1 A nd 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,

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly.

2 a nd 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.

He went as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.

3 A nd 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.

In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

4 A nd 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.

Then Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen writhed in great anguish. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai that he might remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them.

5 A nd 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.

Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was.

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

So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king’s gate.

7 a nd 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,

Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.

8 a nd 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.

He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people.

9 A nd Hatach cometh in and declareth to Esther the words of Mordecai,

Hathach came back and related Mordecai’s words to Esther.

10 a nd Esther speaketh to Hatach, and chargeth him for Mordecai:

Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai:

11 ` 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.'

“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”

12 A nd they declare to Mordecai the words of Esther,

They related Esther’s words to Mordecai.

13 a nd 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,

Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews.

14 b ut 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?'

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther Plans to Intercede

15 A nd Esther speaketh to send back unto Mordecai:

Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,

16 ` 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.'

“Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

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

So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.