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.
Mordekai ma ningire ombatero ku Ester
1 Mordekai tja zuva avihe mbya tjitirwe wa nyondorora ozombanda ze moruhoze. Tjazumba arire tja zara omakutu, e ritirire omutwe motjiuru, na tuurunga otjihuro ama uru nomasa nama tetara omutima, 2 nga tje ya pomahitiro wondjuwo youhona. Eye ka hitire, tjinga ape ha yandjererwe omundu ngwa zara omakutu okuhita mu yo. 3 Motukondwa atuhe mu mwa tjivisiwa omaraerero wombara, mwa ri ondjuriro yoruhoze mokati kOvajuda. Owo ve ritjaera kovikurya, amave riri namave uru, novengi vawo va hwikikire omakutu nave saravara momutwe.
4 Novasukona ovakarere va Ester novakarere ozombondo ve mu raera imbi Mordekai mbi ma tjiti; nu Ester we rikenda tjinene. Eye wa hindira Mordekai ozombanda kutja a zare moruveze rwomakutu, nungwari Mordekai wa panḓa okuzekambura. 5 Ester arire tja isana Hatak, omukarere umwe ombondo wondjuwo youhona, ngwa zikwa i ombara a rire omukarere wa Ester; nu Ester we mu raera kutja a yende ku Mordekai, a katjiwe kutja wa hapa vi, nu otjikwatjike. 6 Hatak wa ya ku Mordekai korupanda rwotjihuro pomahitiro wondjuwo youhona. 7 Mordekai we mu tjivisa oviṋa avihe mbya tjitirwe ku ye, nokutja Haman wa kwizikire okutwa mo ovimariva vingapi motjipwikiro tjovihuze vyouhona, Ovajuda avehe tji va ṱu. 8 Eye wa yandja omatjangururiro womaraerero ku Hatak nga yandjererwe mOsusa, nu mu mwa tjangerwe omarakiza womayandekero wOvajuda. Mordekai we mu ningira kutja e ye tware ku Ester, nokutja a kahandjaurire Ester oviṋa avihe, ne kemuningire kutja e keriyarikaṋe kombara i ṱotjari novandu ve. 9 Hatak wa tjita nao. 10 Nu Ester we mu pa ombuze, ndji mai tja nai kutja e i yarure ku Mordekai: 11 “Ngamwa auhe, omurumendu poo omukazendu, tja hiti morupanda rwomoukoto na kamuna ombara e ha isanenwe, eye ma sokuṱa. Indi oro etwako; auhe okuza kovayandjandunge vombara nga kovandu motukondwa atuhe mave tjiwa otjiṋa hi. Pe nomuano umwe uriri wokupenga etwako ndi. Tjinangara ombara ya roporora okati kayo kongoldo ku umwe, omuinyo womundu ngo mau yamwa. Nungwari nai pa kapita omueze umwe, nu nga mba hiya isanewa i ombara.”
12 Mordekai tja za nokuzuva ombuze ya Ester ndji, 13 otja hinda omaronga nga ku Ester, a tja: “O tjangovasi oove ngu u he ri moumba pOvajuda varwe, tjinga au ri mondjuwo youhona. 14 Tji wa mwina moruveze otja indwi, ombatero kOvajuda mai zu meyuru, nowo mave yamwa, nungwari ove mo ṱu, notjikutu tjaiho matji yanda. Ngu ma tjiwa owaṋi kutja ngahino ove otji wa zikirwa okurira ombara oserekaze moruveze otja indwi!”
15 Ester wa hindira Mordekai eziriro ndi na tja: 16 “Twende nu u kaworonganisire Ovajuda avehe mOsusa; ritjaereye kovikurya nu mu ndji kumbire. Amu ri nu amu nu otjiṋa ngamwa oure womayuva nomauṱuku yetatu. Ami novakarere vandje ovasukona otjinga amatu tjiti wina. Kombunda yanao ami me i kombara, nangarire kutja me katuka etwako. Tji me ṱu mokutjita nao, hi ṱe.”
17 Mordekai wa ya na katjita oviṋa avihe Ester mbye mu raerere.
