エステル 記 4

1 モルデカイ凡てこの爲れたる事を知しかばモルデカイ衣服を裂き麻布を纒ひ灰をかぶり邑の中に行て大に哭き痛く號び

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 王の門の前までも斯して來れり 其は麻布をまとふては王の門の内に入ること能はざればなり

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

3 すべて王の命とその詔書と到れる諸州にてはユダヤ人の中におほいなる哀みあり斷食哭泣號呼おこれり また麻布をまとふて灰の上に坐する者おほかりき

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 ここにエステルの侍女およびその侍從等きたりてこれを告ければ后はなはだしく憂ひ衣服をおくり之をモルデカイにきせてその麻布を脱しめんとしたりしがうけざりき

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 ここをもてエステルは王の侍從の一人すなはち王の命じて己に侍らしむるハタクといふ者を召しモルデカイの許に往きてその何事なるか何故なるかを知きたれと命ぜり

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 ハタクいでて王の門の前なる邑の廣場にをるモルデカイにいたりしに

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

7 モルデカイおのれの遇たるところを具にこれに語りかつハマンがユダヤ人を滅ぼす事のために王の府庫に秤りいれんと約したる銀の額を告げ

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 またその彼等をほろぼさしむるためにシユシヤンにおいて書て與へられし詔書の寫本を彼にわたし之をエステルに見せかつ解あかし また彼に王の許にゆきてその民のためにこれに矜恤を請ひその前に願ふことを爲べしと言つたへよと言り

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 ハタクかへり來りてモルデカイの言詞をエステルに告ければ

Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 エステル、ハタクに命じモルデカイに言をつたへしむ云く

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

11 王の諸臣がよび王の諸州の民みな知る男にもあれ女にもあれ凡て召れずして内庭に入て王にいたる者は必ず殺さるべき一の法律あり されど王これに金圭を伸れば生るを得べし かくて我此三十日は王にいたるべき召をかうむらざるなり

“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 エステルの言をモルデカイに告げけるに

They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

13 モルデカイ命じてエステルに答へしめて曰く 汝王の家にあれば一切のユダヤ人の如くならずして免かるべしと心に思ふなかれ

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 なんぢ若この時にあたりて默して言ずば他の處よりして助援と拯救ユダヤ人に興らんされど汝どなんぢの父の家は亡ぶべし 汝が后の位を得たるは此のごとき時のためなりしやも知るべからず

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 エステルまたモルデカイに答へしめて曰く

Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

16 なんぢ往きシユシヤンにをるユダヤ人をことごとく集めてわがために斷食せよ 三日の間夜晝とも食ふことも飮むこともするなかれ 我とわが侍女等もおなじく斷食せん しかして我法律にそむく事なれども王にいたらん 我もし死べくば死べし

“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 ここにおいてモルデカイ往てエステルが凡ておのれに命じたるごとく行なへり

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