Esther 4

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

When Mordecai found out about those [letters, he was so anguished that] he tore his clothes and put on [rough] sackcloth and [threw] ashes over himself. Then he went into the city, crying very loudly.

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

He stood outside the gate of the palace, because no one who was wearing sackcloth was allowed to enter the palace.

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

In every province [of the empire], when the letter from the king was read to the Jewish people, they cried and mourned. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), and wailed loudly. Many of them also put on sackcloth and threw ashes on themselves and lay [on the ground].

4 Ingressae autem sunt puellae Esther et eunuchi, nunciaveruntque ei. Quod audiens consternata est: et vestem misit, ut ablato sacco indueret eam: quam accipere noluit.

When Esther’s maids and other officials came to her and told her what Mordecai had done, she was very distressed. So she sent to Mordecai [some good] clothes to wear instead of the sackcloth, but he refused to take them.

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

Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s officials whom he had appointed to help take care of Esther. She told him to go [out and talk] to Mordecai to find out what was distressing him and why [he was wearing sackcloth to show] that he was grieving.

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

Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the plaza in front of the palace gate.

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

Mordecai told him everything that had happened. He told him how much money Haman had promised to give to the government if the king commanded that all the Jews be killed.

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

Mordecai also gave to Hathach a copy of the decree that had been read in Susa, [in which it was stated] that all the Jews must be killed. He told Hathach to show the copy to Esther. He told Hathach to explain to Esther what (it meant/would happen). Then he told him to urge her to go to the king and request the king to act mercifully to her people.

9 Regressus Athach, nunciavit Esther omnia, quae Mardochaeus dixerat.

So Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.

10 Quae respondit ei, et iussit ut diceret Mardochaeo:

Then Esther told Hathach to [return to] Mordecai [and] tell this [to him]:

11 Omnes servi regis, et cunctae, quae sub ditione eius sunt, norunt provinciae, 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 clementiae, atque ita possit vivere. Ego igitur quo modo ad regem intrare potero, quae triginta iam diebus non sum vocata ad eum?

“There is a law [about people going to talk to the king]. All the king’s officials and all the people in the empire know this law. [In that law it states that] anyone who goes to the king in his inner court without having been summoned by the king must be executed. Only those to whom the king has extended his scepter/staff will not be executed. And a month has passed since the king has summoned me, [so what will happen to me if I try to see him and he doesn’t want to see me?]”

12 Quod cum audisset Mardochaeus,

So Hathach [went back to] Mordecai [and] told [him] what Esther had said.

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

Mordecai replied, “[Go back and] tell this to Esther: 'Do not think that just because you live there in the palace, you will escape when all the other Jews [are killed].

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

If you say nothing now, someone from some other place will rescue [many of] us Jews, but you and your relatives will be killed. Furthermore, (perhaps [God]/who knows if [God]) has put you here [as queen] (for a situation like this/to prevent this from happening to us)!'” [RHQ]

15 Rursumque Esther haec Mardochaeo verba mandavit:

Then [after Hathach told this to] Esther, [she] told him to return to Mordecai and say this to him:

16 Vade et congrega omnes Iudaeos, quos in Susan repereris, 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.

“Gather together all the Jews here in Susa, and tell them to (fast/abstain from food) for my sake. Tell them to not eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My maids and I will also fast. Then, I will go to talk to the king. Even if (I am executed/they execute me) for disobeying the law [by seeing him when he does not hold out the scepter/staff toward me, I am willing for that to happen”].

17 Ivit itaque Mardochaeus, et fecit omnia, quae ei Esther praeceperat.

So [after Hathach told this to Mordecai, ] Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.