Modekayi unokumbila bhatsho kuna Esita
1 Kwakati Modekayi asinoziba ngekwe zose zwakashingwa, kapalulanya zwiambalo zwaakambala, kazhola nlota, kaambala zwiambalo zwakathamwa nge saka, ngono kapalama nzi nkulu emimila guwo linohwisa zogwadza, 2 kayenda tjose akajalo kudzina enoti pa nkoba we ng'umba ya mambo ngobe yakabe isi fanilo kuti nthu ungangina akaambala tjiambalo tje saka. 3 Pamwe ne pamwe pakabe kwabikwa ndaulo ya mambo, Bajuta bakasala bali mu tjililo tjinotjenamisa, bezwinyima zojiwa, bunji gwabo bakaizela mu masaka bakaawala mu nlota.
4 Kwakati balandakadzi ba Esita ne ngomwa basinobudza Esita tjakabe tjinothamwa ndi Modekayi kazhalilana kwazo, ngono kadusa zwiambalo kuti zwipiwe Modekayi aambale izo mu bumo gwezwe saka, ngono iye kazwilamba. 5 Ngono Esita kadana Hathaki mmwe we ngomwa dza mambo, Hathaki wakabe adusiwa ndi mambo kuti ashingile Esita, kantuma kuna Modekayi kuti ambuzwe kuti koshingikalani. 6 Hathaki wakayenda kuna Modekayi pa tjibata tji mbeli kwe nkoba we bugalo gwa mambo mu nzi nkulu, 7 ngono Modekayi kambudza kose kwakanshingikalila nenge kuti Hamani wakagadzabgwe kulipa be dula la mambo bungana ha Bajuta balobesiwa. 8 Modekayi wakampa ntutshi we ndaulo yabakadusigwa kudwa ku Susa kuti balobesiwe kuti ndizo anoilakidza Esita. Wakankumbila kuti aswike atjenesele Esita tjimo ngono andwe anokumbila mambo kuti babahwile zogwadza kuti ndizo bahwile bathu babe zogwadza. 9 Ngono Hathaki akayenda kanobudza Esita tjalebgwa ndi Modekayi. 10 Ipapo Esita katuma Hathaki kuna Modekayi kuti anondwa ati 11 “Bakumbuludzi bose ba mambo ne bathu be bushe banoziba kuti apa nlume kene nkadzi anganginila ku ng'umba ya mambo asadang'wa, kuna nlayo nng'ompela koga wakanlingisana unoti, ‘abulawe,’ kuzhe kwe kuti mambo bangamilidzila swimbgwana yabo ye bushe yakathamwa nge golide mu nthu wakajalo ndizo kasibulawe. Koga imi ndipano ndakagala mazhuba ali makumi matatu andithu adanigwa ku ng'umba ya mambo.” 12 Bakati bebudza Modekayi tjalebgwa ndi Esita, 13 Modekayi kabadwa kati bayende banozibisa Esita yetji: “Usitongo kumbula kuti ne kuti unogala mu ng'umba ya mambo wakabakililika kupinda Bajuta bamwe. 14 Apa unganyalala koga mu tjibaka tjino, sununguko ne jidzo le Bajuta zowodwa ntome koga iwe ne be nsha wa tate babo mukalobesiwa. Ndiyani dumbu ungaziba, bamwe nditjo tjawakabigigwa Nfumakadzi itjetji.” 15 Ngono Esita wakashandula eti, 16 “Yenda unokubunganya Bajuta bose bamu Susa, muzwinyime zojiwa. Musitongoja kene kung'wa kwe mazhuba matatu ne masiku matatu, ngono imi ne babhatshi bangu towozwinyimabo zojiwa namwi. Ngono kudwapo ndowoyenda kuna mambo nenguba kusi mu mpanga, koga ha ndifa ndowofa koga.” 17 Ngono Modekayi kamilika kanothama tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaadwiwa ndi Esita.
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.