4 — Esther

1Now 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.Tali cose avendo udite Mardocheo, stracciò le sue vesti, e si coperse di sacco, e sparse cenere sul suo capo, e in mezzo alla piazza della città gridava ad alta voce, dando a conoscere l'amaritudine del suo spirito,VVHICH things when Mardocheus had heard, he rent his garmentes, and was clothed with sackcloth, sprinkling ashes on his head: and in the streat of the middes of the citie he cried with a lowed voyce, shewing the anguish of his mind,Quæ cum audisset Mardochæus, scidit vestimenta sua, et indutus est sacco, spargens cinerem capiti: et in platea mediæ civitatis voce magna clamabat, ostendens amaritudinem animi sui, 2And 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.E così urlando andava fino alle porte del palazzo: imperocché non era lecito, che uno vestito di sacco entrasse nella reggia.and with this wayling going euen to the doores of the pallace: for it was not lawful for one clothed with sackcloth to enter the kings court.et hoc ejulatu usque ad fores palatii gradiens. Non enim erat licitum indutum sacco aulam regis intrare. 3And 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.Similmente in tutte le provincie, città, e luoghi, dove era giunto il crudele editto del re, grande era la costernazione tra' Giudei; digiunavano, gettavano strida, piangevano, e molti del sacco, e della cenere si servivano in luogo di letto.In al prouinces also, townes, and places, to which the kings cruel decree was come, there was great mourning with the Iewes, fasting, howling, and weeping, manie vsing sackcloth and ashes for their couch.In omnibus quoque provinciis, oppidis, ac locis, ad quæ crudele regis dogma pervenerat, planctus ingens erat apud Judæos, jejunium, ululatus, et fletus, sacco et cinere multis pro strato utentibus. 4Then 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.E le cameriere di Esther, e gli eunuchi presentandosi a lei le diedero questa nuova: udita la quale ella si raccapricciò, e mandò a Mardocheo un vestito, affinchè levato il sacco glielo mettessero indosso: ma egli non volle riceverlo.And Esthers maides and the eunuches went in, and told her. Which she hearing was astonyed: and she sent a garment, that the sackcloth being taken away, they should put it on him: which he would not take.Ingressæ autem sunt puellæ Esther et eunuchi, nuntiaveruntque ei. Quod audiens consternata est, et vestem misit, ut ablato sacco induerent eum: quam accipere noluit.

5And 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.Ed ella chiamò Athach eunuco datole dal re per servirla, e gli ordinò, che andasse a trovar Mardocheo per intender da lui il perchè facesse tali cose.And calling for Athach the eunuch, whom the king had geuen her for a seruant to Mardocheus, commanded him to goe and to learne of him, why he did this.Accitoque Athach eunucho, quem rex ministrum ei dederat, præcepit ei ut iret ad Mardochæum, et disceret ab eo cur hoc faceret. 6And Athach going out went to Mardochai, who was standing in the street of the city, before the palace gate:E Athach uscito fuori, si accostò a Mardocheo, che era nella piazza della città davanti alla porta del palazzo:And Athach going forth went to Mardocheus standing in the streate of the citie, before the palace doore:Egressusque Athach, ivit ad Mardochæum stantem in platea civitatis, ante ostium palatii: 7And Mardochai told him all that had happened, how Aman had promised to pay money into the king’s treasures, to have the Jews destroyed.E questi gli rendè conto di tutto quello, che era avvenuto, e come Aman avea promesso di dare una somma di argento al tesoro del re per far trucidare i Giudei:who told him al thinges that had chanced, how Aman had promised, that he would bring siluer into the kings treasures for the slaughter of the Iewes.qui indicavit ei omnia quæ acciderant: quomodo Aman promisisset ut in thesauros regis pro Judæorum nece inferret argentum. 8He 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.E gli diede anche una copia dell'editto affisso in Susa, perchè lo facesse vedere alla regina, e la esortasse a presentarsi al re per pregarlo pel suo popolo.He gaue him also a copie of the edict which hong in Susan, that he should shew it to the queene, and should admonish her to enter in to the king, and to intreate him for her people.Exemplar quoque edicti, quod pendebat in Susan, dedit ei, ut reginæ ostenderet, et moneret eam ut intraret ad regem et deprecaretur eum pro populo suo. 9And Athach went back and told Esther all that Mardochai had said.Athach al suo ritorno riferì alla regina tutto quello, che Mardocheo gli avea detto.Athach returning told Ester al things, that Mardocheus had sayd.Regressus Athach, nuntiavit Esther omnia quæ Mardochæus dixerat. 10She answered him, and bade him say to Mardochai:Ed ella gli comandò, che in risposta dicesse a Mardocheo:Who answered him, and bad that he should say to Mardocheus:Quæ respondit ei, et jussit ut diceret Mardochæo:

