Esther Steps Forward for Her People
Mordecai wails in sackcloth at the gate, then presses Esther: her palace will not save her, and who knows whether she reached the throne for such a time. She calls a three-day fast and goes to the king unsummoned — if she dies, she dies.
4 1When Mordecai learned all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city crying loud and bitter. 2He went only to the king's gate, since no one could enter it dressed in mourning clothes. 3In every province the king's order and decree reached, the Jews mourned deeply—fasting, weeping, wailing; many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4When Esther's young women and eunuchs told her, the queen writhed in anguish. She sent clothes for Mordecai to replace his sackcloth, but he refused. 5Esther called Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to her, and sent him to Mordecai to learn what this was and why. 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's gate, 7Mordecai told Hathach all that had happened to Mordecai, and the exact sum Haman promised to pay into the king's storerooms to destroy the Jews. 8He also gave him a copy of the destruction decree issued in Susa, to show Esther, explain it, and urge her to go plead with the king and beg for her people.
9Hathach came back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. 10Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him this message for Mordecai: 11"All the king's servants and people of his provinces know: any man or woman who enters the king's inner court unsummoned has one law—death—unless the king holds out the golden scepter to them, so they live. And I have not been called to the king for thirty days now."
12When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, 13Mordecai replied to Esther: "Don't think that in the king's palace you alone of all the Jews will escape. 14If you stay silent now, relief and rescue will rise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father's house will die. And who knows whether you reached the throne for such a time?" a a v14 Our Father is never named in the whole book of Esther, yet his unseen hand moves through every turn — Mordecai is certain rescue will come, because he knows the Father will not abandon his people.
15Then Esther sent back this reply to Mordecai: 16"Go, gather all the Jews in Susa. Fast for me—no eating or drinking three days, night or day. My young women and I will fast too. Then I go to the king, even though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish." 17So Mordecai went away and did everything Esther had commanded him.
