Esther 4
New Life Version
Mordecai Asks for Esther’s Help
4 When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes. He dressed in cloth made from hair and put on ashes, and went out into the city and cried with loud cries. 2 He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to go through the king’s gate wearing cloth made from hair. 3 There was much sorrow among the Jews in each and every part of the nation where the king’s law was made known. They went without food and cried with sounds of sorrow. Many lay in cloth made from hair and in ashes.
4 Then Esther’s women and men servants came and told her, and the queen was very troubled. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear, that he might take off his clothes made from hair. But he would not take them. 5 Then Esther called Hathach from the king’s servants whom the king had chosen to help her. She told him to go to Mordecai and find out what was wrong and why. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai at the king’s gate in the open space of the city. 7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him. He told him just how much money Haman had promised to pay to the king’s store-houses to have the Jews destroyed. 8 He also gave him one of the letters of the law that was sent out from Susa to destroy the Jews, that he might show it to Esther and let her know. And he said that she should go in to the king and beg him to show favor to her people.
9 Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther told Hathach to say to Mordecai, 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s nation know that he has one law for any man or woman who comes to him in his room who has not been called: They will be put to death, unless the king holds out his special golden stick to him so that he may live. And I have not been called to come to the king for these thirty days.” 12 Then Mordecai was told what Esther had said.
13 Mordecai answered, “Do not think that you in the king’s special house will live any more than all the other Jews. 14 For if you keep quiet at this time, help will come to the Jews from another place. But you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows if you have not become queen for such a time as this?” 15 Then Esther told them to say to Mordecai, 16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and have them all go without food so they can pray better for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my women servants will go without food in the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law. And if I die, I die.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had told him.
Estera 4
Biblija: suvremeni hrvatski prijevod
Mordekaj uvjerava Esteru da pomogne Židovima
4 Kad je Mordekaj sve doznao, razderao je odjeću na sebi, obukao tkaninu za žalovanje i posuo se pepelom.[a] Hodao je gradom i u očaju glasno zapomagao. 2 Došao je pred kraljevsku palaču, ali takav nije smio ulaziti. 3 U svakoj pokrajini kraljevstva, gdje je stigao kraljev proglas, među Židovima je nastala velika žalost. Postili su, plakali i tugovali, a mnogi su ležali na tlu u tkaninama za žalovanje i pepelu. 4 Kad je Estera to čula od svojih sluškinja i slugu eunuha, jako se uznemirila. Poslala je Mordekaju odjeću da je odjene umjesto tkanine za žalovanje, ali on je odbio.
5 Tada je Estera pozvala Hataka, jednog od kraljevih eunuha, određenog da je poslužuje. Zapovjedila mu je da dozna od Mordekaja što se dogodilo. 6 Hatak je našao Mordekaja na gradskom trgu pred vratima kraljevske palače. 7 Mordekaj je rekao sve što mu se dogodilo. Rekao mu je i za veliki iznos novca koji je Haman ponudio dati u kraljevsku blagajnu da bi uništio Židove. 8 Dao mu je za Esteru prijepis kraljevskog proglasa objavljenog u Suzi. Rekao mu je da potakne Esteru da ode kralju, da ga moli za milost i da se zauzme za svoj narod.
9 Hatak je ispričao Esteri sve što mu je rekao Mordekaj. 10 Ona mu je potom zapovjedila da prenese Mordekaju: 11 »Svi u kraljevstvu znaju da za svakog muškarca ili ženu, koji nepozvani pristupe kralju u unutrašnjem dvorištu palače, postoji samo jedan zakon—smrt. Osim kad kralj toj osobi ispruži zlatno žezlo[b] i tako joj poštedi život, a ja već trideset dana nisam bila pozvana kod kralja.«
12 Nakon što je Hatak Mordekaju prenio Esterine riječi, 13 ovaj joj je poručio: »Nemoj misliti da ćeš se jedina od svih Židova spasiti samo zato što si u kraljevskoj palači. 14 Pazi! Ako sad budeš šutjela, pomoć i oslobođenje Židovima doći će s drugog mjesta, a stradat ćete ti i tvoja obitelj. I tko zna, nisi li ti došla na kraljevski položaj upravo zbog ovog trenutka.«
15 Tada je Estera poručila Mordekaju: 16 »Idi i okupi sve Židove u Suzi. Postite za mene. Ne jedite i ne pijte tri dana i noći. Tako ćemo učiniti ja i moje sluškinje. Zatim ću otići kralju iako je to protiv zakona. Ako poginem—neka bude tako.«
17 Mordekaj je poslušao sve što je zapovjedila Estera.
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Biblija: suvremeni hrvatski prijevod (SHP) © 2019 Bible League International