Mordecai Requests Esther's Help
1When Mordecaiperceivedall that was done,Mordecairenthis clothes,and put onsackclothwith ashes,and went outinto the midstof the city,and criedwith a loudand a bittercry;2And cameeven beforethe king'sgate:for none [might] enterinto the king'sgateclothedwith sackcloth.3And in every province,whithersoeverthe king'scommandmentand his decreecame,[there was] greatmourningamong the Jews,and fasting,and weeping,and wailing;and manylayin sackclothand ashes.
4So Esther'smaidsand her chamberlainscameand told[it] her. Then was the queenexceedinglygrieved;and she sentraimentto clotheMordecai,and to take awayhis sackclothfrom him: but he received[it] not.5Then calledEstherfor Hatach,[one] of the king'schamberlains,whom he had appointedto attendupon her, and gave him a commandmentto Mordecai,to knowwhat it [was], and why it [was].6So Hatachwent forthto Mordecaiunto the streetof the city,which [was] beforethe king'sgate.7And Mordecaitoldhim of all that had happenedunto him, and of the sumof the moneythat Hamanhad promisedto payto the king'streasuriesfor the Jews,to destroythem.8Also he gavehim the copyof the writingof the decreethat was givenat Shushanto destroythem, to shew[it] unto Esther,and to declare[it] unto her, and to chargeher that she should go inunto the king,to make supplicationunto him, and to make requestbeforehim for her people.
9And Hatachcameand toldEstherthe wordsof Mordecai.10Again Estherspakeunto Hatach,and gave him commandmentunto Mordecai;11All the king'sservants,and the peopleof the king'sprovinces,do know,that whosoever, whether manor woman,shall comeunto the kinginto the innercourt,who is not called,[there is] onelawof his to put [him] to death,exceptsuch to whom the kingshall hold outthe goldensceptre,that he may live:but I have not been calledto come inunto the kingthese thirtydays.12And they toldto MordecaiEsther'swords.
13Then Mordecaicommandedto answerEsther,Thinknot with thyselfthat thou shalt escapein the king'shouse,more than all the Jews.14For if thou altogetherholdest thy peaceat this time,[then] shall there enlargementand deliveranceariseto the Jewsfrom anotherplace;but thou and thy father'shouseshall be destroyed:and who knowethwhether thou art cometo the kingdomfor [such] a timeas this?
Esther Agrees to Help the Jews
15Then Estherbade[them] returnMordecai[this answer],16Go,gather togetherall the Jewsthat are presentin Shushan,and fastye for me, and neither eatnor drinkthreedays,nightor day:I also and my maidenswill fastlikewise; and sowill I goin unto the king,which [is] not according to the law:and if I perish,I perish.17So Mordecaiwent his way,and didaccording to all that Estherhad commandedhim.
