe afi ma la, edo dzaa nɛ, eye wòtsɔ sikafiatikplɔ si wolé ɖe asi la do ɖee. Ale Ester te ɖe eŋu, eye wòlé fiatikplɔ la tame.
When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the inner court she won his approval so he acted favorably by holding out his scepter to her. So Esther went over and touched the end of the scepter.
3 Fia la biae be, “Nu kae nye wò didi, Fianyɔnu Ester? Nu ka nàbia? Nu sia nu si nàbia la, mana wò, ne èbia nye fiaɖuƒe la ƒe afã gɔ̃ hã, matsɔe na wò!”
The king asked her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I'll give it to you, as much as half my empire!”
4 Ester ɖo eŋu be, “Ne edze ŋuwò la, medi be wò kple Haman miava kplɔ̃ si meɖo na wò egbe la ŋu.”
Esther replied, “If it please Your Majesty, may the king and Haman come today to a dinner I have prepared for him.”
5 Fia la gblɔ na eƒe subɔlawo be, “Miyi miagblɔ na Haman be wòaɖe abla ava, ale be miawɔ ɖe Ester ƒe didi dzi.” Ale fia la kple Haman woyi kplɔ̃ si Ester ɖo la ŋu.
“Bring Haman here at once so we can do what Esther has requested,” the king ordered. The king and Haman went to the dinner that Esther had prepared.
6 Esi wonɔ wain nom la, fia la gblɔ na Ester be, “Gblɔ nu si tututu nèhiã la nam azɔ, eye matsɔe na wò, ne èbia nye fiaɖuƒe la ƒe afã gɔ̃ hã, matsɔe na wò!”
As they drank their wine, the king asked Esther, “What are you really asking for? It will be given to you. What do you want? You shall have it, as much as half my empire!”
7 Ester ɖo eŋu be, “Esiae nye nye biabia kple kukuɖeɖe.
Esther answered, “This is what I'm asking for, and this is what I want.
8 Nenye be fia la nyo dɔ me nam, eye nenye be edze fia la ŋu be wòawɔ ɖe nye didi kple biabia dzi la, ekema fia la kple Haman negava ɖu nu le kplɔ̃ si maɖo na wò etsɔ la ŋu. Ekema maɖo fia la ƒe biabia ŋu nɛ.”
If the king looks on me favorably, and if it please Your Majesty to grant my request and do as I ask, may the king and Haman come to a dinner I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer Your Majesty's question.”
9 Esi wokaka le kplɔ̃a ŋu la, Haman dzo kple dzidzɔ gã aɖe. Esi wòkpɔ Mordekai le agboa nu, eye Mordekai metsi tsitre alo dzo nyanyanya le eŋkume o la, edo dɔmedzoe ŋutɔ.
When Haman left that day he was very happy and pleased with himself. But when he saw Mordecai at the palace gate and that he didn't stand up or tremble with fear before him, Haman was furious with Mordecai.
10 Ke eɖu eɖokui dzi, yi aƒe me, eye wòyɔ exɔlɔ̃wo kple srɔ̃a Zeres.
However, Haman controlled himself and he went home. There he invited his friends over. Once they and his wife Zeresh had gathered,
11 Eƒo adegbe le eƒe gakpɔkpɔ vivivo, viŋutsuwo ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ, ale si fia la doe ɖe dzii kple ale si wòzu ame gãtɔ si kplɔ fia la ɖo le fiaɖuƒe la me la ŋu.
Haman went into great detail about how much money and possessions he had, and how many children, and how the king had made him so important by promoting him above all the other nobles and officials.
12 Eyi edzi be, “Ɛ̃, menye ema koe o; Fianyɔnu Ester kpe nye kple fia la ɖeɖe pɛ ko ɖe kplɔ̃ si wòɖo na mí la ŋu. Gawu la, egakpe mí na etsɔ hã!
“Added to all that,” Haman went on, “I was the only other person Queen Esther invited to come to a dinner she had prepared for the king. I'm also invited by her to eat together with the king tomorrow.”
13 Ke esiawo katã maɖi ƒo nam o, zi ale si Mordekai, Yudatɔ ma nɔ anyi ɖe fia la ƒe agbo nu mele kpɔkpɔm.”
Then he said, “But all of this is worthless to me while I keep on seeing Mordecai the Jew sitting at the palace gate.”
14 Zeres, Haman srɔ̃ kple Haman xɔlɔ̃wo katã gblɔ nɛ be, “Enyo; tu kadeveti aɖe wòakɔ mita blaeve-vɔ-etɔ̃. Ne ŋu ke la, nàbia fia la be wòana mɔ wò nade ka ve na Mordekai ɖe kadeveti la ŋu. Ne èwɔ esia vɔ la, ekema àte ŋu agayi kplɔ̃ la ŋu kple fia la kple dzidzɔ.” Aɖaŋu sia dze Haman ŋu ŋutɔ, eya ta wòna wotu kadeveti la.
His wife Zeresh and his friends told him, “Arrange for a pole to be set up, fifty cubits high. Then, in the morning, go and ask the king to have Mordecai impaled on it. Afterwards, you'll be happy as you go with the king to the dinner.” Haman thought this was good advice, so he had the pole set up.

< Ester 5 >