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Esther 4
New English Translation

Esther Decides to Risk Everything in order to Help Her People

4 Now when Mordecai became aware of all that had been done, he[a] tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the city, crying out in a loud[b] and bitter voice. 2 But he went no farther than the king’s gate, for no one was permitted to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. 3 Throughout each and every province where the king’s edict and law were announced[c] there was considerable[d] mourning among the Jews, along with fasting, weeping, and sorrow.[e] Sackcloth and ashes were characteristic[f] of many. 4 When Esther’s female attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her about Mordecai’s behavior,[g] the queen was overcome with anguish. Although she sent garments for Mordecai to put on so that he could remove his sackcloth, he would not accept them. 5 So Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been placed at her service,[h] and instructed him to find out the cause and reason for Mordecai’s behavior.[i] 6 So Hathach went to Mordecai at the plaza of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7 Then Mordecai related to him everything that had happened to him, even the specific amount of money that Haman had offered to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews to be destroyed. 8 He also gave him a written copy of the law that had been disseminated[j] in Susa for their destruction so that he could show it to Esther and talk to her about it. He also gave instructions that she should go to the king to implore him and petition him on behalf of her people. 9 So Hathach returned and related Mordecai’s instructions[k] to Esther.

10 Then Esther replied to Hathach with instructions for Mordecai: 11 “All the servants of the king and the people of the king’s provinces know that there is only one law applicable[l] to any man or woman who comes uninvited to the king in the inner court—that person will be put to death, unless the king extends to him the gold scepter, permitting him to be spared.[m] Now I have not been invited to come to the king for some thirty days.”

12 When Esther’s reply[n] was conveyed to Mordecai, 13 he[o] said to take back this answer to Esther: “Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew[p] who will escape. 14 If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear[q] from another source,[r] while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be[s] that you have achieved royal status[t] for such a time as this!”

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast on my behalf. Don’t eat and don’t drink for three days, night or day. My female attendants and I[u] will also fast in the same way. Afterward I will go to the king, even though it violates the law.[v] If I perish, I perish.”

17 So Mordecai set out to do everything that Esther had instructed him.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 4:1 tn Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style.
  2. Esther 4:1 tn Heb “great.”
  3. Esther 4:3 tn Heb “reached” (so NAB, NLT); KJV, NASB, NIV “came”; TEV “wherever the king’s proclamation was made known.”
  4. Esther 4:3 tn Heb “great” (so KJV, NIV, NRSV, NLT); NAB “the Jews went into deep mourning.”
  5. Esther 4:3 sn Although prayer is not specifically mentioned here, it is highly unlikely that appeals to God for help were not a part of this reaction to devastating news. As elsewhere in the book of Esther, the writer seems deliberately to keep religious actions in the background.
  6. Esther 4:3 tn Heb “were spread to many”; KJV, NIV “many (+ people NLT) lay in sackcloth and ashes.”
  7. Esther 4:4 tn The words “about Mordecai’s behavior” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in translation for the sake of clarity. Cf. NIV, NLT “about Mordecai”; TEV, CEV “what Mordecai was doing.”
  8. Esther 4:5 tn Heb “whom he caused to stand before her”; NASB “whom the king had appointed to attend her.”
  9. Esther 4:5 tn Heb “concerning Mordecai, to know what this was, and why this was.”
  10. Esther 4:8 tn Heb “given” (so KJV); NASB, NRSV, TEV, NLT “issued”; NIV “published”; NAB “promulgated.”
  11. Esther 4:9 tn Heb “the words of Mordecai” (so KJV); NIV, NRSV, CEV “what Mordecai had said”; NLT “with Mordecai’s message.”
  12. Esther 4:11 tn Heb “one is his law”; NASB “he (the king NIV) has but one law”
  13. Esther 4:11 tn Heb “and he will live”; KJV, ASV “that he may live”; NIV “and spare his life.”
  14. Esther 4:12 tn Heb “the words of Esther”; TEV, NLT “Esther’s message.”
  15. Esther 4:13 tn Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style.
  16. Esther 4:13 tn Heb “from all the Jews”; KJV “more than all the Jews”; NIV “you alone of all the Jews.”
  17. Esther 4:14 tn Heb “stand”; KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT “arise.”
  18. Esther 4:14 tn Heb “place” (so KJV, NIV, NLT); NRSV “from another quarter.” This is probably an oblique reference to help coming from God. D. J. A. Clines disagrees; in his view a contrast between deliverance by Esther and deliverance by God is inappropriate (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther [NCBC], 302). But Clines’ suggestion that perhaps the reference is to deliverance by Jewish officials or by armed Jewish revolt is less attractive than seeing this veiled reference as part of the literary strategy of the book, which deliberately keeps God’s providential dealings entirely in the background.
  19. Esther 4:14 tn Heb “And who knows whether” (so NASB). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.
  20. Esther 4:14 tn Heb “have come to the kingdom”; NRSV “to royal dignity”; NIV “to royal position”; NLT “have been elevated to the palace.”
  21. Esther 4:16 tn Heb “I and my female attendants.” The translation reverses the order for stylistic reasons.
  22. Esther 4:16 tn Heb “which is not according to the law” (so KJV, NASB); NAB “contrary to the law.”
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以斯帖记 4
Chinese New Version (Simplified)

犹大人因此悲哀、禁食

4 末底改知道了发生的一切事，就撕裂自己的衣服，披上麻衣，撒上灰尘，出到城中，大声痛哭地呼叫。 2 他到了御门前，就停住，因为身穿麻衣的，不可以进御门。 3 王的谕旨和命令传到的各省各地，犹大人都大大悲哀，禁食、哭泣、悲伤；许多人披上麻衣，躺在灰尘中。

末底改求以斯帖向王求情

4 以斯帖的婢女和太监把这事告诉以斯帖，王后就非常惊慌，就派人送衣服给末底改穿著，要他脱下麻衣，他却不接受。 5 以斯帖就把王派来侍候她的一个太监哈他革召了来，吩咐他到末底改那里去，探听这是甚么一回事，又是为了甚么缘故。 6 于是哈他革出到御门前的广场去见末底改。 7 末底改把他遭遇的一切事，以及哈曼为灭尽犹大人答应捐银给王库的数目，都告诉了他。 8 末底改又把在书珊城颁布要毁灭犹大人的谕旨抄本，交给了哈他革，要他给以斯帖看，并且要给她说明，吩咐她进宫见王，向王求情，为自己的族人在王面前恳求。

9 哈他革回来，把末底改的话都告诉了以斯帖。 10 以斯帖把以下的话告诉哈他革，又吩咐他回复末底改说： 11 “王所有的臣仆和各省的人民，都知道有一条法令：无论男女，没有奉召就擅入内院去见王的，除非王向他伸出金杖，赐他免死，一律要处以死刑。现在我没有奉召进去见王已经三十天了。” 12 哈他革把以斯帖的话都告诉末底改。

13 末底改叫人回复以斯帖说：“你不要心里想，你在王宫里比所有的犹大人都安全。 14 这时你若是缄默不言，犹大人必会从别的地方得着解救，那时你和你的父家就必灭亡。谁知你得了王后的位分，不是为了挽救现今的危机吗？” 15 以斯帖吩咐人回复末底改说： 16 “你要去，把书珊城所有的犹大人都召集起来，为我禁食三天，就是三日三夜不吃不喝；我和我的婢女也要这样禁食。然后我就违例进去见王；我若是死，就死吧。” 17 于是末底改离开了，照着以斯帖吩咐的一切去行。

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Chinese New Version (Simplified) (CNVS)

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