Esther 4

But Mardochæus having perceived what was done, rent his garments, and put on sackcloth, and sprinkled dust upon himself; and having rushed forth through the open street of the city, he cried with a loud voice, A nation that has done no wrong is going to be destroyed.

Ὁ δὲ Μαρδοχαῖος ἐπιγνοὺς τὸ συντελούμενον, διέῤῥηξε τὰ ἱμάτια ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ ἐνεδύσατο σάκκον, καὶ κατεπάσατο σποδόν· καὶ ἐκπηδήσας διὰ τῆς πλατείας τῆς πόλεως, ἐβόα φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, αἴρεται ἔθνος μηδὲν ἠδικηκός.

And he came to the king's gate, and stood; for it was not lawful for him to enter into the palace, wearing sackcloth and ashes.

Καὶ ἦλθεν ἕως τῆς πύλης τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἔστη· οὐ γὰρ ἦν αὐτῷ ἐξὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν, σάκκον ἔχοντι καὶ σποδόν.

And in every province where the letters were published, there was crying and lamentation and great mourning on the part of the Jews: they spread for themselves sackcloth and ashes.

Καὶ ἐν πάσῃ χώρᾳ οὗ ἐξετίθετο τὰ γράμματα, κραυγὴ καὶ κοπετὸς καὶ πένθος μέγα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, σάκκον καὶ σποδὸν ἔστρωσαν ἑαυτοῖς.

And the queen's maids and chamberlains went in and told her: and when she had heard what was done, she was disturbed; and she sent to clothe Mardochæus, and take away his sackcloth; but he consented not.

Καὶ εἰσῆλθον αἱ ἅβραι καὶ οἱ εὐνοῦχοι τῆς βασιλίσσης, καὶ ἀνήγγειλαν αὐτῇ· καὶ ἐταράχθη ἀκούσασα τὸ γεγονός· καὶ ἀπέστειλε στολίσαι τὸν Μαρδοχαῖον, καὶ ἀφελέσθαι αὐτοῦ τὸν σάκκον· ὁ δὲ οὐκ ἐπείσθη.

So Esther called for her chamberlain Achrathæus, who waited upon her; and she sent to learn the truth from Mardochæus.

Ἡ δὲ Ἐσθὴρ προσεκαλέσατο Ἀχραθαῖον τὸν εὐνοῦχον αὐτῆς, ὃς παρειστήκει αὐτῇ, καὶ ἀπέστειλε μαθεῖν αὕτη παρὰ τοῦ Μαρδοχαίου τὸ ἀκριβές.

And Mardochæus shewed him what was done, and the promise which Aman had made the king of ten thousand talents to be paid into the treasury, that he might destroy the Jews.

Ὁ δὲ Μαρδοχαῖος ὑπέδειξεν αὐτῷ τὸ γεγονὸς, καὶ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἣν ἐπηγγείλατο Ἀμὰν τῷ βασιλεῖ εἰς τὴν γάζαν ταλάντων μυρίων, ἵνα ἀπολέσῃ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους.

And he gave him the copy of the writing that was published in Susa concerning their destruction, to shew to Esther; and told him to charge her to go in and intreat the king, and to beg him for the people, remembering, said he, the days of thy low estate, how thou wert nursed by my hand: because Aman who holds the next place to the king has spoken against us for death. Do thou call upon the Lord, and speak to the king concerning us, to deliver us from death.

καὶ τὸ ἀντίγραφον τὸ ἐν Σούσοις ἐκτεθὲν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἀπολέσθαι αὐτοὺς, ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ δεῖξαι τῇ Ἐσθήρ· καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ἐντείλασθαι αὐτῇ εἰσελθούσῃ παραιτήσασθαι τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ ἀξιῶσαι αὐτὸν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ, μνησθεῖσα ἡμερῶν ταπεινώσεώς σου, ὡς ἐτράφης ἐν χειρί μου, διότι Ἀμὰν ὁ δευτερεύων τῷ βασιλεῖ ἐλάλησεν καθʼ ἡμῶν εἰς θάνατον· ἐπικάλεσαι τὸν Κύριον, καὶ λάλησον τῷ βασιλεῖ περὶ ἡμῶν, ῥύσαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ θανάτου.

So Achrathæus went in and told her all these words.

Εἰσελθὼν δὲ ὁ Ἀχραθαῖος ἐλάλσεν αὐτῇ πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους.

And Esther said to Achrathæus, Go to Mardochæus, and say,

Εἶπεν δὲ Ἐσθὴρ πρὸς Ἀχραθαῖον, πορεύθητι πρὸς Μαρδοχαῖον, καὶ εἶπον,

All the nations of the empire know, that whoever, man or woman, shall go in to the king into the inner court uncalled, that person cannot live: only to whomsoever the king shall stretch out his golden sceptre, he shall live: and I have not been called to go in to the king, for these thirty days.

