1 N ow when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent 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;

And Mordecai hath known all that hath been done, and Mordecai rendeth his garments, and putteth on sackcloth and ashes, and goeth forth into the midst of the city and crieth -- a cry loud and bitter,

2 a nd he came even before the king's gate: for none might enter within the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

and he cometh in unto the front of the gate of the king, but none is to come in unto the gate of the king with a sackcloth-garment.

3 A nd in every province, whithersoever 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.

And in every province and province, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, a great mourning have the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and lamenting: sackcloth and ashes are spread for many.

4 A nd Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him; but he received it not.

And young women of Esther come in and her eunuchs, and declare to her, and the queen is exceedingly pained, and sendeth garments to clothe Mordecai, and to turn aside his sackcloth from off him, and he hath not received.

5 T hen called Esther for Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was.

And Esther calleth to Hatach, of the eunuchs of the king, whom he hath stationed before her, and giveth him a charge for Mordecai, to know what this, and wherefore this.

6 S o Hathach went forth to Mordecai unto the broad place of the city, which was before the king's gate.

And Hatach goeth out unto Mordecai, unto a broad place of the city, that before the gate of the king,

7 A nd Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

and Mordecai declareth to him all that hath met him, and the explanation of the money that Haman said to weigh to the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them,

8 A lso he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him, for her people.

and the copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Shushan to destroy them he hath given to him, to shew Esther, and to declare to her, and to lay a charge on her to go in unto the king, to make supplication to him, and to seek from before him, for her people.

9 A nd Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

And Hatach cometh in and declareth to Esther the words of Mordecai,

10 T hen Esther spake unto Hathach, and gave him a message unto Mordecai saying:

and Esther speaketh to Hatach, and chargeth him for Mordecai:

11 A ll the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

`All servants of the king, and people of the provinces of the king, do know that any man and woman, who cometh in unto the king, unto the inner court, who is not called -- one law his to put to death, apart from him to whom the king holdeth out the golden sceptre, then he hath lived; and I -- I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.'

12 A nd they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

And they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,

13 T hen Mordecai bade them return answer unto Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

and Mordecai speaketh to send back unto Esther: `Do not think in thy soul to be delivered the house of the king, more than all the Jews,

14 F or if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then will relief and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish: and who knoweth whether thou art not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

but if thou keep entirely silent at this time, respite and deliverance remaineth to the Jews from another place, and thou and the house of thy fathers are destroyed; and who knoweth whether for a time like this thou hast come to the kingdom?'

15 T hen Esther bade them return answer unto Mordecai,

And Esther speaketh to send back unto Mordecai:

16 G o, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

`Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, by night and by day; also I and my young women do fast likewise, and so I go in unto the king, that not according to law, and when I have perished -- I have perished.'

17 S o Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

And Mordecai passeth on, and doth according to all that Esther hath charged upon him.