Esther 4

1 And Mordecai hath known all that hath been done, and Mordecai rendeth his garments, and putteth on sackcloth and ashes, and goeth forth into the midst of the city and crieth — a cry loud and bitter,

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and strewed ashes on his head, and went out into the city and raised a loud and bitter cry of lamentation.

2 and he cometh in unto the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come in unto the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.

He went as far as the king’s gate, but no one could enter the gate clothed with sackcloth.

3 And in every province and province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, a great mourning have the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.

In every province, wherever the king’s command and decree went, there was great mourning, fasting, weeping, and wailing among the Jews. Many of them sat in sackcloth and ashes.

4 And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare [it] to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sendeth garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he hath not received [them].

When Esther’s maids and attendants told her about Mordecai’s behavior, she was greatly troubled. She sent garments for Mordecai to put on, so that he could take off his sack-cloth, but he would not accept them.

5 And Esther calleth to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he hath stationed before her, and giveth him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this [is], and wherefore this [is].

So Esther called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what it all meant and the reason for it.

6 And Hatach goeth out unto Mordecai, unto a broad place of the city, that [is] before the gate of the king,

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

7 and Mordecai declareth to him all that hath 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,

Mordecai told him all that had happened to him and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasury for the destruction of the Jews.

8 and the copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he hath given to him, to shew Esther, and to declare [it] to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in unto the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.

Also he gave him a copy of the decree to destroy them, that had been published in Susa, to show to Esther for her information. He also told her to go to the king and implore his mercy and to plead with him in behalf of her people.

9 And Hatach cometh in and declareth to Esther the words of Mordecai,

When Hathach came and told Esther what Mordecai had said,

10 and Esther speaketh to Hatach, and chargeth him for Mordecai:

she instructed Hathach to go and say to Mordecai,

11 'All servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, do know that any man and woman, who cometh in unto the king, unto the inner court, who is not called — one law [of] his [is] to put [them] to death, apart from him to whom the king holdeth out the golden sceptre, then he hath lived; and I — I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.'

“All the king’s courtiers and the people of the king’s provinces know that for every man or woman who goes to the king into the inner court without being called there is one penalty, death, unless the king holds out the golden sceptre signifying that they may live. It has been thirty days since I have been called to go in to the king.”

12 And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,

When Mordecai was told what Esther had said,

13 and Mordecai speaketh to send back unto Esther: 'Do not think in thy soul to be delivered [in] the house of the king, more than all the Jews,

he sent back this reply to Esther, “Don’t imagine that you alone of all the Jews will escape because you belong to the king’s household.

14 but if thou keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remaineth to the Jews from another place, and thou and the house of thy fathers are destroyed; and who knoweth whether for a time like this thou hast come to the kingdom?'

If you persist in remaining silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, but you and your family will perish. Who knows? Maybe you have been raised to the throne for a time like this!”

15 And Esther speaketh to send back unto Mordecai:

Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai:

16 '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 do fast likewise, and so I go in unto the king, that [is] not according to law, and when I have perished — I have perished.'

“Go, gather all the Jews in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat nor drink anything for three days and nights. My maids and I will fast as well. Then I will go in to the king, although it is contrary to the law, and if I die, I die.”

17 And Mordecai passeth on, and doth according to all that Esther hath charged upon him.

Mordecai did everything Esther had directed.