ὅτι τὰ ἔθνη πάντα τῆς βασιλείας γινώσκει ὅτι πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἢ γυνὴ ὃς εἰσελεύσεται πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα εἰς τὴν αὐλὴν τὴν ἐσωτέραν ἄκλητος, οὐκ ἔστιν αὐτῷ σωτηρία· πλὴν ᾧ ἐκτείνῃ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν χρυσῆν ῥάβδον, οὗτος σωθήσεται· κᾀγὼ οὐ κέκλημαι εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, εἰσὶν αὗται ἡμέραι τριάκοντα.

And Achrathæus reported to Mardochæus all the words of Esther.

Καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν Ἀχραθαῖος Μαρδοχαίῳ πάντας τοὺς λόγους Ἐσθήρ.

Then Mardochæus said to Achrathæus, Go, and say to her, Esther, say not to thyself that thou alone wilt escape in the kingdom, more than all the other Jews.

Καὶ εἶπε Μαρδοχαῖος πρὸς Ἀχραθαῖον, πορεύθητι, καὶ εἰπὸν αὐτῇ, Ἐσθήρ, μὴ εἴπῃς σεαυτῇ, ὅτι σωθήσῃ μόνη ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ παρὰ πάντας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους·

For if thou shalt refuse to hearken on this occasion, help and protection will be to the Jews from another quarter; but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knows, if thou hast been made queen for this very occasion?

Ὡς ὅτι ἐὰν παρακούσῃς ἐν τούτῳ τῷ καιρῷ, ἄλλοθεν βοήθεια καὶ σκέπη ἔσται τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις· σὺ δὲ καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου ἀπολεῖσθε· καὶ τίς εἶδεν, εἰ εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐβασίλευσας;

And Esther sent the man that came to her to Mardochæus, saying,

καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν Ἐσθὴρ τὸν ἥκοντα πρὸς αὐτὴν, πρὸς Μαρδοχαῖον, λέγουσα,

Go and assemble the Jews that are in Susa, and fast ye for me, and eat not and drink not for three days, night and day: and I also and my maidens will fast; and then I will go in to the king contrary to the law, even if I must die.

βαδίσας ἐκκλησίασον τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τοὺς ἐν Σούσοις, καὶ νηστεύσατε ἐπʼ ἐμοὶ, καὶ μὴ φάγητε μηδὲ πίητε ἐπὶ ἡμέρας τρεῖς νύκτα καὶ ἡμέραν· κᾀγὼ δὲ καὶ αἱ ἅβραι μου ἀσιτήσομεν· καὶ τότε εἰσελεύσομαι πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα παρὰ τὸν νόμον, ἐὰν καὶ ἀπολέσθαι με δέῃ.

So Mardochæus went and did all that Esther commanded him.

Καὶ βαδίσας Μαρδοχαῖος ἐποίησεν ὅσα ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ Ἐσθήρ·

[And he besought the Lord, making mention of all the works of the Lord; and he said,

“Καὶ ἐδεήθη Κυρίου, μνημονεύων πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, καὶ εἶπε,

Lord God, king ruling over all, for all things are in thy power, and there is no one that shall oppose thee in thy purpose to save Israel.—

Κύριε Κύριε βασιλεῦ πάντων κρατῶν, ὅτι ἐν ἐξουσίᾳ σου τὸ πᾶν ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ ἀντιδοξῶν σοι ἐν τῷ θέλειν σε σῶσαι τὸν Ἰσραήλ.

For thou hast made the heaven and the earth, and every wonderful thing in the world under heaven. And thou art Lord of all, and there is no one who shall resist thee the Lord.

Ὅτι σὺ ἐποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ πᾶν θαυμαζόμενον ἐν τῇ ὑπʼ οὐρανόν. Καὶ Κύριος εἶ πάντων, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὃς ἀντιτάξεταί σοι τῷ Κυρίῳ.

Thou knowest all things: thou knowest, Lord, that it is not in insolence, nor haughtiness, nor love of glory, that I have done this, to refuse obeisance to the haughty Aman. For I would gladly have kissed the soles of his feet for the safety of Israel.

Σὺ πάντα γινώσκεις· σὺ οἶδας, Κύριε, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν ὕβρει, οὐδὲ ἐν ὑπερηφανείᾳ, οὐδὲ ἐν φιλοδοξίᾳ ἐποίησα τοῦτο, τὸ μὴ προσκυνεῖν τὸν ὑπερήφανον Ἀμάν. Ὅτι ηὐδόκουν φιλεῖν πέλματα ποδῶν αὐτοῦ πρὸς σωτηρίαν Ἰσραήλ.

