Esther 4
Esther Promises to
Intercede for Her People |
1 |
When Mor'decai perceived all that was
done, Mor'decai 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;
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2 |
and came even before the king's gate: for
none might enter into the king's gate clothed with
sackcloth.
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3 |
And 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.
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4 |
So Esther's maids and her chamberlains
came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved;
and she sent raiment to clothe Mor'decai, and to take away his
sackcloth from him: but he received it not.
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5 |
Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon
her, and gave him a commandment to Mor'decai, to know what it was, and why it was.
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6 |
So Hatach went forth to Mor'decai unto
the street of the city, which was before the king's
gate.
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7 |
And Mor'decai 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.
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8 |
Also he gave him the copy of the writing
of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show 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.
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9 |
And Hatach came and told Esther the words
of Mor'decai.
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10 |
Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave
him commandment unto Mor'decai;
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11 |
All 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.
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12 |
And they told to Mor'decai Esther's
words.
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13 |
Then Mor'decai commanded to answer
Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's
house, more than all the Jews.
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14 |
For 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?
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15 |
Then Esther bade them return
Mor'decai this answer,
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16 |
Go, 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.
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17 |
So Mor'decai went his way, and did
according to all that Esther had commanded
him.
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