Esther 4 · אסתר

When Mordokhay perceived all that was done, Mordokhay rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;

and came even before the king’s gate: though none might enter the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

And 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.

So Ester’s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly distressed; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordokhay, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he would not accept it.

Then Ester called for Hatakh, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a message for Mordokhay, to learn what this was, and why it was.

So Hatakh went out to Mordokhay, to the broad place of the city, which was before the king’s gate.

And Mordokhay told him of all that had happened to him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for destroying the Jews.

Also he gave him a copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Ester, and to declare it to her, and to charge her that she should go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to entreat him for her people.

And Hatakh came and told Ester the words of Mordokhay.

Again Ester spoke to Hatakh, and gave him a message for Mordokhay;

All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, namely to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.

And they told Ester’s words to Mordokhay.

Then Mordokhay commanded to answer Ester, Do not think in thy heart that thou shalt escape in the king’s house any more than all the other Jews.

For if thou dost at all remain silent at this time, then shall relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from elsewhere; but thou and thy father’s house shall perish: and who knows whether thou art not come to royal estate for such a time as this?

Then Ester bade them return Mordokhay this answer,

Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night and day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise, and so I will go in to the king, though it is against the law: and if I perish, I perish.

So Mordokhay went his way, and did according to all that Ester had commanded him.