1 ولما علم مردخاي كل ما عمل شق مردخاي ثيابه ولبس مسحا برماد وخرج الى وسط المدينة وصرخ صرخة عظيمة مرّة2 وجاء الى قدام باب الملك لانه لا يدخل احد باب الملك وهو لابس مسحا.3 وفي كل كورة حيثما وصل اليها امر الملك وسنته كانت مناحة عظيمة عند اليهود وصوم وبكاء ونحيب. وانفرش مسح ورماد لكثيرين4 فدخلت جواري استير وخصيانها واخبروها فاغتمّت الملكة جدا وارسلت ثيابا لإلباس مردخاي ولاجل نزع مسحه عنه فلم يقبل.5 فدعت استير هتاخ واحد من خصيان الملك الذي اوقفه بين يديها واعطته وصية الى مردخاي لتعلم ماذا ولماذا.6 فخرج هتاخ الى مردخاي الى ساحة المدينة التي امام باب الملك7 فاخبره مردخاي بكل ما اصابه وعن مبلغ الفضة الذي وعد هامان بوزنه لخزائن الملك عن اليهود لابادتهم8 واعطاه صورة كتابة الأمر الذي أعطي في شوشن لاهلاكهم لكي يريها لاستير ويخبرها ويوصيها ان تدخل الى الملك وتتضرع اليه وتطلب منه لاجل شعبها.9 فأتى هتاخ واخبر استير بكلام مردخاي.10 فكلمت استير هتاخ واعطته وصية الى مردخاي11 ان كل عبيد الملك وشعوب بلاد الملك يعلمون ان كل رجل دخل او امرأة الى الملك الى الدار الداخلية ولم يدع فشريعته واحدة ان يقتل الا الذي يمدّ له الملك قضيب الذهب فانه يحيا. وانا لم أدع لادخل الى الملك هذه الثلاثين يوما.12 فاخبروا مردخاي بكلام استير.13 فقال مردخاي ان تجاوب استير. لا تفتكري في نفسك انك تنجين في بيت الملك دون جميع اليهود.14 لانك ان سكتّ سكوتا في هذا الوقت يكون الفرج والنجاة لليهود من مكان آخر واما انت وبيت ابيك فتبيدون. ومن يعلم ان كنت لوقت مثل هذا وصلت الى الملك.15 فقالت استير ان يجاوب مردخاي16 اذهب اجمع جميع اليهود الموجودين في شوشن وصوموا من جهتي ولا تأكلوا ولا تشربوا ثلاثة ايام ليلا ونهارا. وانا ايضا وجواريّ نصوم كذلك وهكذا ادخل الى الملك خلاف السنّة. فاذا هلكت هلكت.17 فانصرف مردخاي وعمل حسب كل ما اوصته به استير

1 When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;2 And came even before the king' gate: for none might enter into the king' gate clothed with sackcloth.3 And in every province, wherever the king' commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.4 So Esther' maids and her chamberlains came and told it 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 it not.5 Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king' chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend on her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai to the street of the city, which was before the king' gate.7 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' treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it 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.9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.10 Again Esther spoke to Hatach, and gave him commandment to Mordecai;11 All the king' servants, and the people of the king' provinces, do know, that whoever, whether man or women, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden scepter, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.12 And they told to Mordecai Esther' words.13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with yourself that you shall escape in the king' house, more than all the Jews.14 For if you altogether hold your peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but you and your father' house shall be destroyed: and who knows whether you are come to the kingdom for such a time as this?15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,16 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 is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.