1And Murdacai knew everything that was done, and Murdacai ripped his clothes and he put on sackcloth, and he sprinkled himself with ashes, and he went out and cried out within the city with a great and bitter wailing. 2And he came unto the gate of the King, and there was no law that a man may wear sackcloth and may come to the door of the King. 3And in every province, whenever the message of the King arrived, there was great grieving with the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and lamentations, and sackcloth, and ashes; it humbled a multitude.

4And the Eunuchs of Esthir came to her and they told her, and the Queen trembled greatly and she sent garments to clothe Murdacai and to take off the sackcloth from him, and he did not accept. 5And Esthir called for Hathan, the Eunuch of the Eunuchs of the King who stood before her, and she commanded him to the presence of Murdacai that she would know what this was and why. 6And Hathan went out to the presence of Murdacai in the street of the city before the gate of the King 7And Murdacai related to him everything that had occurred to him and the amount of money that Haman said to weigh out to bring to the treasure house concerning the Jews that they would be destroyed. 8And the copy that was put in Shushan the Palace he gave him to show Esthir and to order her, ”You shall enter to the presence of the King and you shall beg of him and you shall make earnest supplication to him for the people!”

9And Hathan entered and told Esthir the words of Murdacai. 10And Esthir spoke to Hathan and she ordered him to join Murdacai, saying. 11“All the Servants of the King know that every man or woman who enters before the King to the inner courtyard who is not commanded, this one who is coming comes to be killed, apart from the King reaching to him the scepter of gold and he lives, and I have not been called to enter before the King now for three days.” 12And he showed Murdacai the words of Esthir.

13And Murdacai said: “Say to Esthir, do not think in your soul that when in the house of the King you will escape, you of all the Jews! 14If you are silent at this time, the Jews will have relief and salvation from another place, and you and the house of your father are destroyed, and who knows if you have been called and have been brought to the kingdom for this time?”

15And Esthir said: “Say to Murdacai: 16“Go gather all the Jews who are in Shushan the Palace and fast for me and you will not eat neither will you drink three days, night or day, also I and my Maidens will fast in this way; then I will enter before the King, which is not according to my law, and if I am destroyed, I am destroyed.” 17And Murdacai went and did everything which Esthir sent to him.