Esther Stand Up for Her People
Mordecai dey cry loud for sackcloth for di gate, then e press Esther: her palace no go save her, and who know whether na for dis kind time she take reach di throne. She call three-day fast and go meet di king without say dem call her — if she die, she die.
4 1When Mordecai hear everything wey happen, he tear im cloth, wear sackcloth and put ashes for body, come comot go inside di city dey cry loud loud with bitter belle. 2But he only reach di king gate, because nobody fit enter dia if e wear mourning cloth. 3For every province wey di king order and decree reach, di Jews mourn well well—dem dey fast, dey cry, dey wail; plenty of dem lie down inside sackcloth and ashes.
4When Esther young women and di eunuchs tell am, di queen belle turn upside-down for pain. She send cloth make Mordecai wear comot di sackcloth, but he no gree. 5Esther call Hathach, one of di king eunuchs wey dem give her make e dey serve her, come send am go meet Mordecai make e find out wetin dey happen and why. 6So Hathach comot go meet Mordecai for di city square wey dey front of di king gate, 7Mordecai tell Hathach everything wey happen to am, and di exact money wey Haman promise say e go pay put inside di king storeroom to destroy di Jews. 8He still give am copy of di decree of destruction wey dem bring out for Susa, make e show Esther, explain am to her, and beg her make she go plead with di king and beg for her people.
9Hathach come back go tell Esther everything wey Mordecai talk. 10Then Esther talk to Hathach come give am dis message for Mordecai: 11"All di king servants and di people of im provinces sabi say: any man or woman wey enter di king inside court wey dem no call, na one law dey for am—death—except di king stretch di golden scepter reach am, so e go live. And na thirty days now wey dem never call me go meet di king."
12When dem tell Mordecai wetin Esther talk, 13Mordecai reply Esther: "No think say because you dey inside di king palace, na only you go escape pass all di odha Jews. 14If you keep quiet for dis time, relief and rescue go rise for di Jews from anodha place, but you and your papa house go die. And who sabi say maybe na for dis kind time you take reach di throne?" a a v14 Dem no ever call di name of our Papa for di whole book of Esther, but im hand wey person no dey see dey move through every turn — Mordecai sure say rescue go come, because he sabi say our Papa no go abandon im people.
15Then Esther send dis reply go back to Mordecai: 16"Go, gather all di Jews wey dey Susa. Fast for me—make nobody chop or drink for three days, night or day. Me and my young women go fast too. Then I go go meet di king, even though e dey against di law; and if I perish, I perish." 17So Mordecai comot go do everything wey Esther command am.
