1 When Mordecai
perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and
put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of
the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
2 And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter
into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province, whithersoever the king's 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's 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's chamberlains,
whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment
to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city,
which was before the king's gate.
7 And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and
of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the
king's 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 shew it unto Esther,
and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should
go in unto the king, to make supplication unto him, and to make
request before him for her people.
9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment
unto Mordecai;
11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces,
do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto
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 sceptre, that he may live: but I have
not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.
12 And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with
thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than
all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then
shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from
another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed:
and who knoweth whether thou art 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 ye 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 unto 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.
Chapter 5
1 Now it came to
pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel,
and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against
the king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in
the royal house, over against the gate of the house.
2 And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing
in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the
king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand.
So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
3 Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther?
and what is thy request? it shall be even given thee to the
half of the kingdom.
4 And Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the
king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared
for him.
5 Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may
do as Esther hath said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet
that Esther had prepared.
6 And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What
is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy
request? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.
7 Then answered Esther, and said, My petition and my request
is;
8 If I have found favour in the sight of the king, and if it
please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my request,
let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare
for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.
9 Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart:
but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood
not up, nor moved for him, he was full of indignation against
Mordecai.
10 Nevertheless Haman refrained himself: and when he came home,
he sent and called for his friends, and Zeresh his wife.
11 And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and the multitude
of his children, and all the things wherein the king had promoted
him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants
of the king.
12 Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man
come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared
but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the
king.
13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordecai
the Jew sitting at the king's gate.
14 Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let
a gallows be made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou
unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou
in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased
Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
Chapter 6
1 On that night
could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book
of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the
king.
2 And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana
and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, the keepers of the
door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus.
3 And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done
to Mordecai for this? Then said the king's servants that ministered
unto him, There is nothing done for him.
4 And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come
into the outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the
king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for
him.
5 And the king's servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth
in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be
done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman
thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour
more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth
to honour,
8 Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear,
and the horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal
which is set upon his head:
9 And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of
one of the king's most noble princes, that they may array the
man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and bring him
on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before
him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth
to honour.
10 Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel
and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai
the Jew, that sitteth at the king's gate: let nothing fail of
all that thou has spoken.
11 Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai,
and brought him on horseback through the street of the city,
and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man
whom the king delighteth to honour.
12 And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted
to his house mourning, and having his head covered.
13 And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every
thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh
his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before
whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against
him, but shalt surely fall before him.
14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the king's
chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that
Esther had prepared. |