1And Mordeḵai learned of all that had been done, and Mordeḵai tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

2And he went up to the front of the sovereign’s gate, for no one might enter the sovereign’s gate wearing sackcloth.

3And in every province where the sovereign’s command and decree came, there was great mourning among the Yehuḏim, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing. And many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4And Estĕr’s young women and eunuchs came and told her, and the sovereigness was deeply pained, and sent garments to Mordeḵai to wear, and to take away his sackcloth from him, but he refused.

5And Estĕr called Hathaḵ, one of the sovereign’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordeḵai, to learn what and why this was.

6And Hathaḵ went out to Mordeḵai, to an open space of the city, in front of the sovereign’s gate.

7And Mordeḵai told him all that befell him, and all about the silver that Haman promised to pay into the sovereign’s treasuries to destroy the Yehuḏim.

8And he gave him a copy of the written decree to destroy them, which was given at Shushan, to show it to Estĕr and explain it to her, and to command her to go in to the sovereign to make supplication to him, and plead before him for her people.

9And Hathaḵ came and told Estĕr the words of Mordeḵai.

10And Estĕr spoke to Hathaḵ, and gave him a command for Mordeḵai,

11“All the sovereign’s servants and the people of the sovereign’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the sovereign, who has not been called, he has but one law: to be put to death, except the one to whom the sovereign holds out the golden sceptre, who then shall live. But I have not been called to come in to the sovereign these thirty days.”

12And they declared to Mordeḵai the words of Estĕr.

13And Mordeḵai commanded them to answer Estĕr, “Do not think within yourself to escape in the sovereign’s palace any more than all the other Yehuḏim.

14“For if you keep entirely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Yehuḏim from another place, while you and your father’s house perish. And who knows whether you have come to the reign for such a time as this?”

15And Estĕr commanded to reply to Mordeḵai,

16“Go, gather all the Yehuḏim who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I too, and my young women shall fast in the same way, then I shall go to the sovereign, which is against the law. And if I shall perish, I shall perish!”

17Mordeḵai then went away and did according to all that Estĕr commanded him.