NASB — Esther 4 — KJV

Esther Learns of Haman’s Plot

1 When Mordecai° learned° aall° that had been done°, Ihe tore° his clothes°, put° on sackcloth° and ashes°, and went° out into the midst° of the city° and wailed° loudly° and bitterly°. 2 He went° as far° as the king’s° gate°, for no° one° was to enter° the king’s° gate° clothed° in sackcloth°. 3 In each° and every° province° where°° the command° and decree° of the king° came°, there was great° mourning° among the Jews°, with afasting°, weeping° and wailing°; and many° lay° on sackcloth° and ashes°.

[1] ILit Mordecai a2S 1:11; Es 3:8-10; Jna 3:5,6
[3] aEs 4:16

4 ¶ Then Esther’s° maidens° and her eunuchs° came° and told° her, and the queen° writhed° in great° anguish. And she sent° garments° to clothe° Mordecai° that he might remove° his sackcloth° from him, but he did not accept° [them]. 5 Then Esther° summoned° Hathach° from the king’s° eunuchs°, whom° Ithe king had appointed° to attend° her, and ordered° him [to go] to Mordecai° to learn° what° this° [was] and why° it [was]. 6 So Hathach° went° out to Mordecai° to the city° square° in front° of the king’s° gate°. 7 Mordecai° told° him all° that had happened° to him, and athe exact° amount° of money° that Haman° had promised° to pay° to the king’s° treasuries° for the destruction° of the Jews°. 8 He also gave° him aa copy° of the text° of the edict° which° had been issued° in Susa° for their destruction°, that he might show° Esther° and inform° her, and to order° her to go° in to the king° to implore° his favor° and to plead° with him for her people°.

[5] ILit he
[7] aEs 3:9
[8] aEs 3:14

9 ¶ Hathach° came° back and related° Mordecai’s° words° to Esther°. 10 Then Esther° spoke° to Hathach° and ordered° him [to reply] to Mordecai°: 11 “All° the king’s° servants° and the people° of the king’s° provinces° know° that for any° man° or woman° who° acomes° to the king° to the inner° court° who° is not summoned°, bhe has but one° law°, that he be put° to death°, unless°°° the king° holds° out cto him the golden° scepter° so that he may live°. And I have not been summoned° to come° to the king° for these° thirty° days°.” 12 They related° Esther’s° words° to Mordecai°.

[11] aEs 5:1; 6:4 bDn 2:9 cEs 5:2; 8:4

13 ¶ Then Mordecai° told° [them] to reply° to Esther°, “Do not imagine° that you in the king’s° palace° can escape° any more° than° all° the Jews°. 14 For if° you remain° silent° at this° time°, relief° and adeliverance° will arise° for the Jews° from another° place° and you and your father’s° house° will perish°. And who° knows° whether° you have not attained° royalty° for such a time° as this°?”

[14] aLv 26:42; 2K 13:5

Esther Plans to Intercede

15 Then Esther° told° [them] to reply° to Mordecai°, 16 “Go°, assemble° all° the Jews° who are found° in Susa°, and fast° for me; ado not eat° or drink° for bthree° days°, night° or day°. I and my maidens° also° will fast° in the same° way°. And thus° I will go° in to the king°, which° is not according to the law°; and if° I perish°, I perish°.” 17 So Mordecai° went° away° and did° just°° as Esther° had commanded° him.

[16] aJol 1:14; 2:12 bEs 5:1


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The great mourning of Mordecai and the Jews.

1 ¶ When Mordecaiº perceivedºª² all² that² was done,ºª Mordecaiº rentºª² his clothes,º and put onºª sackclothº with ashes,º and went outºª into the midstº of the city,º and criedºª with a loudº and a bitterº cry;º 2 And cameºª even² beforeº the king'sº gate:º for² none² [might] enterºª into² the king'sº gateº clothedº with sackcloth.º 3 And in every² province,º whithersoeverº² the king'sº commandmentº and his decreeº came,ºª [there was] greatº mourningº among the Jews,º and fasting,º and weeping,º and wailing;º and manyº layºª in sackclothº and ashes.º

[1] Gn 27:34; Jsh 7:6; 2S 1:11; 13:19; Es 3:8; 4:3; Jb 1:20; 2:8; 42:6; Is 15:4; 22:4; 58:5; Ezk 21:6; 27:30, 31; Dn 9:3; Jna 3:4, 6; Mi 1:8; Zp 1:14; Mt 11:21; Ac 14:14; Rv 18:17.
[3] 1S 4:13; 11:4; Es 1:1; 3:12; Is 22:4, 12; 37:1; 58:5; Dn 9:3; Mt 13:42; 22:13; 25:30.

Esther, understanding it, sendeth to Mordecai, who sheweth the cause, and adviseth her to understand the suit.

