Esters 4
1 Då Mordokai fekk vita alt som var hendt, reiv han sund klædi sine og klædde seg i sekk og oska, gjekk ut i byen og skreik høgt og sårt.
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 Og han kom til plassen utanfor kongsporten; for ingen fekk lov til å ganga inn i kongsporten i syrgjebunad.
He stood outside the gate of the palace, because no one who was wearing sackcloth was allowed to enter the palace.
3 I kvart jarlerike, dit som kongens ord og påbod nådde, der vart det stor sorg millom jødar; dei fasta og gret og jamra; mange reidde upp under seg med sekk og oska.
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 Ternorne og hirdmennerne åt Ester kom og fortalde henne dette, og dronningi vart reint forstøkt. Ho sende klæde til Mordokai som han skulde taka på seg i staden for syrgjebunaden; men han tok ikkje imot.
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 Ester kalla då til seg Hatak, ein av kongens hirdmenner, som var sett til å tena henne, og sende honom til Mordokai til å få vita kva som var tids, og kvifor han bar seg soleis.
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 Hatak gjekk ut til Mordokai på bytorget under kongsporten.
Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the plaza in front of the palace gate.
7 Og Mordokai fortalde honom um alt det som hadde hendt honom, og nemnde grant den pengesumen som Haman hadde lova å vega upp åt kongskassa for jødarne, når han fekk tynt dei.
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 Dessutan gav han honom avskrift av det skrivne påbodet som hadde vorte utferda i Susan um å rydja deim ut; han skulde syna Ester det og melde henne det, og bjoda henne å ganga inn til kongen og beda um miskunn og søkja nåde for folket sitt hjå honom.
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 Hatak kom og melde Ester det Mordokai hadde sagt.
So Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.
10 Då baud Ester Hatak ganga til Mordokai og segja:
Then Esther told Hathach to [return to] Mordecai [and] tell this [to him]:
11 «Alle kongstenarane og folket i kongens jarlerike veit at den lovi gjeld for alle, kar eller kvende: gjeng nokon ukalla inn til kongen i den indre garden, so lyt han lata livet; det einaste er um kongen retter ut mot honom gullstaven, då fær han liva. Og eg hev ikkje vore kalla til kongen no på tretti dagar.»
“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 Dei fortalde Mordokai kva Ester hadde sagt.
So Hathach [went back to] Mordecai [and] told [him] what Esther had said.
13 Då sagde Mordokai dei skulde svara henne: «Du må ikkje tenkja med deg sjølv at du skal sleppa undan millom alle jødar, av di er i huset hjå kongen.
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 Nei, tegjer du verkeleg stilt i dette høvet, so skal nok jødarne få utfriing og frelsa frå ein annan kant; men du og farshuset ditt skal ganga til grunnar. Kven veit um ikkje du hev nått til kongeleg rang just for dette høvet skuld?»
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 Då let Ester Mordokai få dette svaret:
Then [after Hathach told this to] Esther, [she] told him to return to Mordecai and say this to him:
16 «Gakk og få saman alle jødar som finst i Susan, og haldt fasta for meg, so de korkje et eller drikk noko på tri døger, natt og dag. Eg og ternorne mine vil og fasta sameleis. Og so vil eg ganga inn til kongen, endå det er ulovlegt. Lyt eg so døy, so lat meg døy!»
“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 Mordokai gjekk av stad og gjorde i alle måtar so som Ester hadde bode honom.
So [after Hathach told this to Mordecai, ] Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.
