Esther 4

1 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.

When Mordecai found out all that had happened, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and walked through the city, crying and wailing in grief.

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

He went as far as the palace gate, because no one was allowed to enter the palace gate wearing sackcloth.

3 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].

When the king's decree and orders reached all the different provinces the Jews began to mourn in terrible distress. They fasted, they wept, and they wailed; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4 (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].

Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was very upset. She sent clothes to him so he could take off his sackcloth, but he refused to accept them.

5 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.

She called Hathatch, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what he was doing and why.

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

Hathatch went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the palace gate.

7 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.

Mordecai explained to him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.

8 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.

Mordecai also gave him a copy of the decree that had been issued in Susa for their destruction to show Esther and explain it to her, and asked him to instruct her to go to the king and appeal for mercy and plead before him for her people.

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

Hathatch went back and told Esther what Mordecai had said.

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

Then Esther spoke with Hathatch and ordered him to deliver this message to Mordecai.

11 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].

“All the king's officials, and even the people in the provinces of the king's empire, know that any man or any woman who goes to the king, entering his inner court without being summoned, is sentenced to death—that is the king's one law—unless the king holds out his golden scepter to them so they can live. In my case, I have not been called to go to the king for thirty days.”

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

When Mordecai was told what Esther said,

13 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.

Mordecai sent a message back to Esther, saying, “Don't think that just because you live in the king's palace that your life is the only one that will be saved of all the Jews!

14 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.

If you stay silent right now, help and rescue will come to the Jews from some other place, and you and your relatives will die. Who knows—it could be you came to be queen for such a time as this!”

15 And she said Esther to bring back to Mordecai.

Esther replied to Mordecai, saying,

16 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.

“Have all the Jews in Susa meet together and fast for me. Don't eat or drink anything for three days and nights. I and my girls will also fast. After that, I will go to the king, even though it's against the law, and if I die, I die.”

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

Mordecai went and did everything Esther had told him to do.