Esther 4

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;

1Mordecai found out everything that had happened. He tore his clothes in sorrow. He put on rough sackcloth and ashes. Then he walked into the middle of the city, crying out loudly and bitterly.

NoteSackcloth was rough, scratchy cloth. People wore it, and put ashes on themselves, to show they were deeply sad.

2And came even before the king’s gate: for none might enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

2He came as far as the king's gate. He could go no farther. No one wearing sackcloth was allowed to go in through that gate.

3And 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.

3The king's order went out to every province, or region. Everywhere it came, the Jews were very sad. They fasted, which means they went without food. They cried and wailed. Many of them lay down in sackcloth and ashes.

4So 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.

4Esther's maids and palace servants came and told her about Mordecai. The queen was filled with sorrow. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of the sackcloth. But he would not take them.

5Then 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.

5Then Esther called for Hatach. He was one of the palace servants the king had picked to help her. She told him to go to Mordecai. He was to ask what was wrong and why.

6So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king’s gate.

6So Hatach went out to Mordecai. He found him in the open square of the city, right in front of the king's gate.

7And 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.

7Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He even told the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasury to have the Jews destroyed.

8Also 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.

8Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written order made in Shushan to destroy the Jews. Hatach was to show it to Esther and explain it. He was to urge her to go to the king. She should beg him and plead for her people.

9And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

9Hatach went back to Esther. He told her everything Mordecai had said.

10Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

10Then Esther spoke to Hatach again. She gave him a message to carry back to Mordecai.

11All 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.

11She said, "All the king's servants and all the people in his lands know one rule. Any man or woman who goes into the king's inner court without being called must be put to death. The only way to live is if the king holds out his gold staff to that person. And the king has not called for me for thirty days now."

NoteThe king's gold staff, or scepter, was a long rod he held. Holding it out toward someone meant that person was welcome.

12And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.

12So they told Mordecai what Esther had said.

13Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.

13Mordecai sent this answer back to Esther: "Do not think you will be safe just because you live in the king's palace. You will not escape when the other Jews do not.

14For 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?

14If you stay quiet at a time like this, help and rescue for the Jews will come from somewhere else. But you and your family will die. And who knows? Maybe you became queen for a moment just like this one."

Note"Your father's house" in the old wording means your family.

15Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

15Then Esther sent this answer back to Mordecai:

16Go, 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.

16"Go and gather all the Jews who are here in Shushan. Fast for me. Do not eat or drink anything for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though it breaks the law. If I die, then I die."

17So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

17So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had told him to do.