< 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.
On the third day, Esther put on her regalia and stood in the inner court of the royal palace opposite the king’s house. The king was sitting on his throne in the palace, opposite 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 he saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she won his favor, and he held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre.
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!”
Then the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? Whatever your request is, it will be granted, even if it is the half of the kingdom.”
4 Ester ɖo eŋu be, “Ne edze ŋuwò la, medi be wò kple Haman miava kplɔ̃ si meɖo na wò egbe la ŋu.”
“If it seems best to the king,” Esther said, “let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that 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.
Then the king ordered, “Bring Haman quickly, so that Esther’s wish may be gratified.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet 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!”
While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Whatever your petition is, it will be granted. Your request, it will be done – even if it takes half of my kingdom.”
7 Ester ɖo eŋu be, “Esiae nye nye biabia kple kukuɖeɖe.
Esther answered,
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 I have won the king’s favor and if it seems best to the king to grant my petition and to accede to my request, my petition and my request are that the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer the king’s question as he wishes.”
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.
Haman went out that day joyful and elated, but when he saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and noticed that he neither stood up nor moved for him, he was furiously angry with Mordecai.
10 Ke eɖu eɖokui dzi, yi aƒe me, eye wòyɔ exɔlɔ̃wo kple srɔ̃a Zeres.
Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home. He called together his friends and Zeresh his wife
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.
and recounted to them the greatness of his wealth, how many children he had, and all the ways in which the king had honored him, and how he had promoted him above the officials and the royal courtiers.
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!
“What is more,” Haman said, “Queen Esther brought no one in with the king to the banquet which she had prepared except me, and tomorrow also I am invited by her along with the king.
13 Ke esiawo katã maɖi ƒo nam o, zi ale si Mordekai, Yudatɔ ma nɔ anyi ɖe fia la ƒe agbo nu mele kpɔkpɔm.”
Yet all this does not satisfy me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s 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.
Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, “Let a gallows seventy-five feet high be erected, and in the morning speak to the king and let Mordecai be hanged on it. Then go merrily with the king to the banquet.” The advice pleased Haman, and so he had the gallows erected.

< Ester 5 >