The Book of Esther, Chapter 4אסתר 4

וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗י יָדַע֙ אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַעֲשָׂ֔ה וַיִּקְרַ֤ע מָרְדֳּכַי֙ אֶת בְּגָדָ֔יו וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ שַׂ֖ק וָאֵ֑פֶר וַיֵּצֵא֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר וַיִּזְעַ֛ק זְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה וּמָרָֽה

When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai 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;

וַיָּב֕וֹא עַ֖ד לִפְנֵ֣י שַֽׁעַר הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ כִּ֣י אֵ֥ין לָב֛וֹא אֶל שַׁ֥עַר הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בִּלְב֥וּשׁ שָֽׂק

And came even before the king's gate: for none enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

וּבְכָל מְדִינָ֣ה וּמְדִינָ֗ה מְקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֨ר דְּבַר הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ וְדָתוֹ֙ מַגִּ֔יעַ אֵ֤בֶל גָּדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְצ֥וֹם וּבְכִ֖י וּמִסְפֵּ֑ד שַׂ֣ק וָאֵ֔פֶר יֻצַּ֖ע לָֽרַבִּֽים

And in every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

וַ֠תָּבוֹאינָה נַעֲר֨וֹת אֶסְתֵּ֤ר וְסָרִיסֶ֨יהָ֙ וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לָ֔הּ וַתִּתְחַלְחַ֥ל הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה מְאֹ֑ד וַתִּשְׁלַ֨ח בְּגָדִ֜ים לְהַלְבִּ֣ישׁ אֶֽת מָרְדֳּכַ֗י וּלְהָסִ֥יר שַׂקּ֛וֹ מֵעָלָ֖יו וְלֹ֥א קִבֵּֽל

So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him: but he received not.

וַתִּקְרָא֩ אֶסְתֵּ֨ר לַהֲתָ֜ךְ מִסָּרִיסֵ֤י הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶעֱמִ֣יד לְפָנֶ֔יהָ וַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּ עַֽל מָרְדֳּכָ֑י לָדַ֥עַת מַה זֶּ֖ה וְעַל מַה זֶּֽה

Then called Esther for Hatach, of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it , and why it .

וַיֵּצֵ֥א הֲתָ֖ךְ אֶֽל מָרְדֳּכָ֑י אֶל רְח֣וֹב הָעִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֖ר לִפְנֵ֥י שַֽׁעַר הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

So Hatach went forth to Mordecai to the street of the city, which before the king's gate.

וַיַּגֶּד ל֣וֹ מָרְדֳּכַ֔י אֵ֖ת כָּל אֲשֶׁ֣ר קָרָ֑הוּ וְאֵ֣ת פָּרָשַׁ֣ת הַכֶּ֗סֶף אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר הָמָן֙ לִ֠שְׁקוֹל עַל גִּנְזֵ֥י הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ ביהודיים בַּיְּהוּדִ֖ים לְאַבְּדָֽם

And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to 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.

וְאֶת פַּתְשֶׁ֣גֶן כְּתָֽב הַ֠דָּת אֲשֶׁר נִתַּ֨ן בְּשׁוּשָׁ֤ן לְהַשְׁמִידָם֙ נָ֣תַן ל֔וֹ לְהַרְא֥וֹת אֶת אֶסְתֵּ֖ר וּלְהַגִּ֣יד לָ֑הּ וּלְצַוּ֣וֹת עָלֶ֗יהָ לָב֨וֹא אֶל הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ לְהִֽתְחַנֶּן ל֛וֹ וּלְבַקֵּ֥שׁ מִלְּפָנָ֖יו עַל עַמָּֽהּ

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew to Esther, and to declare to her, and to charge her that she should go in to the king, to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.

וַיָּב֖וֹא הֲתָ֑ךְ וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לְאֶסְתֵּ֔ר אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י מָרְדֳּכָֽי

And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

וַתֹּ֤אמֶר אֶסְתֵּר֙ לַהֲתָ֔ךְ וַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּ אֶֽל מָרְדֳּכָֽי

Again Esther spake to Hatach, and gave him commandment to Mordecai;

כָּל עַבְדֵ֣י הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ וְעַם מְדִינ֨וֹת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ יֽוֹדְעִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כָּל אִ֣ישׁ וְאִשָּׁ֡ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר יָבֽוֹא אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ֩ אֶל הֶחָצֵ֨ר הַפְּנִימִ֜ית אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא יִקָּרֵ֗א אַחַ֤ת דָּתוֹ֙ לְהָמִ֔ית לְ֠בַד מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר יֽוֹשִׁיט ל֥וֹ הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ אֶת שַׁרְבִ֥יט הַזָּהָ֖ב וְחָיָ֑ה וַאֲנִ֗י לֹ֤א נִקְרֵ֨אתי֙ לָב֣וֹא אֶל הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ זֶ֖ה שְׁלוֹשִׁ֥ים יֽוֹם

All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, one law of his to put 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 to the king these thirty days.

וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ לְמָרְדֳּכָ֔י אֵ֖ת דִּבְרֵ֥י אֶסְתֵּֽר

And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר מָרְדֳּכַ֖י לְהָשִׁ֣יב אֶל אֶסְתֵּ֑ר אַל תְּדַמִּ֣י בְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ לְהִמָּלֵ֥ט בֵּית הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ מִכָּל הַיְּהוּדִֽים

Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that you shall escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews.

כִּ֣י אִם הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת

For if you altogether holdest your peace at this time, shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but you and your father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether you are come to the kingdom for a time as this?

וַתֹּ֥אמֶר אֶסְתֵּ֖ר לְהָשִׁ֥יב אֶֽל מָרְדֳּכָֽי

Then Esther bade return Mordecai ,

לֵךְ֩ כְּנ֨וֹס אֶת כָּל הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן וְצ֣וּמוּ עָ֠לַי וְאַל תֹּאכְל֨וּ וְאַל תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ לַ֣יְלָה וָי֔וֹם גַּם אֲנִ֥י וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י אָצ֣וּם כֵּ֑ן וּבְכֵ֞ן אָב֤וֹא אֶל הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא כַדָּ֔ת וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר אָבַ֖דְתִּי אָבָֽדְתִּי

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast you 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 to the king, which not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.

וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר מָרְדֳּכָ֑י וַיַּ֕עַשׂ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר צִוְּתָ֥ה עָלָ֖יו אֶסְתֵּֽר

So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.