1 When|strong="H3318" Mordecai|strong="H4782" learned|strong="H3045" all|strong="H3605" that|strong="H3045" had|strong="H4782" been|strong="H3605" done|strong="H6213", he|strong="H6213" tore|strong="H7167" his|strong="H3605" clothes|strong="H3847" and|strong="H1419" put|strong="H3847" on|strong="H3847" sackcloth|strong="H8242" and|strong="H1419" strewed ashes 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" and|strong="H1419" raised|strong="H8432" a|strong="H3068" loud|strong="H1419" and|strong="H1419" bitter|strong="H4751" cry|strong="H2199" of|strong="H5892" lamentation.
2 He|strong="H3588" went|strong="H4428" as|strong="H5704" far|strong="H5704" as|strong="H5704" the|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428"’s gate|strong="H8179", but|strong="H3588" no|strong="H6440" one|strong="H3588" could enter the|strong="H6440" gate|strong="H8179" clothed|strong="H3830" with|strong="H6440" sackcloth|strong="H8242".
3 In|strong="H4428" every|strong="H3605" province|strong="H4082", wherever|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s command|strong="H1697" and|strong="H4428" decree|strong="H1881" went|strong="H4428", there|strong="H3605" was|strong="H1697" great|strong="H1419" mourning|strong="H4553", fasting|strong="H6685", weeping|strong="H1065", and|strong="H4428" wailing|strong="H4553" among|strong="H7227" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064". Many|strong="H7227" of|strong="H4428" them|strong="H5060" sat in|strong="H4428" sackcloth|strong="H8242" and|strong="H4428" ashes.
4 When|strong="H7971" Esther’s maids|strong="H5291" and|strong="H7971" attendants told|strong="H5046" her|strong="H7971" about|strong="H5921" Mordecai|strong="H4782"’s behaviour, she|strong="H5921" was|strong="H3966" greatly|strong="H3966" troubled|strong="H3966". She|strong="H5921" sent|strong="H7971" garments for|strong="H5921" Mordecai|strong="H4782" to|strong="H7971" put|strong="H3847" on|strong="H5921", so|strong="H7971" that|strong="H3808" he|strong="H3808" could take|strong="H5493" off|strong="H5493" his|strong="H7971" sack-cloth, but|strong="H3808" he|strong="H3808" would|strong="H5493" not|strong="H3808" accept|strong="H6901" them|strong="H5921".
5 So|strong="H7121" Esther called|strong="H7121" Hathach|strong="H2047", one|strong="H2088" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428"’s eunuchs|strong="H5631" whom|strong="H6440" he|strong="H5921" had|strong="H4428" appointed|strong="H5975" to|strong="H5921" attend|strong="H6440" her|strong="H5921", and|strong="H4428" ordered|strong="H6680" him|strong="H6440" to|strong="H5921" go|strong="H4428" to|strong="H5921" Mordecai|strong="H4782" to|strong="H5921" learn|strong="H3045" what|strong="H4100" it|strong="H7121" all|strong="H3045" meant and|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" reason|strong="H6440" for|strong="H5921" it|strong="H7121".
6 So|strong="H3318" Hathach|strong="H2047" went|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" to|strong="H3318" Mordecai|strong="H4782", to|strong="H3318" the|strong="H6440" city|strong="H5892" square|strong="H7339" in|strong="H4428" front|strong="H6440" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428"’s gate|strong="H8179".
7 Mordecai|strong="H4782" told|strong="H5046" him|strong="H5921" all|strong="H3605" that|strong="H3605" had|strong="H4428" happened|strong="H7136" to|strong="H5921" him|strong="H5921" and|strong="H3701" the|strong="H3605" exact|strong="H6575" amount|strong="H6575" of|strong="H4428" money|strong="H3701" that|strong="H3605" Haman|strong="H2001" had|strong="H4428" promised to|strong="H5921" pay|strong="H8254" into|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s treasury for|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" destruction of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064".
8 Also|strong="H4428" he|strong="H5414" gave|strong="H5414" him|strong="H5414" a|strong="H3068" copy|strong="H6572" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" decree|strong="H1881" to|strong="H5921" destroy|strong="H8045" them|strong="H5414", that|strong="H5971" had|strong="H4428" been|strong="H5046" published in|strong="H5921" Susa|strong="H7800", to|strong="H5921" show|strong="H7200" to|strong="H5921" Esther for|strong="H5921" her|strong="H5414" information. He|strong="H5414" also|strong="H4428" told|strong="H5046" her|strong="H5414" to|strong="H5921" go|strong="H5971" to|strong="H5921" the|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428" and|strong="H4428" implore|strong="H2603" his|strong="H5414" mercy|strong="H2603" and|strong="H4428" to|strong="H5921" plead|strong="H1245" with|strong="H5921" him|strong="H5414" in|strong="H5921" behalf|strong="H5921" of|strong="H4428" her|strong="H5414" people|strong="H5971".
