Esther 4

1 Quæ cum audisset Mardochæus, scidit vestimenta sua, et indutus est sacco, spargens cinerem capiti: et in platea mediæ civitatis voce magna clamabat, ostendens amaritudinem animi sui,

When Mordecai ascertained all that had been done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth [strewed] with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry;

2 et hoc eiulatu usque ad fores palatii gradiens. Non enim erat licitum indutum sacco aulam regis intrare.

And thus he came up to the front of the king's gate; for none dared to enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

3 In omnibus quoque provinciis, oppidis, ac locis, ad quæ crudele regis dogma pervenerat, planctus ingens erat apud Iudæos, ieiunium, ululatus, et fletus, sacco et cinere multis pro strato utentibus.

And in each and every province, in every place whither the king's decree and his law had reached, there was great mourning for the Jews, with fasting and weeping and wailing; and a sackcloth [strewed] with ashes became the bed of the great.

4 Ingressæ autem sunt puellæ Esther et eunuchi, nuntiaveruntque ei. Quod audiens consternata est: et vestem misit, ut ablato sacco induerent eum: quam accipere noluit.

Then came the maidens of Esther with her chamberlains and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly terrified; and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, and to remove his sackcloth from him, but he accepted them not.

5 Accitoque Athach eunucho, quem rex ministrum ei dederat, præcepit ei ut iret ad Mardochæum, et disceret ab eo cur hoc faceret.

Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a charge for Mordecai to know what this was, and why this was.

6 Egressusque Athach, ivit ad Mardochæum stantem in platea civitatis, ante ostium palatii:

So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.

7 qui indicavit ei omnia, quæ acciderant, quo modo Aman promisisset, ut in thesauros regis pro Iudæorum nece inferret argentum.

And Mordecai told him all that had happened unto him, and of the fixed sum of money which Haman had promised to weigh out into the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them.

8 Exemplar quoque edicti, quod pendebat in Susan, dedit ei, ut reginæ ostenderet, et moneret eam, ut intraret ad regem, et deprecaretur eum pro populo suo.

Also the copy of the writing of the law that had been given out in Shushan to destroy them he gave to him, to show it unto Esther, and to tell her [all], and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, and to make supplication unto him, and to present a request before him for her people.

9 Regressus Athach, nuntiavit Esther omnia, quæ Mardochæus dixerat.

And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 Quæ respondit ei, et iussit ut diceret Mardochæo:

And Esther said unto Hatach, and gave him a charge unto Mordecai,

11 Omnes servi regis, et cunctæ, quæ sub ditione eius sunt, norunt provinciæ, quod sive vir, sive mulier non vocatus, interius atrium regis intraverit, absque ulla cunctatione statim interficiatur: nisi forte rex auream virgam ad eum tetenderit pro signo clementiæ, atque ita possit vivere. Ego igitur quo modo ad regem intrare potero, quæ triginta iam diebus non sum vocata ad eum?

All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that every one, whether man or woman, who should come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is but one law for him, to put him to death, except the one to whom the king should hold out the golden sceptre, for he will be suffered to live; but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

12 Quod cum audisset Mardochæus,

And they told Mordecai the words of Esther.

13 rursum mandavit Esther, dicens: Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo regis es præ cunctis Iudæis:

Then said Mordecai to bring this answer back to Esther, Imagine not in thy soul to be able to escape in the king's house out of all the Jews.

14 si enim nunc silueris, per aliam occasionem liberabuntur Iudæi: et tu, et domus patris tui peribitis. Et quis novit utrum idcirco ad regnum veneris, ut in tali tempore parareris?

For if thou do indeed maintain silence at this time, enlargement and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou hast not for a time like this attained to the royal dignity?

15 Rursumque Esther hæc Mardochæo verba mandavit:

Then said Esther to bring this answer back to Mordecai,

16 Vade et congrega omnes Iudæos, quos in Susan reppereris, et orate pro me. Non comedatis, et non bibatis tribus diebus, et tribus noctibus: et ego cum ancillis meis similiter ieiunabo, et tunc ingrediar ad regem contra legem faciens, non vocata, tradensque me morti et periculo.

Go, assemble together all the Jews who are now present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, so that ye neither eat nor drink three days, either night or day; also I myself with my maidens will fast in like manner; and then will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I then perish, I perish.

17 Ivit itaque Mardochæus, et fecit omnia, quæ ei Esther præceperat.

And Mordecai went about, and did in accordance with all that Esther had charged him.