WhenMordecaiperceived all that was done, Mordecairent his clothes, and put on sackclothwithashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and criedwith a loud and a bitter cry;
And in everyprovince, whithersoever the king’scommandment and his decreecame, there was greatmourningamong the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
So Esther’smaids and her chamberlainscame and told it her. Then was the queenexceedinglygrieved; and she sentraiment to clotheMordecai, and to takeaway his sackclothfrom him: but he received it not.
ThencalledEsther for Hatach, one of the king’schamberlains, whom he had appointed to attendupon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to knowwhat it was, and why it was.
And Mordecaitold him of all that had happenedunto him, and of the sum of the moneythatHaman had promised to pay to the king’streasuries for the Jews, to destroythem.
Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decreethat was given at Shushan to destroythem, to shew it untoEsther, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to makesupplicationunto him, and to makerequestbefore him for her people.
All the king’sservants, and the people of the king’sprovinces, do know, thatwhosoever, whether man or woman, shallcomeunto the kinginto the innercourt, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, exceptsuch to whom the kingshallhold out the goldensceptre, that he may live: but I have not beencalled to come in unto the kingthesethirtydays.
For if thoualtogetherholdest thy peace at thistime, thenshallthereenlargement and deliverancearise to the Jewsfromanotherplace; but thou and thy father’shouseshall be destroyed: and who knowethwhetherthou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
Go, gathertogether all the Jewsthat are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drinkthreedays, night or day: I also and my maidenswillfastlikewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.