1Mordecai learned all that had been done, and Mordecai tore his garments, put on sackcloth and ashes, went out into the middle of the city, and cried out with a loud and bitter outcry.2He came as far as before the gate of the king, because no one was permitted to come into the gate of the king in clothing of sackcloth.3In every province and province, the place where the word of the king and his law reached, there was great mourning for the Jews, and fasting and weeping and lamentation were laid upon many, with sackcloth and ashes.4Esther's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her, and the queen was greatly distressed, and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and to remove his sackcloth from him, but he would not accept.5Esther called to Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who stood before her, and commanded him concerning Mordecai to know what this was and why this was.6Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the street of the city which was before the gate of the king.7Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him and the declaration of the silver that Haman had said to weigh upon the treasuries of the king for the Jews, to destroy them.8He also gave him a copy of the writing of the law that had been given in Susa to destroy them, to show Esther and to tell her, and to command her to come to the king to plead before him for her people.9Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.10Esther instructed Hathach to reply to Mordecai.11All the servants of the king and the people of the provinces of the king know that any man or woman who comes to the king into the inner court without being called is put to death by one law, except the one to whom the king extends the scepter of gold, and that one lives; but I have not been called to come to the king these thirty days.12They told Mordecai the words of Esther.13Mordecai said to reply to Esther: Do not think in yourself to escape in the house of the king from all the Jews.14For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and the house of your father will perish; and who knows whether you have come to royalty for such a time as this?15Esther sent this reply to Mordecai.16Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat and do not drink three days, night and day; I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and thus I will go to the king, which is not according to the law, and if I perish, I perish.17Mordecai went and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.