9 When Hathach|strong="H2047" came|strong="H1697" and|strong="H1697" told|strong="H5046" Esther what|strong="H1697" Mordecai|strong="H4782" had|strong="H4782" said|strong="H1697",
10 she instructed|strong="H6680" Hathach|strong="H2047" to|strong="H6680" go and|strong="H6680" say to|strong="H6680" Mordecai|strong="H4782",
11 ‘All|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s courtiers and|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s provinces|strong="H4082" know|strong="H3045" that|strong="H3045" for|strong="H7121" every|strong="H3605" man|strong="H4191" or|strong="H3808" woman|strong="H2088" who|strong="H3605" goes to|strong="H4191" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" into|strong="H3045" the|strong="H3605" inner|strong="H6442" court|strong="H2691" without|strong="H3808" being|strong="H5971" called|strong="H7121" there|strong="H2088" is|strong="H2088" one|strong="H2088" penalty, death|strong="H4191", unless|strong="H3808" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" holds|strong="H3447" out|strong="H3447" the|strong="H3605" golden|strong="H2091" sceptre|strong="H8275" signifying that|strong="H3045" they|strong="H3117" may|strong="H5971" live|strong="H2421". It|strong="H7121" has|strong="H4428" been|strong="H5971" thirty|strong="H7970" days|strong="H3117" since|strong="H3117" I|strong="H3117" have|strong="H5971" been|strong="H5971" called|strong="H7121" to|strong="H4191" go|strong="H5971" in|strong="H4428" to|strong="H4191" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428".’
12 When Mordecai|strong="H4782" was|strong="H1697" told|strong="H5046" what|strong="H1697" Esther had|strong="H4782" said|strong="H1697",
13 he|strong="H3605" sent|strong="H7725" back|strong="H7725" this|strong="H7725" reply|strong="H7725" to|strong="H7725" Esther, ‘Don’t imagine|strong="H1819" that|strong="H3605" you|strong="H3605" alone|strong="H4422" of|strong="H4428" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" will|strong="H4428" escape|strong="H4422" because|strong="H3605" you|strong="H3605" belong to|strong="H7725" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s household|strong="H1004".
14 If|strong="H3588" you|strong="H3588" persist|strong="H5975" in|strong="H1004" remaining silent|strong="H2790" at|strong="H1004" this|strong="H2063" time|strong="H6256", relief|strong="H7305" and|strong="H1004" deliverance|strong="H2020" will|strong="H4310" come|strong="H5060" to|strong="H6256" the|strong="H3588" Jews|strong="H3064" from|strong="H3064" another quarter, but|strong="H3588" you|strong="H3588" and|strong="H1004" your|strong="H3045" family|strong="H1004" will|strong="H4310" perish. Who|strong="H4310" knows|strong="H3045"? Maybe you|strong="H3588" have|strong="H3045" been raised|strong="H5975" to|strong="H6256" the|strong="H3588" throne|strong="H4438" for|strong="H3588" a|strong="H3068" time|strong="H6256" like|strong="H1004" this|strong="H2063"!’
15 Then|strong="H7725" Esther sent|strong="H7725" this|strong="H7725" message to|strong="H7725" Mordecai|strong="H4782":
16 ‘Go|strong="H3212", gather|strong="H3664" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" in|strong="H5921" Susa|strong="H7800" and|strong="H4428" fast|strong="H6684" for|strong="H5921" me|strong="H5921". Don’t eat nor|strong="H3808" drink|strong="H8354" anything|strong="H3605" for|strong="H5921" three|strong="H7969" days|strong="H3117" and|strong="H4428" nights|strong="H3915". My|strong="H3605" maids|strong="H5291" and|strong="H4428" I|strong="H3117" will|strong="H4428" fast|strong="H6684" as|strong="H3117" well|strong="H1571". Then|strong="H3651" I|strong="H3117" will|strong="H4428" go|strong="H3212" in|strong="H5921" to|strong="H3212" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428", although|strong="H3808" it|strong="H5921" is|strong="H3117" contrary|strong="H5921" to|strong="H3212" the|strong="H3605" law|strong="H1881", and|strong="H4428" if|strong="H3651" I|strong="H3117" die, I|strong="H3117" die.’
17 Mordecai|strong="H4782" did|strong="H6213" everything|strong="H3605" Esther had|strong="H4782" directed.