Esth 4
1
Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth
with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter
cry;
2
and he came even before the king`s gate: for none might enter within the king`s gate
clothed with 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; and many
lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4
And Esther`s maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was
exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth
from off him; but he received it not.
5
Then called Esther for Hathach, one of the king`s chamberlains, whom he had appointed
to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and
why it was.
6
So Hathach went forth to Mordecai to the broad place of the city, which was before
the king`s gate.
7
And 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 Jews, to destroy them.
8
Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan
to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to charge her
that she should go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request
before him, for her people.
9
And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10
Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai [saying]:
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 for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall
hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come
in to the king these thirty days.
12
And they told to Mordecai Esther`s words.
13
Then Mordecai bade them return answer to Esther, Think not with yourself that you
shall escape in the king`s house, more than all the Jews.
14
For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance
arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father`s house will perish:
and who knows whether you are not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15
Then Esther bade them return answer to Mordecai,
16
Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast you for me,
and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast
in like manner; and so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law:
and if I perish, I perish.
17
So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.