< Ɛster 4 >

1 Bere a Mordekai huu nea wɔayɛ no nyinaa no, ɔtetew ne ntade mu, hyɛɛ atweaatam, de nsõ yɛɛ ne ho, de agyaadwotwa a ano yɛ den faa kuropɔn no mu.
Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.
2 Ogyinaa ahemfi no pon akyi, efisɛ na wɔmma obi a ɔhyɛ atweaatam no nkɔ mu.
He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
3 Na bere a ɔhene no mmara no duu amantam no nyinaa so no, na ɛyɛ osu ne agyaadwo wɔ Yudafo no mu. Wodii mmuada, su twaa agyaadwo a wɔn mu bebree hyehyɛ atweaatam de nsõ ahura wɔn ho.
In every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning amongst the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 Bere a ɔhemmea Ɛster mmaawa ne ne piamfo bɛkaa Mordekai ho asɛm kyerɛɛ no no, ɛhaw no yiye. Ɔbrɛɛ no ntade sɛ ɔmfa nsi atweaatam no anan, nanso ɔpoe.
Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.
5 Na Ɛster soma ma wɔkɔfrɛɛ Hatak a ɔyɛ ɔhene piamfo no mu baako a wɔayi no sɛ ne somfo no. Ɔhyɛɛ no sɛ ɔnkɔ Mordekai nkyɛn nkobisa no nea ɛrehaw no, ne nea enti a ɔretwa agyaadwo saa.
Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.
6 Enti Hatak kɔɔ Mordekai nkyɛn wɔ aguabɔbea a ɛwɔ ahemfi no pon ano.
So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.
7 Mordekai kaa asɛm no nyinaa kyerɛɛ no, kaa sika a Haman ahyɛ bɔ sɛ ɔde begu adehye foto mu no, nam so de atɔre Yudafo no ase.
Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
8 Mordekai de mmara no sɛso a woyii no Susa a ɛkyerɛ sɛ wonkum Yudafo nyinaa no bae, na ɔde maa Hatak sɛ ɔmfa nkɔma Ɛster. Ɔsan frɛɛ Hatak sɛ ɔnkyerɛ mu nkyerɛ Ɛster, na ɔnsrɛ no sɛ, ɔnkɔ ɔhene no nkyɛn nkɔsrɛ no ahummɔbɔ, na ɔnka bi mma ne nkurɔfo.
He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.
9 Enti Hatak san kɔɔ Ɛster nkyɛn kɔkaa Mordekai nkra no.
Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10 Ɛster ka kyerɛɛ Hatak sɛ, ɔnsan mfa nkra nkɔma Mordekai se:
Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:
11 “Wiase nyinaa nim sɛ obiara a wobɛkɔ ɔhene anim wɔ nʼasennipia mu a wɔntoo nsa mfrɛɛ wo no, owu na wubewu, gye sɛ ɔde ne sika ahempema no kyerɛ wo so. Na ɛbɛyɛ ɔsram ni no, ɔhene no nsomaa sɛ wɔmmɛfrɛ me.”
“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
12 Enti Hatak de Ɛster nkra no kɔmaa Mordekai.
They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.
13 Mordekai nso de saa mmuae yi maa Ɛster se, “Nsusuw da biara da sɛ, sɛ wokunkum Yudafo no nyinaa a, wubenya wo ti adidi mu wɔ ahemfi hɔ.
Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.
14 Na sɛ woyɛ komm bere a ɛte sɛɛ mu a, Yudafo no gye betumi afi baabi aba, nanso wo ne wʼabusuafo bewuwu. Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wuhu sɛ, bere a ɛte sɛɛ yi nti na wɔasi wo hemmea wɔ ahemfi hɔ.”
For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
15 Na Ɛster de mmuae yi kɔmaa Mordekai se,
Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,
16 “Kɔ na kɔboaboa Yudafo a wɔwɔ Susa no nyinaa ano ntɛm. Nnidi anaa nnom nnansa, anadwo anaa awia. Me ne me mmaawa nso bɛyɛ saa ara. Ɛwɔ mu sɛ, etia mmara de, nanso mɛkɔ akohu ɔhene no na sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ mewu koraa a, mewu.”
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
17 Enti Mordekai kɔyɛɛ sɛnea Ɛster ka kyerɛɛ no no.
So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

< Ɛster 4 >