4:1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
4:2 But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.
4:3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4:4 When Esther’s maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
4:5 Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
4:6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate.
4:7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.
4:8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
4:9 Hathach went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.
4:10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,
4:11 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”
4:12 When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai,
4:13 he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.
4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?”
4:15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
4:16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”
4:17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
4:1 Now when Mordecai learned about all that had been done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes; and he went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.
4:2 And he went up to the entrance of the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.
4:3 And throughout every province, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and wailing; many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4:4 And Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was greatly distressed. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might remove his sackcloth from him; but he would not accept them.
4:5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to serve her, and she commanded him to go out to Mordecai to find out what this was and why it was.
4:6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai at the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate.
4:7 And Mordecai told him all that had happened to him and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
4:8 And he also gave him a copy of the written decree which was issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and tell her about it and charge her to go in to the king to supplicate him and make a request for her people before him.
4:9 And Hathach came and told Esther Mordecai’s words.
4:10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to answer Mordecai:
4:11 All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes in to the king at the inner court who has not been called for, there is but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out his scepter of gold to him that he may live; and I have not been called to come in to the king during these past thirty days.
4:12 And they told Mordecai Esther’s words.
4:13 Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, Do not imagine that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the Jews.
4:14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from some other place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
4:15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,
4:16 Go; assemble all the Jews who are to be found in Susa, and fast for me; and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day; I also and my maids will fast in the same way. And so will I go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.
4:17 So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.