Mordecai Asks for Esther's Help
1 When Mordecai heard about the letter, he tore his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth. Then he covered his head with ashes and went through the city, crying and weeping. 2 But he could go only as far as the palace gate, because no one wearing sackcloth was allowed inside the palace. 3 In every province where the king's orders were read, the Jews cried and mourned, and they went without eating. Many of them even put on sackcloth and sat in ashes.
4 When Esther's servant girls and her other servants told her what Mordecai was doing, she became very upset and sent Mordecai some clothes to wear in place of the sackcloth. But he refused to take them.
5 Esther had a servant named Hathach, who had been given to her by the king. So she called him in and said, “Find out what's wrong with Mordecai and why he's acting this way.”
6 Hathach went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the palace gate, 7 and Mordecai told him everything that had happened. He also told him how much money Haman had promised to add to the king's treasury, if all the Jews were killed.
8 Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the orders for the murder of the Jews and told him that these had been read in Susa. He said, “Show this to Esther and explain what it means. Ask her to go to the king and beg him to have pity on her people, the Jews!”
9 Hathach went back to Esther and told her what Mordecai had said. 10 She answered, “Tell Mordecai 11 there is a law about going in to see the king, and all his officials and his people know about this law. Anyone who goes in to see the king without being invited by him will be put to death. The only way that anyone can be saved is for the king to hold out the gold scepter to that person. And it's been thirty days since he has asked for me.”
12 When Mordecai was told what Esther had said, 13 he sent back this reply, “Don't think that you will escape being killed with the rest of the Jews, just because you live in the king's palace. 14 If you don't speak up now, we will somehow get help, but you and your family will be killed. It could be that you were made queen for a time like this!”
15 Esther sent a message to Mordecai, saying, 16 “Bring together all the Jews in Susa and tell them to go without eating for my sake! Don't eat or drink for three days and nights. My servant girls and I will do the same. Then I will go in to see the king, even if it means I must die.”
17 Mordecai did everything Esther told him to do.
Moridekayi ye Esita daani maakoyiroo la
1 Kabiriŋ Moridekayi ye a loŋ meŋ bee keta, a ye a la dendikoo fara, a ye booto funtoo duŋ, a ye seebuutoo ke a kuŋo to, a taata saatewo kono, a niikuyaatoo kumboota ka wuuri santo. 2 Bari a maŋ tambi mansa la koridaa daa la, kaatu niŋ moo-wo-moo ye booto funtoo duŋ, ì buka soŋ wo ye duŋ mansa yaa. 3 Ñiŋ kankulaaroo niŋ mansa la yaamaroo futata kumandaŋ banku-wo-kumandaŋ banku to, Yahuudoolu ka sunu baake le, ì ka suŋ ne, aduŋ ì ka tu kumboo le la ka wuuri santo. Jamaa ka i laa booto funtoo le kaŋ aniŋ seebuutoo.
4 Kabiriŋ Esita la dookuulaa sunkutoolu niŋ a la dookuulaalu naata Moridekayi la kumoo fo a ye, wo kuwo ye a niyo toora baake le. A ye dendikoolu kii a ye, a be mennu duŋ na ka booto funtoo bondi, bari a maŋ soŋ ì muta la. 5 Bituŋ Esita ye Hataki kumandi meŋ tarata mansa la dookuulaalu kono, aduŋ a naata ke Esita la dookuulaa ti. A ko a ye ko, “Taa a juubee, muŋ ne mu Moridekayi la niikuyaa ti, aniŋ a ka meŋ kumboo.”
6 Bituŋ Hataki taata Moridekayi yaa kene fanuŋo to, meŋ be saatee baa kono mansa la dundaŋ daa to. 7 Moridekayi ye kuwo bee fo a ye meŋ keta a la, aniŋ Hamani ye mansa jikindi kodiforo nankamoo meŋ na, ka a ke a la kodibuŋo to ka Yahuudoolu kasaara. 8 Aduŋ a ye ì kasaaralaŋ kankulaari kayitoo dii a la le meŋ be janjandiŋ Susa ka a yitandi Esita la aniŋ ka kuwo keñaa bee fo a ye. A ko a ye le, a ye a yaamari fo a si taa mansa ñaatiliŋo la, ka balafaa ñini aniŋ ka daaniroo ke a la moolu la kuwo la.
9 Hataki muruta, a taata a fo Esita ye Moridekayi ye meŋ fo. 10 Bituŋ a ye a yaamari ko a si a fo Moridekayi ye ko, 11 “Mansa la dookuulaalu bee aniŋ moolu mennu be mansa la kumandaŋ mara bankoolu kaŋ, ye a loŋ ne ko kee-wo-kee waraŋ musu-wo-musu meŋ naata sutiyaa mansa la a la konotoo to, aduŋ ì maŋ a kili, mansa ye luwaa kiliŋ ne soto, wo le mu, ì ye wo maarii faa. Meŋ si i maarii kanandi, wo le mu ñiŋ ti ko, niŋ mansa ye a la sani dokoo tilindi i maarii la a ye i niyo kanandi. Aduŋ tili taŋ saba ì maŋ nte kumandi ka taa mansa yaa.”
12 Kabiriŋ Esita la kumoolu futata Moridekayi ma, 13 a ye ñiŋ jaabiroo murundi a kaŋ ko, “Kana a miira ko, i be mansa la buŋo le kono, wo le ye a tinna ite dammaa be kana la Yahuudoolu bee kono. 14 Niŋ i tuta deyiriŋ ñiŋ waatoo, dahaa niŋ tankoo be bo la naŋ Yahuudoolu ye dulaa doo le to, bari ite niŋ i faamaa la dimbaayaa be kasaara la le. Jumaa le ye a loŋ? A si ke ñiŋ kuwo le ye a tinna i keta mansamusoo* ti ñiŋ waatoo, fo i si ñiŋ kuwo taamandi.”
15 Bituŋ Esita ye ñiŋ jaabiroo murundi Moridekayi kaŋ ko, 16 “Taa i ye taa Yahuudoolu bee kafu ñoo ma mennu be Susa saatewo to, ali ye suŋ n ye. Ali kana domori ke, waraŋ ka i miŋ fo tili saba suutoo niŋ tiloo. N niŋ n na dookuulaa sunkutoolu be suŋ na le ko ali fanaa. Niŋ ñiŋ keta m be taa mansa yaa le, hani a ye a tara luwaa maŋ soŋ a la. Niŋ m be kasaara la, n si kasaara.”
17 Bituŋ Moridekayi taata, a ye Esita la yaamaroolu bee ke a ñaama.
