1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.2 But he went only as far as the king's gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.3 In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.4 When Esther's eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.6 So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate.7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.9 Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.10 Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,11 "All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."12 When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai,13 he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape.14 For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?"15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."17 So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions.

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