Esther 4
Evangelical Heritage Version
4 When Mordecai became aware of everything that had happened, he ripped his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, went out into the middle of the city, and let out a loud, bitter cry. 2 He went right up to the king’s gate, even though no one clothed with sackcloth was allowed to enter it.
3 In every single province that was reached by the proclamation of the king and where his decree was posted, there was great mourning, fasting, weeping, and lamenting among the Jews. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4 When Esther’s female attendants and her eunuchs came and told her what had happened, the queen agonized over it. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he could take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. 5 Esther summoned Hathak, who had been assigned from among the king’s eunuchs to attend to her. She ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what was happening and why.
6 Hathak went out to Mordecai in the public square in front of the king’s gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened and the exact amount of silver that Haman had said he would put into the treasuries of the king to destroy the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave Hathak a copy of the written decree which had been issued in Susa to destroy the Jews, so that he could show it to Esther. Hathak was to place the responsibility upon her to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
9 So Hathak went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
10 Esther spoke to Hathak and gave him directions to pass on to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that it is the law that any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned will be put to death, unless the king holds out the golden scepter to him. Then he will live. But I have not been called to go to the king for thirty days.”
12 They told Mordecai what Esther had said.
13 Mordecai responded, “Take this message to Esther: Do not imagine that of all the Jews, you alone will escape because you are part of the king’s household. 14 If at this time you keep totally silent, relief and deliverance for the Jews will spring up from somewhere, but you and the house of your father will perish. Who knows whether you have become queen for a time like this!”
15 Esther responded to Mordecai, 16 “Go. Gather all the Jews who are found in Susa. Fast on my behalf. Do not eat and drink for three days and nights. I and my young women also will fast in the same way. After that I will go to the king, contrary to the law. And then, if I perish, I perish!”
17 Mordecai went away and did everything Esther had ordered him to do.
Esther 4
Orthodox Jewish Bible
4 When Mordechai perceived all that was done, Mordechai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a zeakah gedolah umarah (loud and a bitter wailing);
2 And came even before the Sha’ar HaMelech; for none might enter into the Sha’ar HaMelech clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province, whithersoever the Devar HaMelech and his dat (decree) came, there was evel gadol (great mourning) among the Yehudim, and a tzom, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.
4 So Ester’s na’arot and her sarisim came and told it her. Then was HaMalkah exceedingly distressed; and she sent begadim (raiment) to clothe Mordechai, and to take away his sackcloth from him, but he received it not [see Am 6:6].
5 Then called Ester for Hatach, one of the sarisim of HaMelech, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment about Mordechai, to have da’as of mah zeh (what is this?), and al mah zeh (why is this?)
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordechai unto the rechov haIr (open square of the city), which was before the Sha’ar HaMelech.
7 And Mordechai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the parashat hakesef (exact amount of the money) that Haman had promised to pay to the genazim of HaMelech for the Yehudim, to destroy them.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the edict of the dat (decree, Final Solution) that was published at Shushan to make them shmad, to show it unto Ester, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto HaMelech, to make supplication unto him, and to make bakash (request, pleading) before him for her Am (People, the Jewish People).
9 And Hatach came and told Ester the divrei Mordechai.
10 Again Ester spoke unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordechai:
11 All the avadim of HaMelech, and the people of the provinces of HaMelech have da’as that whosoever, whether ish or isha, shall come unto HaMelech into the pnimiyus khatzer (innermost courtyard), who is not called, there is echat dat (one law) of his to put him to death, except such to whom HaMelech shall hold out the sharvit hazahav (golden sceptre), that he may live. But I have not been called to come in unto HaMelech these shloshim yom.
12 And they told to Mordechai Ester’s words.
13 Then Mordechai commanded to answer Ester, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the Beis HaMelech, more than kol HaYehudim.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there revach (relief) and hatzalah (deliverance) arise to the Yehudim from another place; but thou and thy bais Avicha (house of thy father) shall be destroyed; and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Malkhut for such a time as this [1C 9:16; Ro 1:16] ?
15 Then Ester bade them return Mordechai this answer,
16 Go, gather together kol HaYehudim that are found in Shushan, and declare ye a tzom for me, and neither eat nor drink shloshet yamim, lailah vayom. I also and my na’arot will undergo a tzom likewise; and so will I go in unto HaMelech, though it is not according to the dat; and if I perish, I perish.
17 So Mordechai went his way, and did according to all that Ester had commanded him.
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