1 Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai tore 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; 2 and he came even before
the king’s gate: for none might enter within the king’s gate clothed with
sackcloth. 3 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 Esther’s
maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was
exceedingly grieved: and she sent clothing to clothe Mordecai, and to take
his sackcloth from off him; but he didn’t receive it. 5 Then called Esther
for Hathach, one of the king’s chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend
on her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it
was. 6 So Hathach went forth to Mordecai to the broad place of the city,
which was before the king’s gate. 7 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 Jews, to destroy them. 8 Also he gave
him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to
destroy them, to show it to Esther, 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
make request before him, for her people. 9 Hathach came and told Esther
the words of Mordecai. 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a
message to Mordecai saying: 11 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, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall
hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to
come in to the king these thirty days. 12 They told to Mordecai Esther’s
words. 13 Then Mordecai bade them return answer to Esther, Don’t think to
yourself that you shall escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then will relief
and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your
father’s house will perish: and who knows whether you haven’t come to the
kingdom for such a time as this? 15 Then Esther bade them return answer to
Mordecai, 16 Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Shushan,
and fast you for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day:
I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in to the
king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 17 So
Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded
him.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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