But I have done this, that I might not set the glory of man above the glory of God: and I will not worship any one except thee, my Lord, and I will not do these things in haughtiness.

Ἀλλʼ ἐποίησα τοῦτο, ἵνα μὴ θῶ δόξαν ἀνθρώπου ὑπεράνω δόξης Θεοῦ· καὶ οὐ προσκυνήσω οὐδένα, πλὴν σοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου, καὶ οὐ ποιήσω αὐτὰ ἐν ὑπερηφανείᾳ.

And now, O Lord God, the King, the God of Abraam, spare thy people, for our enemies are looking upon us to our destruction, and they have desired to destroy thine ancient inheritance.

Καὶ νῦν, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς ὁ Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, φεῖσαι τοῦ λαοῦ σου, ὅτι ἐπιβλέπουσιν ἡμῖν εἰς καταφθορὰν, καὶ ἐπεθύμησαν ἀπολέσαι τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς κληρονομίαν σου.

Do not overlook thy peculiar people, whom thou hast redeemed for thyself out of the land of Egypt.

Μὴ ὑπερίδῃς τὴν μερίδα σου, ἣν σεαυτῷ ἐλυτρώσω ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου.

Hearken to my prayer, and be propitious to thine inheritance, and turn our mourning into gladness, that we may live and sing praise to thy name, O Lord; and do not utterly destroy the mouth of them that praise thee, O Lord.

Ἐπάκουσον τῆς δεήσεώς μου, καὶ ἱλάσθητι τῷ κλήρῳ σου, καὶ στρέψον τὸ πένθος ἡμῶν εἰς εὐωχίαν, ἵνα ζῶντες ὑμνῶμέν σου τὸ ὄνομα Κύριε, καὶ μὴ ἀφανίσῃς στόμα αἰνούντων σε Κύριε.

And all Israel cried with all their might, for their death was before their eyes.

“Καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ ἐκέκραξεν ἐξ ἰσχύος αὐτῶν, ὅτι θάνατος αὐτῶν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν.

And queen Esther betook herself for refuge to the Lord, being taken as it were in the agony of death. And having taken off her glorious apparel, she put on garments of distress and mourning; and instead of grand perfumes she filled her head with ashes and dung, and she greatly brought down her body, and she filled every place of her glad adorning with the torn curls of her hair. And she besought the Lord God of Israel, and said,

Καὶ Ἐσθὴρ ἡ βασίλισσα κατέφυγεν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ἐν ἀγῶνι θανάτου κατειλημμένη, καὶ ἀφελομένη τὰ ἱμάτια τῆς δόξης αὐτῆς, ἐνεδύσατο ἱμάτια στενοχωρίας καὶ πένθους, καὶ ἀντὶ τῶν ὑπερηφάνων ἡδυσμάτων, σποδοῦ καὶ κοπριῶν ἐνέπλησε τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῆς· καὶ τὸ σῶμα αὐτῆς ἐταπείνωσε σφόδρα, καὶ πάντα τόπον κόσμου ἀγαλλιάματος αὐτῆς ἔπλησε στρεπτῶν τριχῶν αὐτῆς. “Καὶ ἐδεῖτο Κυρίου Θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ εἶπεν,

O my Lord, thou alone art our king: help me who am destitute, and have no helper but thee, for my danger is near at hand.

Κύριέ μου βασιλεὺς ἡμῶν σὺ εἶ μόνος, βοήθησόν μοι τῇ μόνῃ, καὶ μὴ ἐχούσῃ βοηθὸν εἰ μὴ σὲ, ὅτι κίνδυνός μου ἐν χειρί μου.

I have heard from my birth, in the tribe of my kindred, that thou, Lord, tookest Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers out of all their kindred for a perpetual inheritance, and hast wrought for them all that thou hast said.

Ἐγὼ ἤκουον ἐκ γενετῆς μου ἐν φυλῇ πατριᾶς μου, ὅτι σὺ Κύριε ἔλαβες τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν ἐκ πάντων τῶν προγόνων αὐτῶν εἰς κληρονομίαν αἰώνιον, καὶ ἐποίησας αὐτοῖς ὅσα ἐλάλησας.

And now we have sinned before thee, and thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies, because we honoured their gods: thou art righteous, O Lord.

Καὶ νῦν ἡμάρτομεν ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ παρέδωκας ἡμᾶς εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡμῶν, ἀνθʼ ὧν ἐδοξάσαμεν τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν· δίκαιος εἶ Κύριε.

