1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry; 2 And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 And in every province, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 ¶ So Esther’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received it not.
5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was , and why it was . 6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king’s gate. 7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them. 8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him for her people. 9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10 ¶ Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; 11 All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. 12 And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words. 13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. 14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15 ¶ Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer , 16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
مردخاي يستعين بأستير
1 فلمَّا عَلِمَ مُرْدخايُ بِكُلِّ ما حدَثَ مَزَّقَ ثيابَهُ وألقَى علَيهِ مِسْحا ورَمادا وخرَجَ إلى وسَطِ المدينةِ وصرَخَ صُراخا عظيما مُرًّا، 2 وجاءَ إلى أمامِ بابِ الملِكِ وكانَ لا يَدخُلُهُ أحدٌ وهوَ لابِسٌ المِسْحَ. 3 وكانَ في كُلِّ إقليمٍ ورَدَ إليهِ أمرُ المَلِكِ وحُكْمُهُ حُزنٌ عظيمٌ عِندَ اليهودِ وصَومٌ وبُكاءٌ وعَويلٌ، وألقى الكثيرونَ علَيهِمِ الرَّمادَ والمِسْحَ.
4 فجاءَت جواري أستيرَ وخِصْيانُها وأخبَروها بالأمرِ، فاغتمَّت جِدًّا وأرسَلَت ثيابا ليَلبَسَها مُرْدخايُ ويَنزعَ عَنهُ مِسْحَهُ فرَفَضَ. 5 فاستَدعَت أستيرُ هَتاخَ، أحَدَ خِصيانِ المَلِكِ الّذي كانَ عَيَّنَهُ لِخِدمَتِها، وأمَرَتْهُ أنْ يذهَبَ إلى مُرْدخاي ليَستَعلِمَ مِنهُ ما جَرى ولِماذا يتَصَرَّفُ هكذا. 6 فخَرجَ هَتاخُ إلى مُرْدخاي، إلى ساحةِ المدينةِ الّتي أمامَ بابِ المَلِكِ، 7 فأخبَرَه مُرْدخايُ بِكُلِّ ما حَدَثَ لَه وبمِقْدارِ الفِضَّةِ الّذي وعَدَ هامانُ بِبَذْلِهِ لِخَزائِنِ المَلِكِ تَعويضا عَنِ اليهودِ ليُبـيدَهُم، 8 وأعطاهُ نسخَةَ الحُكْمِ المُعطَى في شُوشَنَ والقاضي بإهلاكِ اليهودِ، وطلَبَ مِنهُ أنْ يُطلِـعَ علَيها أستيرَ ويُخبِرَها ويُوصيَها بِأنْ تَدخُلَ على المَلِكِ لتَتَضَرَّعَ إليهِ وتـتَوَسَّلَ بَين يَدَيهِ مِن أجلِ شعبِها. 9 فجاءَ هَتاخُ وأخبَرَ أستيرَ بِكلامِ مُرْدخاي. 10 فعادَتْ أستيرُ وقالَت لِهُتاخَ أنْ يُخبرَ مُردَخاي 11 بِأنَّ جميعَ عبـيدِ المَلِكَ وشُعوبِ أقاليمِ المَلِكِ يَعلَمونَ أنَّ أيَّ رَجُلٍ أوِ امرَأةٍ دخَلَ على المَلِكِ إلى السَّاحَةِ الدَّاخِليَّةِ مِنْ غَيرِ أنْ يُدعَى، فالقانونُ يقضي علَيهِ بالموتِ إلاَّ إذا مَدَّ لَه المَلِكُ صَولجانَ الذَّهبِ فيَحيا، وأنا ما دُعيتُ للدُّخولِ على المَلِكِ مُنذُ ثَلاثينَ يوما.
12 فلمَّا أُخبِرَ مُرْدخايُ بِكلامِ أستيرَ، 13 أرسَلَ إليها هذا الجوابَ: «لا تَظُنِّي أنَّكِ تَنجينَ في بَيتِ المَلِكِ دُونَ جميعِ اليهودِ. 14 إنْ سكَتِّ في هذا الوقتِ فسَيَجيءُ الفَرَجُ والخلاصُ لِليهودِ مِنْ مكانٍ آخَرَ، وأنتِ وبَيتُ أبـيكِ تَهلكونَ. ومَنْ يَدري؟ رُبَّما لِمِثْلِ هذا الوقتِ وصَلْتِ إلى المُلْكِ؟» 15 فأجابَت أستيرُ على مُرْدخاي: 16 «إذهَبْ واجمَعْ كُلَّ اليهودِ الّذينَ في شُوشَنَ وصُوموا لأجلي ولا تَأكُلوا ولا تَشرَبوا ثلاثةَ أيّامٍ بِلَياليها، وأنا وجواريَّ نصومُ مَعكُم وبَعدَ ذلِكَ أدخُلُ على المَلِكِ خِلافا لِلقانونِ، فإنْ هلَكْتُ فأكون هلَكْتُ». 17 فعَمِلَ مُرْدخايُ بِكُلِّ ما أمَرَتهُ بهِ أستيرُ.
