Esther 4

1 Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

And Mordecai hath known all that hath been done, and Mordecai rendeth his garments, and putteth on sackcloth and ashes, and goeth forth into the midst of the city and crieth — a cry loud and bitter,

2 He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

and he cometh in unto the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come in unto the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.

3 In every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

And in every province and province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, a great mourning have the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.

4 Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he did not receive it.

And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare [it] to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sendeth garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he hath not received [them].

5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

And Esther calleth to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he hath stationed before her, and giveth him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this [is], and wherefore this [is].

6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.

And Hatach goeth out unto Mordecai, unto a broad place of the city, that [is] before the gate of the king,

7 Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.

and Mordecai declareth to him all that hath met him, and the explanation of the money that Haman said to weigh to the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them,

8 He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

and the copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he hath given to him, to shew Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in unto the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.

9 Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

And Hatach cometh in and declareth to Esther the words of Mordecai,

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:

and Esther speaketh to Hatach, and chargeth him for Mordecai:

11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

'All servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, do know that any man and woman, who cometh in unto the king, unto the inner court, who is not called — one law [of] his [is] to put [them] to death, apart from him to whom the king holdeth out the golden sceptre, then he hath lived; and I — I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.'

12 They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,

13 Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Do not think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.

and Mordecai speaketh to send back unto Esther: 'Do not think in thy soul to be delivered [in] the house of the king, more than all the Jews,

14 For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

but if thou keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remaineth to the Jews from another place, and thou and the house of thy fathers are destroyed; and who knoweth whether for a time like this thou hast come to the kingdom?'

15 Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

And Esther speaketh to send back unto Mordecai:

16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

'Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, by night and by day; also I and my young women do fast likewise, and so I go in unto the king, that [is] not according to law, and when I have perished — I have perished.'

17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

And Mordecai passeth on, and doth according to all that Esther hath charged upon him.