Esther 4
1 But Mardochaeus having perceived what was done, tore his garments, and put on sackcloth, and sprinkled dust upon himself; and having rushed forth through the open street of the city, he cried with a loud voice, A nation that has done no wrong is going to be destroyed.
And Mordecai has known all that has been done, and Mordecai tears his garments, and puts on sackcloth and ashes, and goes forth into the midst of the city and cries—a cry loud and bitter,
2 And he came to the king's gate, and stood; for it was not lawful for him to enter into the palace, wearing sackcloth and ashes.
and he comes to the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come to the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.
3 And in every province where the letters were published, [there was] crying and lamentation and great mourning on the part of the Jews: they spread for themselves sackcloth and ashes.
And in each and every province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, the Jews have a great mourning, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.
4 And the queen's maids and chamberlains went in and told her: and when she had heard what was done, she was disturbed; and she sent to clothe Mardochaeus, and take away his sackcloth; but he consented not.
And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare [it] to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sends garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he has not received [them].
5 So Esther called for her chamberlain Achrathaeus, who waited upon her; and she sent to learn the truth from Mardochaeus.
And Esther calls to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he has stationed before her, and gives him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this [is], and why this [is].
And Hatach goes out to Mordecai, to a broad place of the city, that [is] before the gate of the king,
7 And Mardochaeus showed him what was done, and the promise which Aman had made the king of ten thousand talents [to be paid] into the treasury, that he might destroy the Jews.
and Mordecai declares to him all that has 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 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew [it] unto Esther, and to declare [it] unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto 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 has given to him, to show Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.
9 So Achrathaeus went in and told her all these words.
And Hatach comes in and declares to Esther the words of Mordecai,
10 And Esther said to Achrathaeus, Go to Mardochaeus, and say,
and Esther speaks to Hatach, and charges him for Mordecai:
11 All the nations of the empire know, that whoever, man or woman, shall go in to the king into the inner court uncalled, that person can’t live: only to whoever the king shall stretch out [his] golden sceptre, he shall live: and I have not been called to go into the king, for these thirty days.
“All servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, know that any man and woman who comes to the king, into the inner court, who is not called—one law of his [is] to put [them] to death, apart from him to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, then he has lived; and I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
12 And Achrathaeus reported to Mardochaeus all the words of Esther.
And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,
13 Then Mardochaeus said to Achrathaeus, Go, and say to her, Esther, say not to yourself that you alone will escape in the kingdom, more than all the [other] Jews.
and Mordecai commands to send back to Esther: “Do not think in your soul to be delivered [in] the house of the king, more than all the Jews,
14 For if you shall refuse to listen on this occasion, help and protection will be to the Jews from another quarter; but you and your father's house will perish: and who knows, if you have been made queen for this [very] occasion?
but if you keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remains to the Jews from another place, and you and the house of your fathers are destroyed; and who knows whether for a time like this you have come to the kingdom?”
15 And Esther sent the [man] that came to her to Mardochaeus, saying,
And Esther commands to send back to Mordecai:
16 Go and assemble the Jews that are in Susa, and fast you for me, and eat not and drink not for three days, night and day: and I also and my maidens will fast; and then I will go in to the king contrary to the law, even if I must die.
“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 fast likewise, and so I go in to the king, that [is] not according to law, and when I have perished—I have perished.”
17 So Mardochaeus went and did all that Esther commanded him.
And Mordecai passes on, and does according to all that Esther has charged on him.
