^4:12When Esther’s reply¹⁴ was conveyed to Mordecai, ^4:13he¹⁵ said to take back this answer to Esther: ^4:14“Don’t imagine that because you are part of the king’s household you will be the one Jew¹⁶ who will escape. If you keep quiet at this time, liberation and protection for the Jews will appear¹⁷ from another source,¹⁸ while you and your father’s household perish. It may very well be¹⁹ that you have achieved royal status²⁰ for such a time as this!”

Read in Logos

Esther 4:14: “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but 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?”

Footnotes

14 Heb “the words of Esther”; , “Esther’s message.”
15 Heb “Mordecai.” The pronoun (“he”) was used in the translation for stylistic reasons. A repetition of the proper name here is redundant in terms of contemporary English style.
16 Heb “from all the Jews”; “more than all the Jews”; “you alone of all the Jews.”
17 Heb “stand”; , , , “arise.”
18 Heb “place” (so , , ); “from another quarter.” This is probably an oblique reference to help coming from God. D. J. A. Clines disagrees; in his view a contrast between deliverance by Esther and deliverance by God is inappropriate (Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther [], 302). But Clines’ suggestion that perhaps the reference is to deliverance by Jewish officials or by armed Jewish revolt is less attractive than seeing this veiled reference as part of the literary strategy of the book, which deliberately keeps God’s providential dealings entirely in the background.
19 Heb “And who knows whether” (so ). The question is one of hope, but free of presumption. Cf. Jonah 3:9.
20 Heb “have come to the kingdom”; “to royal dignity”; “to royal position”; “have been elevated to the palace.”

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but 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?”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, 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. 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 your royal position for such a time as this?”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai.

Mordecai 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. If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place, but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”

NLTNew Living Translation

So Hathach gave Esther’s message to Mordecai.

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed. If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And they told Mordecai the words of Esther. Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther: “Do not think that your life will be saved in the palace of the king more than all the Jews. For if indeed you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and the family of your father will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to a royal position for a time such as this.”

KJV 1900King James Version

And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words. Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

Public Domain