Esther 4

1 And when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry,

When Mordecai found out all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and walked through the city, crying and wailing in grief.

2 and came even before the king's gate; for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

He went as far as the palace gate, because no one was allowed to enter the palace gate wearing sackcloth.

3 And 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: many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

When the king's decree and orders reached all the different provinces the Jews began to mourn in terrible distress. They fasted, they wept, and they wailed; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 And Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told [it] her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he received [it] not.

Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was very upset. She sent clothes to him so he could take off his sackcloth, but he refused to accept them.

5 Then Esther called for Hatach, [one] of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to wait upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.

She called Hathatch, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what he was doing and why.

6 And Hatach went forth to Mordecai, unto the public place of the city which was before the king's gate.

Hathatch went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the palace gate.

7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and of the sum of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

Mordecai explained to him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.

8 And he gave him a copy of the writing of the decree that had been given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew [it] to Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him, for her people.

Mordecai also gave him a copy of the decree that had been issued in Susa for their destruction to show Esther and explain it to her, and asked him to instruct her to go to the king and appeal for mercy and plead before him for her people.

9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

Hathatch went back and told Esther what Mordecai had said.

10 And Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai:

Then Esther spoke with Hathatch and ordered him to deliver this message to Mordecai.

11 All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces do know that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law, to put [him] to death, except [such] to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live; and I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

“All the king's officials, and even the people in the provinces of the king's empire, know that any man or any woman who goes to the king, entering his inner court without being summoned, is sentenced to death—that is the king's one law—unless the king holds out his golden scepter to them so they can live. In my case, I have not been called to go to the king for thirty days.”

12 And they told Mordecai Esther's words.

When Mordecai was told what Esther said,

13 And Mordecai bade to answer Esther: Imagine not in thy heart that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

Mordecai sent a message back to Esther, saying, “Don't think that just because you live in the king's palace that your life is the only one that will be saved of all the Jews!

14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there arise relief and deliverance to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall perish. And who knows whether thou art [not] come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

If you stay silent right now, help and rescue will come to the Jews from some other place, and you and your relatives will die. Who knows—it could be you came to be queen for such a time as this!”

15 And Esther bade to answer Mordecai:

Esther replied to Mordecai, saying,

16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise, and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

“Have all the Jews in Susa meet together and fast for me. Don't eat or drink anything for three days and nights. I and my girls will also fast. After that, I will go to the king, even though it's against the law, and if I die, I die.”

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

Mordecai went and did everything Esther had told him to do.