Esther 4

1 When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

And Mordecai he knew all that it had been done and he tore Mordecai clothes his and he put on sackcloth and ash[es] and he went out in [the] midst of the city and he cried a cry loud and bitter.

2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.

And he went to before [the] gate of the king for not to go into [the] gate of the king in clothing of sackcloth.

3 In every province to which the king’s command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

And in every province and province [the] place where [the] word of the king and law his [were] reaching mourning great [belonged] to the Jews and fasting and weeping and wailing sackcloth and ash[es] it was spread as a bed by many [people].

4 When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

(And they came *Q(k)*) [the] maids of Esther and eunuchs her and they told to her and she agonized the queen exceedingly and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and to remove sackcloth his from on him and not he accepted [them].

5 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to her, and she dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why.

And she summoned Esther Hathach one of [the] eunuchs of the king whom he had made stand before her and she commanded him on Mordecai to know what? [was] this and concerning what? [was] this.

6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate,

And he went out Hathach to Mordecai to [the] open place of the city which [was] before [the] gate of the king.

7 and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to destroy the Jews.

And he told to him Mordecai all that it had happened to him and - [the] exact amount of the silver which he had said Haman to weigh out to [the] treasuries of the king (for the Jews *Q(k)*) to destroy them.

8 Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther, urging her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead before him for her people.

And copy of [the] writing of the law which it had been given in Susa to annihilate them he gave to him to show Esther and to tell to her and to command to her to go to the king to seek favor to him and to request from to before him on people her.

9 So Hathach went back and relayed Mordecai’s response to Esther.

And he came Hathach and he told to Esther [the] words of Mordecai.

10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai,

And she said Esther to Hathach and she commanded him to Mordecai.

11 “All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.”

All [the] servants of the king and [the] people of [the] provinces of the king [are] knowing that every man and woman who he goes to the king into the court inner who not he is summoned [is] one law his to put to death apart from that he extends to him the king [the] scepter of gold and he will live and I not (I have been summoned *L(abh)*) to go to the king this thirty day[s].

12 When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai,

And they told to Mordecai [the] words of Esther.

13 he sent back to her this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews.

And he said Mordecai to bring back to Esther may not you imagine in self your to escape [the] house of the king from all the Jews.

14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

That except certainly you will keep quiet at the time this relief and deliverance it will arise for the Jews from a place another and you and [the] house of father your you will perish and who? [is] knowing if for a time like this you have reached the queenhood.

15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:

And she said Esther to bring back to Mordecai.

16 “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”

Go gather all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast on me and may not you eat and may not you drink three days night and day also I and maids my I will fast thus and in such I will go to the king which not [is] according to the law and just as I have perished I have perished.

17 So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him.

And he passed on Mordecai and he did according to all that she had commanded to him Esther.