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 [prepared a big banquet/feast. Then she] put on the robes that showed that she was queen, and she went to the inner courtyard of the palace, across from the room where the king was. He was sitting on the throne, facing the entrance [of the room].
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 Esther standing there in the courtyard, he extended the gold scepter/staff toward her [to signal that he would be glad to talk to her]. So Esther came close and touched the tip of the scepter/staff.
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 asked her, “Esther, what do you want? Tell me, and I will give you what you want, even if you ask me to give you half of my kingdom!”
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, “[Your majesty, ] if it pleases you, you and Haman come to the banquet that I have prepared for you!”
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.
The king said [to his servants], “Go and tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet that Esther has prepared for the two of us!” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared for them.
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, “Tell me what you [really] want. I will give it to you, even if [you ask for] half of my kingdom.”
7 Ester ɖo eŋu be, “Esiae nye nye biabia kple kukuɖeɖe.
Esther replied, “[I will tell you] what I want [most of all. Your majesty], if you are pleased with me, and if you are willing to give me what I am requesting, please come [again] tomorrow to another banquet that I will prepare for the two of you. Then I will tell you [what I really 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.”
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 was feeling very happy as he left the banquet. But then he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the palace. Mordecai did not stand up and tremble fearfully in front of Haman, so Haman became extremely angry.
10 Ke eɖu eɖokui dzi, yi aƒe me, eye wòyɔ exɔlɔ̃wo kple srɔ̃a Zeres.
However, he did not show that he was angry; he [just] went home. Then he gathered together his wife Zeresh and his friends,
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 he boasted to them about being very rich, and about having many children. He also boasted that the king had greatly honored him, and that the king had (promoted him/given him the second-most important job in the empire), so that [all] the other officials had to respect him.
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!
Then Haman added, “And that is not all! Queen Esther invited just two of us, the king and me, to a banquet she prepared for us today. And she is inviting [only] the two of us to another banquet that she will prepare 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 Haman said, “But those things (mean nothing to me/do not make me happy) while I keep seeing that Jew, Mordecai, [just] sitting there at the gate of the palace [and ignoring me]!”
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.
So Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends [who were there] suggested, “[Why don’t you quickly] set up (a gallows/posts on which to hang someone). Make it 75 feet tall. Then tomorrow morning ask the king to hang Mordecai on it. After that, you can go to the banquet with the king and be cheerful.” That idea pleased Haman [very much], so he gave [men] orders to set up the gallows/posts.
