4
Mordecai found out about everything that had been done. So he tore his clothes. He put on the rough clothing people wear when they're sad. He sat down in ashes. Then he went out into the city. He wept out loud. He cried bitter tears. 2 But he only went as far as the palace gate. That's because no one dressed in that rough clothing was allowed to go through it. 3 All the Jews were very sad. They didn't eat anything. They wept and cried. Many of them put on the rough clothing people wear when they're sad. They were lying down in ashes. They did all these things in every territory where the king's order and law had been sent. 4 Esther's male and female attendants came to her. They told her about Mordecai. So she became very troubled. She wanted him to take off his rough clothing. So she sent him other clothes to wear. But he wouldn't accept them. 5 Then Esther sent for Hathak. He was one of the king's officials. He had been appointed to take care of her. She ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai. She wanted to know why he was so upset.
6 So Hathak went out to see Mordecai. He was in the open area in front of the palace gate. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him. He told him about the exact amount of money Haman had promised to add to the royal treasures. He said Haman wanted it to be used to pay some men to destroy the Jews. 8 Mordecai also gave Hathak a copy of the order. It commanded people to wipe out the Jews. The order had been sent from Susa. Mordecai told Hathak to show the order to Esther. He wanted Hathak to explain it to her. Mordecai told him to tell her to go and beg the king for mercy. Mordecai wanted her to make an appeal to the king for her people.
9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10 Then Esther instructed him to give an answer to Mordecai. She told him to say, 11 ‘There is a certain law that everyone knows about. All the king's officials know about it. The people in the royal territories know about it. It applies to any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard without being sent for. It says they must be put to death. But there is a way out. Suppose the king reaches out his gold sceptre towards them. Then their lives will be spared. But 30 days have gone by since the king sent for me.’
12 Esther's words were reported to Mordecai. 13 Then he sent back an answer. He said, ‘You live in the king's palace. But don't think that just because you are there you will be the only Jew who will escape. 14 What if you don't say anything at this time? Then help for the Jews will come from another place. But you and your family will die. Who knows? It's possible that you became queen for a time just like this.’
15 Then Esther sent a reply to Mordecai. She said, 16 ‘Go. Gather together all the Jews who are in Susa. And fast for my benefit. Don't eat or drink anything for three days. Don't do it night or day. I and my attendants will fast just as you do. Then I'll go to the king. I'll do it even though it's against the law. And if I have to die, I'll die.’
17 So Mordecai went away. He carried out all Esther's directions.
4:1–17 When Mordecai heard about Haman's orders, he mourned. The Jews in Susa and throughout the Persian kingdom also mourned. They showed their sadness in many ways. They tore their clothes and put on rough clothing. They sat in ashes and laid down in them. They cried loudly. In the times and places of the Bible these were common practices for showing sadness. Mordecai believed that the Jews would be saved from Haman's evil plans. He believed this even though he didn't know how they would be rescued. He asked Esther to use her authority as queen to help her people. Perhaps she had become queen for that very reason. But Esther didn't have authority to change Haman's orders. Because of Persian laws it was dangerous for Esther to try to speak with Xerxes. Her only option would be to beg Xerxes for mercy. She asked Mordecai and all the Jews in Susa to go without food for three days. The entire Jewish community supported Esther by fasting as she made her plans. The book of Esther doesn't talk about prayer. But among God's people it was common to pray while fasting.