Eseta 4

1 Pea ʻi he ʻilo ʻe Motekiai ʻaia kotoa pē kuo fai, naʻe haehae hono ngaahi kofu ʻe Motekiai, pea ʻai ʻae kofu tauangaʻa mo e efuefu, pea ʻalu ia kituʻa ki he loto kolo, pea tangi kalanga ia mo fakamamahi:

When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the middle of the city, and cried out with a loud and a bitter cry.

2 Pea naʻe haʻu ia, ʻio, ki he mata ʻoe matapā ʻoe tuʻi: he naʻe ʻikai ngofua ke hū ha tokotaha ki ai kuo kofu ʻi he kofu tauangaʻa.

He went up only as far as the king's gate, because no one was allowed to go through it clothed in sackcloth.

3 Pea ko e potu puleʻanga kotoa pē naʻe hoko ki ai ʻae fekau ʻae tuʻi mo ʻene tuʻutuʻuni, naʻe ʻi ai ʻae mamahi lahi ʻi he kakai Siu, mo e ʻaukai, mo e tangi, mo e tangilāulau; pea naʻe tokoto ʻae tokolahi ʻi he kofu tauangaʻa mo e efuefu.

In every province, wherever the king's command and decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and lamenting. Many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 Ko ia naʻe haʻu ai ʻae kau fefine ʻa Eseta mo ʻene kautauhi ʻo tala ia kiate ia. Pea naʻe mamahi lahi ʻaupito ai ʻae tuʻi fefine; pea ne fekau [ke ʻave ]ʻae ngaahi kofu ke fakakofuʻaki ʻa Motekiai, pea ke toʻo ʻo ʻave hono ngaahi kofu tauangaʻa meiate ia: ka naʻe ʻikai te ne maʻu ia.

When Esther's young women and her servants came and told her, the queen was in great distress. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai (so he could take off his sackcloth), but he would not accept them.

5 Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Eseta ke haʻu ʻa Hataki, ko e tokotaha ʻoe kau tangata tauhi ʻae tuʻi, ʻaia naʻe tuʻutuʻuni ia ʻe he tuʻi ke tauhi ia, pea ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fekau kia Motekiai, ke ʻilo pe ko e hā ia, pea kuo tupu ʻi he hā.

Then Esther called for Hathak, one of the king's officials who had been assigned to serve her. She ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what had happened and what it meant.

6 Ko ia naʻe ʻalu atu ai ʻa Hataki kia Motekiai ki he hala lahi ʻoe kolo, ʻaia naʻe ʻi he mata ʻoe matapā ʻoe tuʻi.

So Hathak went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's gate.

7 Pea naʻe fakahā kiate ia ʻe Motekiai ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kuo hoko kiate ia, pea mo e ngaahi paʻanga naʻe fakahā ʻe Hamani ke totongi ki he fale koloa ʻoe tuʻi koeʻuhi ko e kakai Siu, ke fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu.

Mordecai reported to him all that had happened to him, and the total amount of the silver that Haman had promised to weigh out and put into the king's treasuries in order to put the Jews to death.

8 Pea naʻa ne ʻatu foki kiate ia hono hiki ʻoe tohi ʻae fono naʻe fai ʻi Susani ke fakaʻauha ʻakinautolu, ke ne fakahā ia kia Eseta, pea ke fakahā ia kiate ia, pea ke fekau kiate ia ke ʻalu ia ki he tuʻi, ke fai ʻae hū kiate ia, pea ke fai ʻae kole ʻi hono ʻao maʻa hono kakai.

He also gave him a copy of the decree that was issued in Susa for the Jews' destruction. He did this so that Hathak could show it to Esther, and that he should give her the responsibility of going to the king to beg for his favor, and to plead with him on behalf of her people.

9 Pea naʻe haʻu ʻa Hataki ʻo tala kia Eseta ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Motekiai.

So Hathak went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.

10 Pea naʻe toe lea ʻa Eseta kia Hataki, ʻo ne tuku kiate ia ʻae fekau kia Motekiai;

Then Esther spoke to Hathak and told him to go back to Mordecai.

11 “ʻOku ʻilo ʻe he kau tamaioʻeiki kotoa pē ʻae tuʻi, mo e kakai kotoa pē ʻoe ngaahi puleʻanga ʻoe tuʻi ʻoku nau ʻilo, ke ʻilonga ha tokotaha, pe ko ha tangata pe ha fefine, ʻe hū ia ki he tuʻi ʻi he fale ʻi loto fale, pea naʻe ʻikai fekau, ʻoku ai ʻae fono pe taha ʻaʻana ke tāmateʻi ia, ka ko ia pe ʻe mafao atu ki ai ʻe he tuʻi ʻae tokotoko koula ke moʻui ai ia; pea kuo ʻikai ui au ke hū atu ki he tuʻi ʻi he ʻaho ʻe tolungofulu kuo hili ni.”

She said, “All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner courtyard without being summoned, there is only one law: That he must be put to death—except for anyone to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. I have not been called to come to the king these thirty days.”

12 Pea naʻa nau tala kia Motekiai ʻae ngaahi lea ʻa Eseta.

So Hathak reported Esther's words to Mordecai.

13 Pea naʻe fekau ʻe Motekiai ke tala kia Eseta, “ʻOua naʻa ke mahalo te ke muʻaki hao koe ʻi he kakai Siu kotoa pē koeʻuhi ko hoʻo ʻi he fale ʻoe tuʻi.

Mordecai sent back this message: “You must not think that in the king's palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews.

14 He kapau te ke mātuʻaki longo pe koe ʻi he kuonga ni, ʻe hoko ai ʻae fakaʻataʻatā mo e fakamoʻui ʻoe kakai Siu mei ha potu ʻe taha: ka ko koe mo e fale ʻo hoʻo tamai ʻe fakaʻauha; pea ko hai ʻoku ne ʻiloʻi naʻa kuo ke hoko ai koe ki he puleʻanga koeʻuhi ko ha kuonga pehē ni?”

If you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will rise up for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows whether you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?”

15 Pea naʻe toki fekau ʻe Eseta kiate kinautolu ke ʻave kia Motekiai ʻae tali ni,

Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai,

16 “ʻAlu pea fakakātoa fakataha ʻae ngaahi Siu kotoa pē ʻoku nofo ʻi Susani, pea ke mou ʻaukai koeʻuhi ko au, pea ʻoua naʻa mou kai pe inu ʻi he ʻaho ʻe tolu, [ʻi he pō], pe [ʻi he ]ʻaho: Ko au mo ʻeku kau fefine te mau ʻaukai foki: pea ko ia te u hū ai ki he tuʻi, ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai taau mo e fono: pea kapau te u mate ai, te u mate pē.”

“Go, gather together all the Jews who live in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My young girls and I will fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

17 Ko ia naʻe ʻalu ai ʻa Motekiai ʻi hono hala, pea fai ia ʻo fakatatau ki he fekau kotoa pē ʻa Eseta kiate ia.

Mordecai went and did all that Esther told him to do.