Esther, Chapter 4

1. When Mordecai perceived 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 came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.    3. And 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. So Esther's maids and her officers came and told it to her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he did not accept them.    5. Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's officers, whom he had appointed to wait upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.    6. So Hatach went out to Mordecai to the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.    7. And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and of the 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 at Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to instruct her that she should go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.    9. And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.    10. Again Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him commandment to Mordecai;    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 of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.    12. And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.    13. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not 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 shall release and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but you and your father's house shall be destroyed: and who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?    15. Then Esther told them to return to Mordecai this answer,    16. Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and let them fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto 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.