Bible, King James Version
Esther
Esth.4
[1] When Mordecai perceived 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;
[2] And came even before the king's gate: for none might
enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
[3] And 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.
[4] So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told
it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent
raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from
him: but he received it not.
[5] Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's
chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave
him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it
was.
[6] So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of
the city, which was before the king's gate.
[7] And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto
him, and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay
to the king's treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.
[8] Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree
that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew 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.
[9] And Hatach came and told Esther the words of
Mordecai.
[10] Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him
commandment unto Mordecai;
[11] All 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 of his to put him to death, except such 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.
[12] And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
[13] Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not
with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more
than all the Jews.
[14] For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this
time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the
Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be
destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom
for such a time as this?
[15] Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this
answer,
[16] Go, 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 likewise; and
so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law:
and if I perish, I perish.
[17] So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all
that Esther had commanded him.
|