1When Mordekhai [little man] perceived all that was done, Mordekhai [little man] 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; 2And came even before the king's gate: for none [might] enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. 3And in every province, to wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, [there was] great mourning among the Y’hudim (Judeans), and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4So Ester [star]'s maids and her chamberlains came and told [it] her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent clothing to clothe Mordekhai [little man], and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received [it] not. 5Then called Ester [star] for Hatakh [truly], [one] of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordekhai [little man], to know what it [was], and why it [was]. 6So Hatakh [truly] went forth to Mordekhai [little man] unto the street of the city, which [was] before the king's gate. 7And Mordekhai [little man] told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of the money that Haman [magnificent] had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Y’hudim (Judeans), to destroy them. 8Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan [lily] to destroy them, to show [it] unto Ester [star], 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.

9And Hatakh [truly] came and told Ester [star] the words of Mordekhai [little man]. 10Again Ester [star] spoke unto Hatakh [truly], and gave him commandment unto Mordekhai [little man]; 11All 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 scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days. 12And they told to Mordekhai [little man] Ester [star]'s words.

13Then Mordekhai [little man] commanded to answer Ester [star], Think not with yourself that youⁱ shall escape in the king's house, more than all the Y’hudim (Judeans). 14For if youⁱ altogether hold youⁱ peace at this time, [then] shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Y’hudim (Judeans) from another place; but youⁱ and youⁱ father's house shall be destroyed: and who knows whether youⁱ are come to the kingdom for [such] a time as this?

15Then Ester [star] bade [them] return Mordekhai [little man] [this answer], 16Go, gather together all the Y’hudim (Judeans) that are present in Shushan [lily], and fast you^2f 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. 17So Mordekhai [little man] went his way, and did according to all that Ester [star] had commanded him.