Esther 4

1But Mordecai, learning what had happened, tore his clothes and put on sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes on himself, and running through the square of the city he cried out with a loud voice, 'A people who have done no wrong are about to be destroyed!'

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2He went as far as the king's gate, and there he waited, for it was not allowed for him to enter the courtyard wearing sackcloth and covered in ashes.

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3And in every province where the king's command and decree arrived, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

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4The queen's maids and eunuchs came and told her, and she was deeply distressed upon hearing of this situation. Then she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and take his sackcloth away from him, but he would not accept them.

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5Then Esther called Hathach, her eunuch who attended to her, and sent him out to learn for herself the details from Mordecai.

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7Mordecai made known to him what had happened, and the offer Haman had made to the king to put ten thousand talents into the treasury to destroy the Jews.

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8He also gave him a copy of the decree posted in Susa concerning their destruction to show it to Esther. He told him to instruct her to go in to the king and make supplication before him, and to plead before him for the people, remembering, said he, 'the days of your low estate and how you were raised by my hand; because Haman, second to the king, spoke against us for our death. Call upon the Lord and speak to the king concerning us, and to deliver us from death!'

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9So Hathach came and told her all these words.

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10Then Esther said to Hathach, 'Go to Mordecai and say,

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11'All the nations of the kingdom know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king who has not been summoned, there is no deliverance for him unless the king holds out his golden scepter to save that person. And I have not been called to go in to the king for thirty days.' '

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12So Hathach related all Esther's words to Mordecai.

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13And Mordecai said to Hathach, 'Go and say to Esther, 'Do not say to yourself that you alone will be saved in the kingdom apart from all the other Jews.

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14For if you choose not to heed this request at this time, help and deliverance for the Jews will arise elsewhere, but you and your father's house will perish. Besides, who knows whether it is for this occasion you reign as queen?' '

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15Then Esther dispatched the one who came to her to Mordecai, saying,

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16'Go and assemble together the Jews in Susa. Fast for me; do not eat or drink for three full days and three full nights. I and my maids will also fast. Then I will go to the king, contrary to the law, even if I am to perish.'

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17So Mordecai went and did all that Esther commanded him.

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1817a He then beseeched the Lord, remembering all the works of the Lord, and said, 17b 'O Lord, Lord, almighty King, all things are under Your power, and there is no one to oppose You in Your desire to save Israel. 17c For You have made heaven and the earth, and every wondrous thing under heaven, and You are the Lord of all, and there is no one who shall resist You, Lord. 17d You know all things: You know, O Lord, that it is not out of disrespect or arrogance or love of honor that I did this, to refuse to bow down to the haughty Haman, for I would have been happy to kiss the soles of his feet for the salvation of Israel. 17e For I did this in order that I not place the glory of man above the glory of God. I will not bow down to anyone but You, my Lord, and I will not do these things out of arrogance.

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1917f 'And now, O Lord God, King, God of Abraham, save Your people, for they look upon us for our destruction, and they desire to destroy Your inheritance from the beginning. 17g Do not disregard Your portion which You redeemed for Yourself out of the land of Egypt.

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2017h Hear my prayer and be merciful to Your inheritance. Turn our mourning into feasting so we may live and hymn Your name, O Lord. Do not destroy the mouth of those who praise You.'

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2117i Then all Israel cried out with all their might, for their death was before their eyes.

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2217j And Queen Esther, seized with the agony of death, fled to the Lord for refuge. And removing her royal garments, she put on the garments of distress and mourning. Instead of the magnificent perfumes, she covered her head with ashes and dirt. She humbled her body exceedingly. She set aside everything of her worldly joy, and her hair was unkempt. She implored the Lord God of Israel, and said:

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2317k 'O My Lord, You alone are our King. Help me, who am alone and have no help but You! For my risk of danger is in my hand. 17l I have heard from my birth in the tribe of my family that You, O Lord, chose Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers out of all their ancestors, for an everlasting inheritance, and do for them whatever You have spoken. 17m Now we sinned before You, and You have delivered us into the hands of our enemies because we have worshiped their gods. O Lord, You are righteous. 17n But now they are not satisfied with the bitter state of our bondage, but they have pledged to their idols to abolish the decree You have spoken and to destroy Your inheritance, to close the mouths of those who praise You, and to extinguish the glory of Your temple and Your altar, 17o and to open the mouths of the heathen to proclaim the virtues of their false gods, and to extol a human king forever.

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2417p 'O Lord, do not give Your scepter over to those who are not. Do not let them laugh at our fall, but turn their counsel against themselves, and make an example of the one who rules against us. 17q Remember us, O Lord. Manifest Yourself in the time of our affliction, and encourage me, O King of gods and ruler over every power. 17r Grant to my mouth proper words in the presence of the lion, to turn his heart to a hatred of our enemy, so that he and those agreeing with him may perish. 17s Save us by Your hand, and help me who am alone and have no one but You, O Lord.

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2517t 'You know all things, and You know I hate the glory of the lawless and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised and of every foreigner. 17u You know my necessity, for I abhor the symbol of my proud station which is upon my head on the days when I appear in public, as if it were a menstrual rag, and I do not wear it on the days I am alone. 17v Your handmaid has not eaten at the table of Haman, nor have I honored the banquet of the king, nor drunk the wine of libations. 17w Neither has Your handmaid rejoiced since the day of her elevation, except in You, O Lord, God of Abraham. 17x O God, who have power over all, hear the voice of us in despair, and deliver us from the hand of those acting wickedly, and deliver me from my fear.'

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