< Esther 5 >

1 Ni thumto naah, Esther loe siangpahrang zu khukbuen hoiah amthoep moe, siangpahrang imthung longhma, siangpahrang hmaa ah angdoet; to naah siangpahrang loe angmah ih angraeng tangkhang pongah anghnut, imthung akunhaih thok bangah anghae.
On the third day, Esther put on her regalia and stood in the inner court of the royal palace opposite the king’s house. The king was sitting on his throne in the palace, opposite the entrance.
2 Siangpahrang mah a im longhmaa ah angdoe a zu Esther to hnuk naah, mikhmai pan moe, a ban ih sui cunghet to kalah bangah paqoi ving; Esther loe anih taengah anghnaih moe, sui cunghet tadong to sui pae.
When he saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she won his favour, and he held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Siangpahrang mah, siangpahrang zu Esther, Timaw hnik han na koeh? Ka prae ahap mataeng doeh kang paek han, tiah a naa.
Then the king said to her, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? Whatever your request is, it will be granted, even if it is the half of the kingdom.’
4 To pongah Esther mah, Siangpahrang koehhaih baktiah ka oh nahaeloe, vaihniah nang han ka sak ih poihkung ah Haman hoi nawnto angzo ah, tiah a naa.
‘If it seems best to the king,’ Esther said, ‘let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.’
5 Esther mah hnik ih baktih toengah sak hanah, Siangpahrang mah Haman to karangah kawk hanah lok a paek. To pongah siangpahrang hoi Haman loe Esther mah sak ih buhraenghaih poihkung ah caeh hoi.
Then the king ordered, ‘Bring Haman quickly, so that Esther’s wish may be gratified.’ So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
6 Misurtui naek o nathuem ah, siangpahrang mah Esther to lokdueng let, Tih tahmenhaih maw nang hnik? Kang paek han; timaw nang hnik? Ka prae ahap mataeng doeh kang paek han, tiah a naa.
While they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, ‘Whatever your petition is, it will be granted. Your request, it will be done – even if it takes half of my kingdom.’
7 Esther mah, Tahmen kang hnik ih hmuen loe hae tiah oh;
Esther answered,
8 siangpahrang mikcuk naakrak ah ka oh moe, tahmen kang hnikhaih hoi kang hnik ih hmuen siangpahrang mah akoepsak hanah na koeh nahaeloe, khawnbang ka sak han ih buhraenghaih poihkung ah Haman hoi nawnto nang zoh ah; to naah ni siangpahrang mah dueng ih lok to ka thuih han vop, tiah a naa.
‘If I have won the king’s favour and if it seems best to the king to grant my petition and to accede to my request, my petition and my request are that the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them. Tomorrow I will answer the king’s question as he wishes.’
9 To pacoengah Haman loe anghoehaih hoi poeknawmhaih hoiah caeh; toe siangpahrang ih khongkha ah, anih azat paek hanah angdoe ai, anih khingyahaih tawn ai Mordekai to a hnuk naah, Mordekai nuiah paroeai palungphui.
Haman went out that day joyful and elated, but when he saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and noticed that he neither stood up nor moved for him, he was furiously angry with Mordecai.
10 Toe Haman loe angsum moe, imthung ah caeh; angmah ih ampuinawk hoi a zu Zeresh to a kawk.
Nevertheless Haman restrained himself and went home. He called together his friends and Zeresh his wife
11 Nihcae khaeah a tawnh ih hmuenmae kawng, kapop parai a caanawk kawng, siangpahrang mah kalah siangpahrang ih angraengnawk hoi anih ih tamnanawk pongah, anih hanah kasang araengh paekhaih kawngnawk to a thuih.
and recounted to them the greatness of his wealth, how many children he had, and all the ways in which the king had honoured him, and how he had promoted him above the officials and the royal courtiers.
12 To pacoengah Haman mah, Ue, siangpahrang zu Esther mah buhraenghaih sak ih poihkung ah siangpahrang hoi kai khue ni ang pacae; khawnbang doeh siangpahrang hoi nawnto caeh hanah ang pacae bae vop.
‘What is more,’ Haman said, ‘Queen Esther brought no one in with the king to the banquet which she had prepared except me, and tomorrow also I am invited by her along with the king.
13 Toe siangpahrang ih khongkha toep, Judah kami Mordekai ka hnuk naah poek ka nawm thai ai, tiah a naa.
Yet all this does not satisfy me as long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king’s gate.’
14 A zu Zeresh hoi ampuinawk boih mah anih khaeah, Dong quipangato kasang tung to sah ah loe, to tung pongah Mordekai to bangh hanah, khawnbangah siangpahrang to dueng ah; to pacoengah siangpahrang hoi nawnto poihkung ah caeh ah loe nawm hoi ah, tiah a naa o. To tiah thuih ih lok mah Haman to poeknawmsak moe, tung to a saksak.
Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, ‘Let a gallows seventy-five feet high be erected, and in the morning speak to the king and let Mordecai be hanged on it. Then go merrily with the king to the banquet.’ The advice pleased Haman, and so he had the gallows erected.

< Esther 5 >