1 When|strong="H0834" Mordecai|strong="H4782" heard about|strong="H3045" all|strong="H3605" that|strong="H0834" had|strong="H0834" been|strong="H0834" done|strong="H6213", he|strong="H0834" tore|strong="H7167" his|strong="H3605" clothes|strong="H0899". Then|strong="H3318" he|strong="H0834" put|strong="H3847" on|strong="H3847" sackcloth|strong="H8242", put|strong="H3847" ashes|strong="H0665" on|strong="H3847" his|strong="H3605" head, and|strong="H1419" went|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" into|strong="H8432" the|strong="H3605" city|strong="H5892" crying|strong="H2199" loudly|strong="H1419".
2 But|strong="H3588" Mordecai went|strong="H0935" only|strong="H5704" as|strong="H5704" far|strong="H5704" as|strong="H5704" the|strong="H6440" king’s|strong="H4428" gate|strong="H8179". No|strong="H0369" one|strong="H0369" was|strong="H0369" allowed to|strong="H0413" enter|strong="H0935" the|strong="H6440" gate|strong="H8179" dressed|strong="H3830" in|strong="H0935" sackcloth|strong="H8242".
3 In|strong="H4428" every|strong="H3605" province|strong="H4082" where|strong="H0834" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" command|strong="H1697" had|strong="H0834" come|strong="H5060", there|strong="H3605" was|strong="H0834" much|strong="H7227" crying|strong="H1065" and|strong="H4428" sadness among the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064". They|strong="H0834" were|strong="H0834" fasting|strong="H6685" and|strong="H4428" crying|strong="H1065" loudly|strong="H1419". Many|strong="H7227" Jews|strong="H3064" were|strong="H0834" lying on|strong="H4725" the|strong="H3605" ground|strong="H4725" dressed in|strong="H4428" sackcloth|strong="H8242" with|strong="H1697" ashes|strong="H0665" on|strong="H4725" their|strong="H3605" heads.
4 Esther’s|strong="H0635" slave women|strong="H5291" and|strong="H0935" eunuchs|strong="H5631" came|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0935" her|strong="H7971" and|strong="H0935" told|strong="H5046" her|strong="H7971" about|strong="H5921" Mordecai|strong="H4782". This|strong="H5046" made|strong="H6901" Queen|strong="H4436" Esther|strong="H0635" very|strong="H3966" sad and|strong="H0935" upset. She|strong="H0635" sent|strong="H7971" clothes|strong="H0899" for|strong="H5921" Mordecai|strong="H4782" to|strong="H0935" put|strong="H3847" on|strong="H5921" instead|strong="H3808" of|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0853" sackcloth|strong="H8242", but|strong="H3808" he|strong="H3808" would|strong="H5291" not|strong="H3808" accept|strong="H6901" them|strong="H0853".
5 Then|strong="H2088" Esther|strong="H0635" called|strong="H7121" Hathach|strong="H2047", one|strong="H2088" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" king’s|strong="H4428" eunuchs|strong="H5631" who|strong="H0834" had|strong="H0834" been|strong="H0834" chosen|strong="H3045" to|strong="H5921" serve|strong="H6440" her|strong="H5921". She|strong="H0834" commanded|strong="H6680" him|strong="H5921" to|strong="H5921" find|strong="H3045" out|strong="H3045" what|strong="H4100" was|strong="H0834" bothering Mordecai|strong="H4782", and|strong="H4428" why|strong="H4100".
6 So|strong="H3318" Hathach|strong="H2047" went|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" to|strong="H0413" where|strong="H0834" Mordecai|strong="H4782" was|strong="H0834" in|strong="H0413" the|strong="H6440" open|strong="H6440" place of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" city|strong="H5892" in|strong="H0413" front|strong="H6440" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" king’s|strong="H4428" gate|strong="H8179".
7 Then|strong="H0853" Mordecai|strong="H4782" told|strong="H5046" Hathach everything|strong="H3605" that|strong="H0834" had|strong="H0834" happened|strong="H7136" to|strong="H0559" him|strong="H5921". Mordecai|strong="H4782" told|strong="H5046" him|strong="H5921" about|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" exact|strong="H6575" amount|strong="H6575" of|strong="H4428" money|strong="H3701" Haman|strong="H2001" had|strong="H0834" promised|strong="H0559" to|strong="H0559" put into|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" treasury for|strong="H5921" killing Jews|strong="H3064".
