The Book of Esther

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- Chapter 4 -

Esther agrees to help the Jews

When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went out into the middle of the city, and cried out with a loud and a bitter cry.

He went up only as far as the king’s gate, because no one was allowed to go through it clothed in sackcloth.

In every province, wherever the king’s command and decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and lamenting. Many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

When Esther’s young women and her servants came and told her, the queen was in great distress. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so he could take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s officials who had been assigned to serve her. She ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what had happened and what it meant.

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

Mordecai reported to him all that had happened to him, and the total amount of the silver that Haman had promised to weigh out and put into the king’s treasuries in order to put the Jews to death.

He also gave him a copy of the decree that was issued in Susa for the Jews’ destruction. He did this so that Hathach could show it to Esther, and that he should give her the responsibility of going to the king to beg for his favor, and to plead with him on behalf of her people.

So Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.

Then Esther spoke to Hathach and told him to go back to Mordecai.

She said, “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner courtyard without being summoned, there is only one law: That he must be put to death-except for anyone to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. I have not been called to come to the king these thirty days.”

So Hathach reported Esther’s words to Mordecai.

Mordecai sent back this message: “You must not think that in the king’s palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews.

If you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will rise up for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows whether you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?”

Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai,

“Go, gather together all the Jews who live in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My young girls and I will fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish.”

Mordecai went and did all that Esther told him to do.

Esther agrees to help the Jews

Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.

He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

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.

Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.

So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.

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

He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:

“ All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”

They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.

Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.

For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,

“ Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”

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