 1 Mordecai understood all that was done and he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes and went into the middle of the city and cried out with a loud and bitter cry. 2 He even came before the king's gate for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. 3 In every province, wherever the king's command 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 Esther's servant women and her eunuchs came and told her. And the queen was exceedingly grieved, and she sent clothing to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him. But he did not receive it. 5 Esther called for Hatach, one of the king's eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend on her, and gave him a command to Mordecai to know what it was and why it was. 6 Hatach went forth to Mordecai, to the street of the city in front of the king's gate. 7 Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and of the sum of the silver that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews in order to destroy them. 8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan in order to destroy them, to show it to Esther and to declare it to her, and to command her that she should go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to seek help for her people. 9 Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. 10 Again Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him command to Mordecai. 11 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, who is not called, there is one law of his, and that is execution, except if the king holds out the golden scepter so that they may live. But I have not been called to come in to the king these 30 days. 12 They told Mordecai Esther's words. 13 Mordecai commanded them to answer Esther, Do not think within yourself that you will escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. 14 For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will be destroyed. And who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for a time like this? 15 Esther said to return to Mordecai this answer, 16 Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat nor drink three days, night or day. My maid servants and I will also fast in the same way. And so I will go in to the king, that is not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish. 17 Mordecai passed over and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
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