41 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 He went as far as the king's gate , for no one was to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth . 3 In each and every province where e 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 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 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 So Hathach went out to Mordecai to the city square in front of the king's gate . 7 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 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 Hathach came back and related Mordecai's words to Esther . 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai : 11 "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 e e 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 They related Esther's words to Mordecai . 13 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 "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 ?" 15 Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai , 16 "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 So Mordecai went away and did just e as Esther had commanded him.
41 When Mordecai learned about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying with a loud and bitter wail. 2 He went as far as the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes of mourning. 3 And as news of the king's decree reached all the provinces, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and wailed, and many people lay in burlap and ashes. 4 When Queen Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, she was deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to replace the burlap, but he refused it.
5 Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who had been appointed as her attendant. She ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was troubling him and why he was in mourning. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the square in front of the palace gate. 7 Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for her people. 9 So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai's message. 10 Then Esther told Hathach to go back and relay this message to Mordecai: 11 "All the king's officials and even the people in the provinces know that anyone who appears before the king in his inner court without being invited is doomed to die unless the king holds out his gold scepter. And the king has not called for me to come to him for thirty days." 12 So Hathach gave Esther's message to Mordecai. 13 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. 14 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?" 15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: 16 "Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will do the same. And then, though it is against the law, I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must die." 17 So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
41 When Mordecai learned what had been done, he ripped his clothes to shreds and put on sackcloth and ashes. Then he went out in the streets of the city crying out in loud and bitter cries. 2 He came only as far as the King's Gate, for no one dressed in sackcloth was allowed to enter the King's Gate. 3 As the king's order was posted in every province, there was loud lament among the Jews - fasting, weeping, wailing. And most of them stretched out on sackcloth and ashes. 4 Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her. The queen was stunned. She sent fresh clothes to Mordecai so he could take off his sackcloth but he wouldn't accept them.
5 Esther called for Hathach, one of the royal eunuchs whom the king had assigned to wait on her, and told him to go to Mordecai and get the full story of what was happening. 6 So Hathach went to Mordecai in the town square in front of the King's Gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He also told him the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to deposit in the royal bank to finance the massacre of the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the bulletin that had been posted in Susa ordering the massacre so he could show it to Esther when he reported back with instructions to go to the king and intercede and plead with him for her people. 9 Hathach came back and told Esther everything Mordecai had said. 10 Esther talked it over with Hathach and then sent him back to Mordecai with this message: 11 "Everyone who works for the king here, and even the people out in the provinces, knows that there is a single fate for every man or woman who approaches the king without being invited: death. The one exception is if the king extends his gold scepter; then he or she may live. And it's been thirty days now since I've been invited to come to the king." 12 When Hathach told Mordecai what Esther had said, 13 Mordecai sent her this message: "Don't think that just because you live in the king's house you're the one Jew who will get out of this alive. 14 If you persist in staying silent at a time like this, help and deliverance will arrive for the Jews from someplace else; but you and your family will be wiped out. Who knows? Maybe you were made queen for just such a time as this." 15 Esther sent back her answer to Mordecai: 16 "Go and get all the Jews living in Susa together. Fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, either day or night. I and my maids will fast with you. If you will do this, I'll go to the king, even though it's forbidden. If I die, I die." 17 Mordecai left and carried out Esther's instructions.