4 ¶ So Esther'sº maidsº and her chamberlainsº cameºª and toldºª [it] her. Then was the queenº exceedinglyº grieved;ºª and she sentºª raimentº to clotheºª² Mordecai,º and to take awayºª his sackclothº from²² him: but he receivedºª [it] not.² 5 Then calledºª Estherº for Hatach,º [one] of the king'sº chamberlains,º² whom² he had appointedºª to attend¹ upon² her, and gave him a commandmentºª to² Mordecai,º to knowºª what² it² [was], and why²² it² [was]. 6 So Hatachº went forthºª to² Mordecaiº unto² the streetº of the city,º which² [was] beforeº the king'sº gate.º 7 And Mordecaiº toldºª him of² all² that² had happenedºª unto him, and² of the sumº of the moneyº that² Hamanº had promisedºª to payºª to² the king'sº treasuriesº for the Jews,º to destroyºª them. 8 Also he gaveºª him the copyº of the writingº of the decreeº that² was givenºª at Shushanº to destroyºª them, to shewºª [it] unto² Esther,º and to declareºª [it] unto her, and to chargeºª her² that she should go inºª unto² the king,º to make supplicationºª unto him, and to make requestºª beforeº² him for² her people.º 9 And Hatachº cameºª and toldºª Estherº² the wordsº of Mordecai.º

[4] Gn 37:35; 1S 8:15; 2K 9:32; Es 1:12; Ps 77:2; Is 56:3; Jr 31:15; Ac 8:27.
[5] Es 1:10, 12; Ro 12:15; 1Co 12:26; Php 2:4; He 4:15.
[6] Es 4:3; 7:2; 9:12.
[7] Es 3:2.
[8] Ne 2:3; Es 2:20; 3:14; 7:3; 8:6; Jb 9:15; Pv 16:14; 21:1; Ec 10:4; Ac 12:20; 1Ti 6:13, 17.

She excusing herself is threatened by Mordecai.

10 ¶ Again Estherº spakeºª unto Hatach,º and gave him commandmentºª unto² Mordecai;º 11 All² the king'sº servants,º and the peopleº of the king'sº provinces,º do know,ºª that² whosoever,²² whether² manº or woman,º shall comeºª unto² the kingº into² the innerº court,º who² is not² called,ºª [there is] oneº lawº of his to put [him] to death,ºª exceptº such to whom²² the kingº shall hold outºª² the goldenº sceptre,º that he may live:ºª but I² have not² been calledºª to come inºª unto² the kingº these² thirtyº days.º 12 And they toldºª to Mordecaiº² Esther'sº words.º 13 Then Mordecaiº commandedºª to answerºª² Esther,º Thinkºª not² with thyselfº that thou shalt escapeºª in the king'sº house,º more than all²² the Jews.º 14 For² if² thou altogether¹ª holdest thy peaceºª at this² time,º [then] shall there enlargementº and deliveranceº ariseºª to the Jewsº from another¹ place;º²² but thou² and thy father'sº houseº shall be destroyed:ºª and who² knowethºª whether² thou art comeºª to the kingdomº for [such] a timeº as this?²

[11] Es 1:19; 2:14; 5:1, 2; 8:4; Dn 2:9; 1P 3:7.
[13] Pv 24:10; Mt 16:24; Jn 12:25; Php 2:30; He 12:3.
[14] Gn 22:14; 45:4; Nu 23:22; Dt 32:26, 36; Jg 14:15; 15:6; 1S 12:22; 17:29; 2K 19:3; Ezr 9:9; Ne 6:11; Es 2:7, 15; Jb 9:18; Is 45:1; 49:23; 54:17; Jr 30:11; 33:24; 46:28; Am 9:8; Mt 16:18; 24:22; Ac 7:20.

She appointing a fast undertaketh the suit.

15 ¶ Then Estherº badeºª [them] returnºª² Mordecaiº [this answer], 16 Go,¹ª² gather togetherºª² all² the Jewsº that are presentºª in Shushan,º and fastºª ye for² me, and neither² eatºª nor² drinkºª threeº days,º nightº or day:º I² also² and my maidensº will fastºª likewise;² and soº will I go¹ª in² unto² the king,º which² [is] not² according to the law:º and if² I perish,ºª I perish.ºª 17 So Mordecaiº went his way,ºª and didºª according to all² that² Estherº had commandedºª him.²

[16] Gn 18:19; 43:14; Jsh 24:15; 1S 19:5; 2S 10:12; 2Ch 20:3; Es 5:1; Is 22:12; Jol 1:14; 2:12; Jna 3:4; Mt 12:40; Lk 9:24; Ac 9:9; 10:7; 20:24; 21:13; 27:33; Ro 16:4; Php 2:30.
[17] Es 4:17.


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