Esther 4

Mordecai Appeals to Esther

4When Mordecai learned all that had occurred, ^che tore his clothes, ^dput on sackcloth and ashes, ^ewent into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly. ^f2He only went as far as the King’s Gate, ^gsince the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the King’s Gate. ³There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict ^hcame. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay on sackcloth and ashes. ⁱ

⁴Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear. ^jShe sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. ⁵Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to her, and dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what he was doing and why. ^k6So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the King’s Gate. ⁷Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews. ^l

⁸Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people. ^m9Hathach came and repeated Mordecai’s response to Esther.

¹⁰Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, ¹¹“All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard ⁿand who has not been summoned—the death penalty. ^oOnly if the king extends the gold scepter will that person live. ^pI have not been summoned to appear before the king ^qfor the last ^r30 days.” ¹²Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai.

¹³Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. ¹⁴If you keep silent at this time, liberation and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, ^sbut you and your father’s house will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.” ^t

¹⁵Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days, ^uday or night. I and my female servants will also fast ^vin the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law. ^wIf I perish, I perish.” ^x17So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had ordered him.