Esther - Chapter 4

1. And Mordecai knew all that had transpired, and Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and he went out into the midst of the city and cried [with] a loud and bitter cry.

2. And he came up as far as the king's gate, for one may not enter the king's gate dressed in sackcloth.

3. And in every province, wherever the king's orders and his edict reached, there was great mourning for the Jews, and fasting and weeping and lamenting; sackcloth and ashes were put on the most prominent.

4. And Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told her, and the queen was extremely terrified, and she sent clothing to dress Mordecai and to take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept [it].

5. Then Esther summoned Hathach, [one] of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed before her, and she commanded him concerning Mordecai, to know what this was and why this was.

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

7. And Mordecai told him all that had befallen him, and the full account of the silver that Haman had proposed to weigh out into the king's treasuries on the Jews' account, to cause them to perish.

8. And the copy of the writ of the decree that was given in Shushan he gave him, to show Esther and to tell her, and to order her to come before the king to beseech him and to beg him for her people.

9. And Hathach came, and he told Esther what Mordecai had said.

10. And Esther said to Hathach, and she ordered him to [tell] Mordecai:

11. "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who comes to the king, into the inner court, who is not summoned, there is but one law for him, to be put to death, except the one to whom the king extends the golden scepter, that he may live, but I have not been summoned to come to the king these thirty days."

12. And they told Esther's words to Mordecai.

13. And Mordecai ordered to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine to yourself that you will escape in the king's house from among all the Jews.

14. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will arise for the Jews from elsewhere, and you and your father's household will perish; and who knows whether at a time like this you will attain the kingdom?"

15. Then Esther ordered to reply to Mordecai:

16. "Go, assemble all the Jews who are present in Shushan and fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, day and night; also I and my maidens will fast in a like manner; then I will go to the king contrary to the law, and if I perish, I perish."

17. So Mordecai passed and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.