8 Mordecai also|strong="H0853" gave|strong="H5414" Hathach a|strong="H5414" copy|strong="H6572" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H0853" king’s|strong="H4428" command|strong="H6680" to|strong="H0413" kill the|strong="H0853" Jews. The|strong="H0853" command|strong="H6680" had|strong="H0834" been|strong="H0834" sent|strong="H5414" out|strong="H6440" all over|strong="H5921" the|strong="H0853" city of|strong="H4428" Susa|strong="H7800". He|strong="H0834" wanted|strong="H1245" Hathach to|strong="H0413" show|strong="H7200" it|strong="H5414" to|strong="H0413" Esther|strong="H0635" and|strong="H0935" tell|strong="H5046" her|strong="H0413" everything|strong="H0834". And|strong="H0935" he|strong="H0834" told|strong="H5046" him|strong="H0413" to|strong="H0413" encourage Esther|strong="H0635" to|strong="H0413" go|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H0853" king|strong="H4428" and|strong="H0935" beg|strong="H1245" him|strong="H0413" for|strong="H5921" mercy|strong="H2603" for|strong="H5921" Mordecai and|strong="H0935" her|strong="H0413" people|strong="H5971".
9 Hathach|strong="H2047" went|strong="H0935" back|strong="H0935" and|strong="H0935" told|strong="H5046" Esther|strong="H0635" everything Mordecai|strong="H4782" had|strong="H0853" said|strong="H1697".
10 Then|strong="H0559" Esther|strong="H0635" told|strong="H0559" Hathach|strong="H2047" to|strong="H0413" say|strong="H0559" this to|strong="H0413" Mordecai|strong="H4782":
11 “Mordecai, all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" leaders and|strong="H0935" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" king’s|strong="H4428" provinces|strong="H4082" know|strong="H3045" this|strong="H2088": The|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" has|strong="H0834" one|strong="H0259" law|strong="H1881" for|strong="H7121" any|strong="H3605" man|strong="H0376" or|strong="H3808" woman|strong="H0802" who|strong="H0834" goes|strong="H0935" to|strong="H0413" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" without|strong="H3808" being called|strong="H7121". That|strong="H0834" person|strong="H0376" must|strong="H4191" be|strong="H4191" put|strong="H4191" to|strong="H0413" death|strong="H4191" unless|strong="H3808" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" holds|strong="H3447" out|strong="H3045" his|strong="H3605" gold|strong="H2091" scepter|strong="H8275" to|strong="H0413" them|strong="H0413". If|strong="H0834" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" does|strong="H3808" this|strong="H2088", that|strong="H0834" person’s life|strong="H3117" will|strong="H0834" be|strong="H4191" saved. And|strong="H0935" I|strong="H0589" have|strong="H0834" not|strong="H3808" been|strong="H0834" called|strong="H7121" to|strong="H0413" go|strong="H0935" see|strong="H3045" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" for|strong="H7121" 30 days|strong="H3117".”
14 If|strong="H0518" you|strong="H0859" keep quiet now|strong="H3588", help and|strong="H1004" freedom for|strong="H3588" the|strong="H3588" Jews|strong="H3064" will|strong="H4310" come|strong="H5060" from|strong="H0006" another|strong="H0312" place|strong="H4725". But|strong="H3588" you|strong="H0859" and|strong="H1004" your|strong="H3045" father’s|strong="H0001" family|strong="H1004" will|strong="H4310" all|strong="H3045" die|strong="H0006". And|strong="H1004" who|strong="H4310" knows|strong="H3045", maybe you|strong="H0859" have|strong="H0001" been|strong="H0006" chosen|strong="H3045" to|strong="H6256" be|strong="H0001" the|strong="H3588" queen for|strong="H3588" such|strong="H2063" a|strong="H3588" time|strong="H6256" as|strong="H3588" this|strong="H2063".”
17 So|strong="H6213" Mordecai|strong="H4782" went away|strong="H3605" and|strong="H3605" did|strong="H6213" everything|strong="H3605" Esther|strong="H0635" told|strong="H6680" him|strong="H5921" to|strong="H5921" do|strong="H6213".