Mardochai desireth Esther to petition the king for the Jews. They join in fasting and prayer.
1 Now when Mardochai had heard these things, he rent his garments, and put on sackcloth, strewing ashes on his head: and he cried with a loud voice in the street in the midst of the city, shewing the anguish of his mind.
Quae cum audisset Mardochaeus, scidit vestimenta sua, et indutus est sacco, spargens cinerem capiti : et in platea mediae civitatis voce magna clamabat, ostendens amaritudinem animi sui,
2 And he came lamenting in this manner even to the gate of the palace: for no one clothed with sackcloth might enter the king's court.
et hoc ejulatu usque ad fores palatii gradiens. Non enim erat licitum indutum sacco aulam regis intrare.
3 And in all provinces, towns, and places, to which the king's cruel edict was come, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, wailing, and weeping, many using sackcloth and ashes for their bed.
In omnibus quoque provinciis, oppidis, ac locis, ad quae crudele regis dogma pervenerat, planctus ingens erat apud Judaeos, jejunium, ululatus, et fletus, sacco et cinere multis pro strato utentibus.
4 Then Esther's maids and her eunuchs went in, and told her. And when she heard it she was in a consternation: and she sent a garment, to clothe him, and to take away the sackcloth: but he would not receive it.
Ingressae autem sunt puellae Esther et eunuchi, nuntiaveruntque ei. Quod audiens consternata est, et vestem misit, ut ablato sacco induerent eum : quam accipere noluit.
5 And she called for Athach the eunuch, whom the king had appointed to attend upon her, and she commanded him to go to Mardochai, and learn of him why he did this.
Accitoque Athach eunucho, quem rex ministrum ei dederat, praecepit ei ut iret ad Mardochaeum, et disceret ab eo cur hoc faceret.
6 And Athach going out went to Mardochai, who was standing in the street of the city, before the palace gate:
Egressusque Athach, ivit ad Mardochaeum stantem in platea civitatis, ante ostium palatii :
7 And Mardochai told him all that had happened, how Aman had promised to pay money into the king's treasures, to have the Jews destroyed.
qui indicavit ei omnia, quae acciderant, quomodo Aman promisisset ut in thesauros regis pro Judaeorum nece inferret argentum.
8 He gave him also a copy of the edict which was hanging up in Susan, that he should shew it to the queen, and admonish her to go in to the king, and to entreat him for her people.
Exemplar quoque edicti, quod pendebat in Susan, dedit ei, ut reginae ostenderet, et moneret eam, ut intraret ad regem, et deprecaretur eum pro populo suo.
9 And Athach went back and told Esther all that Mardochai had said.
Regressus Athach, nuntiavit Esther omnia, quae Mardochaeus dixerat.
10 She answered him, and bade him say to Mardochai:
Quae respondit ei, et jussit ut diceret Mardochaeo :
11 All the king's servants, and all the provinces that are under his dominion, know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, cometh into the king's inner court, who is not called for, is immediately to be put to death without any delay: except the king shall hold out the golden sceptre to him, in token of clemency, that so he may live. How then can I go in to the king, who for these thirty days now have not been called unto him?
Omnes servi regis, et cunctae, quae sub ditione ejus sunt, norunt provinciae, quod sive vir, sive mulier non vocatus, interius atrium regis intraverit, absque ulla cunctatione statim interficiatur : nisi forte rex auream virgam ad eum tetenderit pro signo clementiae, atque ita possit vivere. Ego igitur quomodo ad regem intrare potero, quae triginta jam diebus non sum vocata ad eum?
12 And when Mardochai had heard this,
Quod cum audisset Mardochaeus,
13 He sent word to Esther again, saying: Think not that thou mayst save thy life only, because thou art in the king's house, more than all the Jews:
rursum mandavit Esther, dicens : Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo regis es prae cunctis Judaeis :
14 For if thou wilt now hold thy peace, the Jews shall be delivered by some other occasion: and thou, and thy father's house shall perish. And who knoweth whether thou art not therefore come to the kingdom, that thou mightest be ready in such a time as this?
si enim nunc silueris, per aliam occasionem liberabuntur Judaei : et tu, et domus patris tui peribitis. Et quis novit utrum idcirco ad regnum veneris, ut in tali tempore parareris?
15 And again Esther sent to Mardochai in these words:
Rursumque Esther haec Mardochaeo verba mandavit :
16 Go, and gather together all the Jews whom thou shalt find in Susan, and pray ye for me. Neither eat nor drink for three days and three nights: and I with my handmaids will fast in like manner, and then I will go in to the king, against the law, not being called, and expose myself to death and to danger.
Vade et congrega omnes Judaeos, quos in Susan repereris, et orate pro me. Non comedatis, et non bibatis tribus diebus, et tribus noctibus : et ego cum ancillis meis similiter jejunabo, et tunc ingrediar ad regem contra legem faciens, non vocata, tradensque me morti et periculo.
17 So Mardochai went, and did all that Esther had commanded him.
Ivit itaque Mardochaeus, et fecit omnia, quae ei Esther praeceperat.
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