1. And Mordecai understood all that was done, and Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry.
2. And he came until he was before the king's gate; for there was no entering into the king's gate in clothing of sackcloth.
3. And in every province, wherever the king's word and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping and wailing. Sackcloth and ash were spread on many.
4. And Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and told her. And the queen was exceedingly convulsed in pain. And she sent clothing to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him. But he did not accept.
5. And Esther called for Hathach, of the king's eunuchs, who was made to stand before her. And she charged him as to Mordecai, to know what this was and why this was.
6. And Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city street in front of the king's gate.
7. And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and of the sum of the silver which Haman had said to weigh into the king's treasuries for the Jews in order to destroy them.
8. Also he gave him a copy of the writing of the law which was given at Shushan in order to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to reveal to her, and to command her that she should go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to seek from him help for her people.
9. And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10. Again Esther spoke to Hathach, and ordered him to go to Mordecai,
11. for all the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his, to die; except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter so that he may live. But I have not been called to come into the king these thirty days.
12. And they told Mordecai Esther's words.
13. And Mordecai said to take back to Esther, Do not imagine within yourself to deliver yourself in the king's house more than all the Jews.
14. For if you are completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall rise up to the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house shall perish. And who knows if you have attained to the kingdom for such a time as this?
15. And Esther said to take back to Mordecai,
16. Go, gather all the Jews being found in Shushan, and fast for me. And do not eat or drink three days, night or day. My maidens and I will also fast in this way. And so I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law. And if I have perished, I have perished.
17. And Mordecai passed over and did according all that Esther had commanded him.