Esther 4

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

When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent 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 heiulatu 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 quae crudele regis dogma pervenerat planctus ingens erat apud Iudaeos ieiunium ululatus et fletus sacco et cinere multis pro strato utentibus

And in every province whithersoever 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 ingressae sunt autem puellae Hester et eunuchi nuntiaveruntque ei quod audiens consternata est et misit vestem 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 received [it] not.

5 accitoque Athac eunucho quem rex ministrum ei dederat praecepit ut iret ad Mardocheum 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 know what it [was], and why it [was].

6 egressusque Athac ivit ad Mardocheum 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 quae acciderant quomodo Aman promisisset ut in thesauros regis pro Iudaeorum 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 exemplarque edicti quod pendebat in Susis dedit ei ut reginae 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 declare [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 Athac nuntiavit Hester omnia quae Mardocheus dixerat

And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 quae respondit ei et iussit ut diceret Mardocheo

Again Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him commandment to Mordecai;

11 omnes servi regis et cunctae quae sub dicione eius sunt norunt provinciae quod sive vir sive mulier invocatus 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 quomodo ad regem intrare potero quae 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 scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.

12 quod cum audisset Mardocheus

And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

13 rursum mandavit Hester dicens ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes quia in domo regis es prae cunctis Iudaeis

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 Iudaei 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] will there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house will be destroyed: and who knoweth, whether thou hast come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?

15 rursumque Hester haec Mardocheo verba mandavit

Then Esther bade [them] return Mordecai [this answer],

16 vade et congrega omnes Iudaeos quos in Susis reppereris et orate pro me non comedatis et non bibatis tribus diebus ac noctibus et ego cum ancillulis meis similiter ieiunabo et tunc ingrediar ad regem contra legem faciens invocata tradensque me morti et periculo

Go, assemble 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 Mardocheus et fecit omnia quae ei Hester praeceperat

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