< Esther 5 >

1 Three days later, Esther [prepared a big banquet/feast. Then she] put on the robes that showed that she was queen, and she went to the inner courtyard of the palace, across from the room where the king was. He was sitting on the throne, facing the entrance [of the room].
A hnin thum dongah tah Esther loh manghai himbai a bai tih manghai im hmai kah, manghai im vongup kah a ken ah pai. Te vaengah manghai tah im thohka hmai, manghai im kah a manghai ngolkhoel dongah ngol.
2 When the king saw Esther standing there in the courtyard, he extended the gold scepter/staff toward her [to signal that he would be glad to talk to her]. So Esther came close and touched the tip of the scepter/staff.
Manghai loh vongup ah aka pai manghainu Esther te a hmuh. A mikhmuh ah khaw mikdaithen a phueih dongah manghai loh a kut dongkah sui mancai te Esther taengla a doe. Esther te a nawn vaengah mancai kah a hmuidong te a ben.
3 Then the king asked her, “Esther, what do you want? Tell me, and I will give you what you want, even if you ask me to give you half of my kingdom!”
Te phoeiah anih te manghai loh, “Esther manghainu nang te ba dae lae? Na kueknah te ram rhakthuem hil pataeng nang taengah m'paek bitni,” a ti nah.
4 Esther replied, “[Your majesty, ] if it pleases you, you and Haman come to the banquet that I have prepared for you!”
Te vaengah Esther loh, “Manghai taengah a then mai atah, tihnin ah anih ham ka saii pah buhkoknah te manghai neh Haman ham paan rhoi dae,” a ti nah.
5 The king said [to his servants], “Go and tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet that Esther has prepared for the two of us!” So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared for them.
Te dongah Esther ol te ngai hamla saii ham manghai loh Haman taengah a thui paitok. Te phoeiah manghai neh Haman loh Esther kah a saii buhkoknah te a paan.
6 While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, “Tell me what you [really] want. I will give it to you, even if [you ask for] half of my kingdom.”
Misurtui neh buhkoknah a om vaengah manghai loh Esther te, “Nang ham te mebang huithuinah nim nang taengah m'paek eh? Na kueknah te ram rhakthuem hil pataeng han suem bitni,” a ti nah.
7 Esther replied, “[I will tell you] what I want [most of all. Your majesty], if you are pleased with me, and if you are willing to give me what I am requesting, please come [again] tomorrow to another banquet that I will prepare for the two of you. Then I will tell you [what I really want”].
Te vaengah Esther loh, “Kai ham huithuinah neh ka kueknah tah,
8
Manghai mik ah mikdaithen ka hmuh atah, kai taengah huithuinah paek ham neh ka kueknah te roirhi ham khaw manghai ham ni a then mak atah manghai neh Haman buhkoknah te ham paan saeh. Te te amih rhoi ham ka saii vetih thangvuen ah manghai ol bangla ka ngai bitni,” a ti nah.
9 Haman was feeling very happy as he left the banquet. But then he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the palace. Mordecai did not stand up and tremble fearfully in front of Haman, so Haman became extremely angry.
Te khohnin ah Haman tah kohoe neh lungbuei then la vuenva. Tedae Haman loh Mordekai te manghai vongka ah a hmuh hatah thoh pah pawt tih a taengah tonga pawh. Te dongah Haman loh Mordekai te kosi a hong thil.
10 However, he did not show that he was angry; he [just] went home. Then he gathered together his wife Zeresh and his friends,
Tedae Haman te thiim uh tih amah im la pawk. Te phoeiah hlang a tueih tih a lungnah rhoek neh a yuu Zeresh te a khue.
11 and he boasted to them about being very rich, and about having many children. He also boasted that the king had greatly honored him, and that the king had (promoted him/given him the second-most important job in the empire), so that [all] the other officials had to respect him.
Haman loh amih taengah a khuehtawn thangpomnah khaw, amah koca a cungkuem khaw, manghai loh a pomsang boeih te khaw, amah te mangpa rhoek neh manghai kah sal lakah a ludoeng te a tae.
12 Then Haman added, “And that is not all! Queen Esther invited just two of us, the king and me, to a banquet she prepared for us today. And she is inviting [only] the two of us to another banquet that she will prepare tomorrow!”
Te phoeiah Haman loh, “Esther manghainu loh, manghai neh buhkoknah a saii te a tloe khue pawh, kai bueng ni dawk n'khue. Thangvuen ham khaw, kai he amah loh manghai neh n'khue pueng.
13 Then Haman said, “But those things (mean nothing to me/do not make me happy) while I keep seeing that Jew, Mordecai, [just] sitting there at the gate of the palace [and ignoring me]!”
Tedae te boeih he kai neh a tluk moenih. Hnin takuem ah manghai vongka kah aka ngol Judah Mordekai te vawk ka hmuh,” a ti nah.
14 So Haman’s wife Zeresh and all his friends [who were there] suggested, “[Why don’t you quickly] set up (a gallows/posts on which to hang someone). Make it 75 feet tall. Then tomorrow morning ask the king to hang Mordecai on it. After that, you can go to the banquet with the king and be cheerful.” That idea pleased Haman [very much], so he gave [men] orders to set up the gallows/posts.
Te dongah anih te a yuu Zeresh neh a lungnah boeih loh, “Thing dong sawmnga a sang saii uh saeh lamtah mincang ah manghai te dawt. Te phoeiah Mordekai te a soah kuiok sak uh saeh. Te vaengah buhkoknah te manghai neh kohoe la paan,” a ti nah. Ol te Haman mikhmuh ah tah a voelphoeng pah tih thing te a saii.

< Esther 5 >