ester 4:1-17
4 jaise hi mordakai+ ko in baaton ka pata chala,+ usne maare dukh ke apne kapde faade aur taat odhkar khud par raakh daali. woh shehar ke beechon-beech gaya aur fut-futkar rone laga.
2 isi haal mein woh raja ke mahal ke faatak par aaya. magar woh faatak ke andar nahin gaya kyonki kisi ko bhi taat odhkar andar jaane ki ijazat nahin thi.
3 jis-jis zile+ mein raja ka hukm aur farman sunaya gaya, vahaan yahoodiyon mein bada maatam chhaa gaya. woh ro-rokar aur chhaati peet-peetkar dukh manane lage aur upvas karne lage.+ kai yahoodi zameen par taat bichhakar aur raakh daalkar us par let gaye.+
4 jab ester ki sevikaon aur khojon ne aakaar use khabar di to raani bechain ho uthi. usne mordakai ke liye kapde bhijvaye taaki woh taat utaarkar unhein pehan le. magar mordakai ne unhein lene se inkar kar diya.
5 tab ester ne raja ke khojon mein se hatak ko bulaya, jise raja ne ester ki seva ke liye thehraya tha. ester ne hatak ko hukm diya ki woh jaakaar mordakai se poochhe ki aisa kya hua hai jo woh taat odhe baitha hai.
6 tab hatak raja ke mahal ke faatak se nikaalkar saamne shehar ke chauk mein mordakai ke paas gaya.
7 mordakai ne hatak ko bataya ki us par kya aafat toot padi hai aur haaman ne yahoodiyon ka safaya karne ke liye shaahi khazane mein kitni rakam dene+ ka vaada kiya hai.+
8 usne hatak ko us farman ki nakaal bhi di jo yahoodiyon ke vinash ke liye shooshan* mein jaari kiya gaya tha.+ hatak ko yah farman ester ko dikhakar use saari baatein samjhani thi. mordakai ne yah hidayat bhi di+ ki ester seedhe raja ke saamne jaaye aur apne logon ki khaatir usse reham ki bheekh maange.
9 hatak ne lautkar ester ko woh saari baatein batayin jo mordakai ne usse kahi thi.
10 ester ne use vaapas mordakai+ ke paas bheja aur yah bolne ke liye kaha,
11 “raja ke sabhi sevak aur uske zile ke log is kaanoon ko achhi tarah jaante hain ki agar koi bin bulaye raja se milne uske bhavan ke andarvale aangan mein jaata hai,+ to uski ek hi saza hai, maut! woh sirf tabhi bach sakta hai jab raja uski taraf sone ka raajdand badhaye.+ aur mujhe to 30 din se raja ke paas nahin bulaya gaya hai.”
12 jab ester ka paigam mordakai ko diya gaya,
13 to usne ester ko javab diya, “yah mat soch ki tu raja ke gharane se hai isliye tu bach jaayegi aur baaki yahoodiyon ke saath nahin maari jaayegi.
14 agar is vakt tu chup rahi to yahoodiyon ko kahin-na-kahin se madad aur chhutkara mil jaayega,+ magar tu aur tere pita ka gharana naash ho jaayega. aur kya pata, tujhe isi din ke liye raani banaya gaya ho?”+
15 tab ester ne mordakai ko yah sandesh bheja:
16 “jaa aur jaakaar shooshan* mein jitne bhi yahoodi hain un sabko ikattha kar aur mere liye upvas kar.+ teen din aur teen raat koi kuch na khaaye-peeye.+ main bhi apni sevikaon ke saath upvas karoongi. aur bin bulaye raja ke saamne jaaungi, jo kaanoon ke khilaf hai. aur agar main maari gayi, to yahi sahi.”
17 tab mordakai ne jaakaar vaisa hi kiya jaisa ester ne kaha tha.