11All 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?Sanno tutti i servi del re, e tutte le provincie, che sono sotto il suo dominio, che se un uomo, od una donna senza esser chiamato entra nell'atrio interiore del re, subito senza dilazione alcuna è messo a morte, fuori che il re, non istenda verso di lui il bastone di oro in segno di clemenza, salvandogli la vita: io adunque come potrò andare dal re, mentre già da trenta giorni non mi ha fatto chiamare a se?Al the kings seruantes, and al the prouinces that are vnder his dominion, know, that whether man, or woman, not called, shal enter in to the kings inner court, he must immediatly be slayne without al delay: vulesse perhaps the king stretch forth a golden rod vnto him, for a signe of clemencie, and so he may liue. I therfore how can I enter in to the king, which now these thirtie daies haue not bene called vnto him?Omnes servi regis, et cunctæ, quæ sub ditione ejus sunt, norunt provinciæ, 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 clementiæ, atque ita possit vivere. Ego igitur quomodo ad regem intrare potero, quæ triginta jam diebus non sum vocata ad eum ? 12And when Mardochai had heard this,Udito ciò Mardocheo,Which when Mardocheus had heard,Quod cum audisset Mardochæus, 13He 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:Di nuovo mandò a dire ad Esther: Non ti dare a credere di poter salvare tu sola la tua vita tra tutti i Giudei, perchè sei nella casa del re;he sent word to Esther agayne, saying: Thincke not that thou mayst deliuer thy owne life only, because thou art in the kings house, aboue al the Iewes:rursum mandavit Esther, dicens: Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo regis es præ cunctis Judæis: 14For 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?Perocché se tu non parlerai, per qualche altra via saran salvati i Giudei, ma tu, e la casa del padre tuo andrete in ruina. E chi sa, che tu forse non sii pervenuta al regno per questo appunto, affinchè pronta ti avessimo in tal congiuntura?for if thou wilt now hold thy peace, the Iewes shal be deliuered by an other occasion: and thou, and thy fathers house shal perish. And who knoweth whether thou camest to the kingdom therfore, that in such a time thou mightst be readie?si enim nunc silueris, per aliam occasionem liberabuntur Judæi: et tu, et domus patris tui, peribitis. Et quis novit utrum idcirco ad regnum veneris, ut in tali tempore parareris ?

15And again Esther sent to Mardochai in these words:E di nuovo Esther mandò a dire a Mardocheo:And agayne Esther sent to Mardocheus in these wordes:Rursumque Esther hæc Mardochæo verba mandavit: 16Go, 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.Va, e raduna tutti i Giudei, che vedrai in Susa, e fate orazione per me: non mangiate, e non bevete per tre dì, e per tre notti, ed io colle mie serve digiunerò nella stessa guisa, e poscia mi presenterò al re facendo contro la legge, non essendo io chiamata, e abbandonandomi al pericolo, e alla morte.Goe, and gather together al the Iewes, whom thou shalt find in Susan, and pray ye for me. Eate ye not, and drinke not in three dayes, and three nightes: and I with my handmaydes in like maner wil fast, and then wil I goe in to the king, doing agaynst the law, not called, and deliuering my self to death and to peril.Vade, et congrega omnes Judæos 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. 17So Mardochai went, and did all that Esther had commanded him.Andò adunque Mardocheo, e fece tutto quello, che gli era stato ordinato da Esther.Mardocheus therfore went, and did al things that Esther had commmanded him.Ivit itaque Mardochæus, et fecit omnia quæ ei Esther præceperat.