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 Qu cum audisset Mardochus, scidit vestimenta sua, et indutus est sacco, spargens cinerem capiti : et in platea medi civitatis voce magna clamabat, ostendens amaritudinem animi sui, 2 et hoc ejulatu usque ad fores palatii gradiens. Non enim erat licitum indutum sacco aulam regis intrare. 3 In omnibus quoque provinciis, oppidis, ac locis, ad qu crudele regis dogma pervenerat, planctus ingens erat apud Judos, jejunium, ululatus, et fletus, sacco et cinere multis pro strato utentibus. 4 Ingress autem sunt puell Esther et eunuchi, nuntiaveruntque ei. Quod audiens consternata est, et vestem misit, ut ablato sacco induerent eum : quam accipere noluit. 5 Accitoque Athach eunucho, quem rex ministrum ei dederat, prcepit ei ut iret ad Mardochum, et disceret ab eo cur hoc faceret. 6 Egressusque Athach, ivit ad Mardochum stantem in platea civitatis, ante ostium palatii : 7 qui indicavit ei omnia qu acciderant : quomodo Aman promisisset ut in thesauros regis pro Judorum nece inferret argentum. 8 Exemplar quoque edicti, quod pendebat in Susan, dedit ei, ut regin ostenderet, et moneret eam ut intraret ad regem et deprecaretur eum pro populo suo.9 Regressus Athach, nuntiavit Esther omnia qu Mardochus dixerat. 10 Qu respondit ei, et jussit ut diceret Mardocho : 11 Omnes servi regis, et cunct, qu sub ditione ejus sunt, norunt provinci, quod sive vir, sive mulier non vocatus, interius atrium regis intraverit, absque ulla cunctatione statim interficiatur : nisi forte rex auream virgam ad eum tetenderit pro signo clementi, atque ita possit vivere. Ego igitur quomodo ad regem intrare potero, qu triginta jam diebus non sum vocata ad eum ? 12 Quod cum audisset Mardochus, 13 rursum mandavit Esther, dicens : Ne putes quod animam tuam tantum liberes, quia in domo regis es pr cunctis Judis : 14 si enim nunc silueris, per aliam occasionem liberabuntur Judi : et tu, et domus patris tui, peribitis. Et quis novit utrum idcirco ad regnum veneris, ut in tali tempore parareris ? 15 Rursumque Esther hc Mardocho verba mandavit : 16 Vade, et congrega omnes Judos quos in Susan repereris, et orate pro me. Non comedatis et non bibatis tribus diebus et tribus noctibus : et ego cum ancillis meis similiter jejunabo, et tunc ingrediar ad regem contra legem faciens, non vocata, tradensque me morti et periculo. 17 Ivit itaque Mardochus, et fecit omnia qu ei Esther prceperat.