Mordecai Appeals to Esther

1Whan Mardocheus perceaued all that was done, he rete his clothes, and put on a sack cloth, & asshes, & wente out in to the myddes of the cite, and cried loude and lamentably, 2and came before the kynges gate: for there might no man entre within the kynges gate, that had a sack cloth on. 3And in all lodes & places, as farre as the kynges worde and commaundement extended, there was greate lamentacion amonge the Iewes, and many fasted, wepte, mourned, & laye in sack clothes & in asshes.

4So Hesters dasels, and hir chamberlaines, came and tolde it her. Then was the quene exceadingly astonnyed. And she sent rayment, that Mardocheus shulde put them on, and laye the sacklothe from him. But Mardocheus wolde not take them. 5The called Hester Hathac one of the kinges chamberlaines (which stode before her) and gaue him a comaundement vnto Mardocheus, that he might knowe what it were, and wherfore he dyd so. 6So Hathac wente forth to Mardocheus vnto the strete of the cite, which was before the kynges gate. 7And Mardocheus tolde him of all yt had happened vnto him, and of the summe of siluer that Ama had promysed to weie downe in the kynges chamber because of ye Iewes for to destroye them, 8and he gaue him the copye of the commaundement, that was deuysed at Susan to destroye them, that he mighte shewe it vnto Hester, and to speake to her and charge her, yt she shulde go into the kynge, and make her prayer and supplicacion vnto him for hir people.

9And wha Hathat came in, and tolde Hester the wordes of Mardocheus, 10Hester spake vnto Hathat, and comaunded him to saye vnto Mardocheus: 11All the kynges seruauntes, and the people in the londes of the kynge knowe, that who so euer commeth within the courte vnto ye kynge, whether it be man or woman, which is not called, the comaundement is that the same shal dye immediatly, excepte the kynge holde out the golde cepter vnto him, that he maye lyue. As for me, I haue not bene called to come in to the kynge now this thirtie dayes. 12And wha Mardocheus was certified of Hesters wordes,

13Mardocheus bad saie againe vnto Hester: Thynke not to saue thine awne life, whyle thou art in ye kynges house before all Iewes: 14for yf thou holdest thy peace at this tyme, then shal the Iewes haue helpe and delyueraunce out of another place, & thou & thy fathers house shalbe destroyed. And who knoweth whether thou art come to the kyngdome, for this tymes sake?

15Hester bad geue Mardocheus this answere: 16Go thou yi waye then, & gather together all ye Iewes yt are founde at Susan, & fast ye for me, yt ye eate not & drynke not in thre dayes, nether daye ner nighte. I & my damsels wil fast likewyse, & so wyl I go into the kynge cotrary to the comaundement: yf I perishe, I perishe. 17So Mardocheus wente his waye, & dyd all yt Hester had comaunded him.