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 perceived all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

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

And came even before the king’s gate: for none might 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 every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

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.

So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it to her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he accepted it 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 commandment to Mordecai, to learn what it was, and why it was.

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

So Hatach went forth to Mordecai to 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 to him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries 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 he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to tell it to her, and to charge her that she should go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make 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:

Again Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him commandment to 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 whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except him to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.

12 Quod cum audisset Mardochæus,

And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.

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

Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than 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 shalt altogether hold thy peace at this time, then shall there relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou hast come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

15 Rursumque Esther hæc Mardochæo verba mandavit:

Then Esther told them return Mordecai this answer,

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, gather all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

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

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