Esther 4

1 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.

末底改知道所做的這一切事，就撕裂衣服，穿麻衣，蒙灰塵，在城中行走，痛哭哀號。

2 He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

到了朝門前停住腳步，因為穿麻衣的不可進朝門。

3 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.

王的諭旨所到的各省各處，猶大人大大悲哀，禁食哭泣哀號，穿麻衣躺在灰中的甚多。

4 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.

王后以斯帖的宮女和太監來把這事告訴以斯帖，她甚是憂愁，就送衣服給末底改穿，要他脫下麻衣，他卻不受。

5 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.

以斯帖就把王所派伺候她的一個太監，名叫哈他革召來，吩咐他去見末底改，要知道這是甚麼事，是甚麼緣故。

6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.

於是哈他革出到朝門前的寬闊處見末底改。

7 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.

末底改將自己所遇的事，並哈曼為滅絕猶大人應許捐入王庫的銀數都告訴了他；

8 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.

又將所抄寫傳遍書珊城要滅絕猶大人的旨意交給哈他革，要給以斯帖看，又要給她說明，並囑咐她進去見王，為本族的人在王面前懇切祈求。

9 Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

哈他革回來，將末底改的話告訴以斯帖；

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:

以斯帖就吩咐哈他革去見末底改，說：

11 “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.”

「王的一切臣僕和各省的人民都知道有一個定例：若不蒙召，擅入內院見王的，無論男女必被治死；除非王向他伸出金杖，不得存活。現在我沒有蒙召進去見王已經三十日了。」

12 They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

人就把以斯帖這話告訴末底改。

13 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.

末底改託人回覆以斯帖說：「你莫想在王宮裏強過一切猶大人，得免這禍。

14 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?”

此時你若閉口不言，猶大人必從別處得解脫，蒙拯救；你和你父家必致滅亡。焉知你得了王后的位分不是為現今的機會嗎？」

15 Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

以斯帖就吩咐人回報末底改說：

16 “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.”

「你當去招聚書珊城所有的猶大人，為我禁食三晝三夜，不吃不喝；我和我的宮女也要這樣禁食。然後我違例進去見王，我若死就死吧！」

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

於是末底改照以斯帖一切所吩咐的去行。