But now they have not been contented with the bitterness of our slavery, but have laid their hands on the hands of their idols, in order to abolish the decree of thy mouth, and utterly to destroy thine inheritance, and to stop the mouth of them that praise thee, and to extinguish the glory of thine house and thine altar,

Καὶ νῦν οὐχ ἱκανώθησαν ἐν πικρασμῷ δουλείας ἡμῶν, ἀλλʼ ἔθηκαν τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας τῶν εἰδώλων αὐτῶν, ἐξᾶραι ὁρισμὸν στόματός σου, καὶ ἀφανίσαι κληρονομίαν σου, καὶ ἐμφράξαι στόμα αἰνούντων σοι καὶ σβέσαι δόξαν οἴκου σου καὶ θυσιαστηρίον σου,

and to open the mouth of the Gentiles to speak the praises of vanities, and in order that a mortal king should be admired for ever.

καὶ ἀνοῖξαι στόμα ἐθνῶν εἰς ἀρετὰς ματαίων, καὶ θαυμασθῆναι βασιλέα σάρκινον εἰς αἰῶνα.

O Lord, do not resign thy sceptre to them that are not, and let them not laugh at our fall, but turn their counsel against themselves, and make an example of him who has begun to injure us.

“Μὴπαραδῷς Κύριε τὸ σκῆπτρόνσουτοῖς μὴοὖσι, καὶ μὴ καταγελασάτωσαν ἐν τῇ πτώσει ἡμῶν, ἀλλὰ στρέψον τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν ἐπʼ αὐτούς· τὸν δὲ ἀρξάμενον ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς παραδειγμάτισον.

Remember us, O Lord, manifest thyself in the time of our affliction, and encourage me, O king of gods, and ruler of all dominion.

Μνήσθητι Κύριε, γνώσθητι ἐν καιρῷ θλίψεως ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐμὲ θάρσυνον, βασιλεῦ τῶν θεῶν, καὶ πάσης ἀρχῆς ἐπικρατῶν.

Put harmonious speech into my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate him that fights against us, to the utter destruction of him and of them that consent with him.

Δὸς λόγον εὔρυθμον εἰς τὸ στόμα μου ἐνώπιον τοῦ λέοντος, καὶ μετάθες τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ εἰς μῖσος τοῦ πολεμοῦντος ἡμᾶς, εἰς συντέλειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν ὁμονοούντων αὐτῷ.

But deliver us by thine hand, and help me who am destitute, and have none but thee, O Lord.

Ἡμᾶς δὲ ῥύσαι ἐν χειρί σου, καὶ βοήθησόν μοι τῇ μόνῃ, καὶ μὴ ἐχούσῃ εἰ μὴ σέ Κύριε·

Thou knowest all things, and knowest that I hate the glory of transgressors, and that I abhor the couch of the uncircumcised, and of every stranger.

πάντων γνῶσιν ἔχεις, καὶ οἶδας ὅτι ἐμίσησα δόξαν ἀνόμων, καὶ βδελύσσομαι κοίτην ἀπεριτμήτων, καὶ παντὸς ἀλλοτρίου.

Thou knowest my necessity, for I abhor the symbol of my proud station, which is upon my head in the days of my splendour: I abhor it as a menstruous cloth, and I wear it not in the days of my tranquillity.

Σὺ οἶδας τὴν ἀνάγκην μου, ὅτι βδελύσσομαι τὸ σημεῖον τῆς ὑπερηφανίας μου, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς μου ἐν ἡμέραις ὁπτασίας μου· βδελύσσομαι αὐτὸ ὡς ῥάκος καταμηνίων, καὶ οὐ φορῶ αὐτὸ ἐν ἡμέραις ἡσυχίας μου.

And thy handmaid has not eaten at the table of Aman, and I have not honoured the banquet of the king, neither have I drunk wine of libations.

Καὶ οὐκ ἔφαγεν ἡ δούλη σου τράπεζαν Ἀμὰν, καὶ οὐκ ἐδόξασα συμπόσιον βασιλέως, οὐδὲ ἔπιον οἶνον σπονδῶν.

Neither has thy handmaid rejoiced since the day of my promotion until now, except in thee, O Lord God of Abraam.

Καὶ οὐκ ηὐφράνθη ἡ δούλη σου ἀφʼ ἡμέρας μεταβολῆς μου μέχρι νῦν, πλὴν ἐπὶ σοὶ, Κύριε ὁ Θεὸς Ἁβραάμ.

O God, who hast power over all, hearken to the voice of the desperate, and deliver us from the hand of them that devise mischief; and deliver me from my fear.

Ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ἰσχύων ἐπὶ πάντας, εἰσάκουσον φωνὴν ἀπηλπισμένων, καὶ ῥύσαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ χειρὸς τῶν πονηρευομένων, καὶ ῥῦσαί με ἐκ τοῦ φόβου μου.