Esther 4

1 When Mordecai ascertained all that had been done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth [strewed] with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry;

Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

2 And thus he came up to the front of the king's gate; for none dared to enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

3 And in each and every province, in every place whither the king's decree and his law had reached, there was great mourning for the Jews, with fasting and weeping and wailing; and a sackcloth [strewed] with ashes became the bed of the great.

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 Then came the maidens of Esther with her chamberlains and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly terrified; and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, and to remove his sackcloth from him, but he accepted them not.

Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.

5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a charge for Mordecai to know what this was, and why this was.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.

So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.

7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened unto him, and of the fixed sum of money which Haman had promised to weigh out into the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them.

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 destruction of the Jews.

8 Also the copy of the writing of the law that had been given out in Shushan to destroy them he gave to him, to show it unto Esther, and to tell her [all], and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, and to make supplication unto him, and to present a request before him for her people.

He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

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

Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10 And Esther said unto Hatach, and gave him a charge unto Mordecai,

Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:

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

“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

12 And they told Mordecai the words of Esther.

They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

13 Then said Mordecai to bring this answer back to Esther, Imagine not in thy soul to be able to escape in the king's house out of all the Jews.

Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.

14 For if thou do indeed maintain silence at this time, enlargement and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou hast not for a time like this attained to the royal dignity?

For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

15 Then said Esther to bring this answer back to Mordecai,

Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

16 Go, assemble together all the Jews who are now present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, so that ye neither eat nor drink three days, either night or day; also I myself with my maidens will fast in like manner; and then will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I then perish, I perish.

“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

17 And Mordecai went about, and did in accordance with all that Esther had charged him.

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