American Standard Version (ASV) With Strong Codes

1. Now when Mordecai[H4782] knew[H3045] all that was done[H6213], Mordecai[H4782] rent[H7167] his clothes[H899], and put on[H3847] sackcloth[H8242] with ashes[H665], and went out[H3318] into the midst[H8432] of the city[H5892], and cried[H2199] with a loud[H1419] and a bitter[H4751] cry[H2201];

2. and he came[H935] even before[H6440] the king[H4428]'s gate[H8179]: for none might enter[H935] within the king[H4428]'s gate[H8179] clothed[H3830] with sackcloth[H8242].

3. And in every province[H4082], whithersoever[H4725] the king[H4428]'s commandment[H1697] and his decree[H1881] came[H5060], there was great[H1419] mourning[H60] among the Jews[H3064], and fasting[H6685], and weeping[H1065], and wailing[H4553]; and many[H7227] lay[H3331] in sackcloth[H8242] and ashes[H665].

4. And Esther[H635]'s maidens[H5291] and her chamberlains[H5631] came[H935] and told[H5046] it her[H4436]; and the queen was exceedingly[H3966] grieved[H2342]: and she sent[H7971] raiment[H899] to clothe[H3847] Mordecai[H4782], and to take his sackcloth[H8242] from off[H5493] him[H6901]; but he received it not.

5. Then called[H7121] Esther[H635] for Hathach[H2047], one of the king[H4428]'s chamberlains[H5631], whom he had appointed[H5975] to attend[H6440] upon her[H6680], and charged him to go to Mordecai[H4782], to know what this was[H3045], and why it was.

6. So Hathach[H2047] went forth[H3318] to Mordecai[H4782] unto the broad[H7339] place of the city[H5892], which was before[H6440] the king[H4428]'s gate[H8179].

7. And Mordecai[H4782] told[H5046] him of all that had happened[H7136] unto him[H6575], and the exact sum of the money[H3701] that Haman[H2001] had promised[H559] to pay[H8254] to the king[H4428]'s treasuries[H1595] for the Jews[H3064], to destroy them[H6].

8. Also he gave[H5414] him the copy[H6572] of the writing[H3791] of the decree[H1881] that was given[H5414] out in Shushan[H7800] to destroy[H8045] them[H7200], to show it unto Esther[H635], and to declare[H5046] it unto her[H6680], and to charge her that she should go in[H935] unto the king[H4428], to make supplication[H2603] unto him[H1245], and to make request before[H6440] him[H5971], for her people.

9. And Hathach[H2047] came[H935] and told[H5046] Esther[H635] the words[H1697] of Mordecai[H4782].

10. Then Esther[H635] spake[H559] unto Hathach[H2047], and gave him a message[H6680] unto Mordecai saying[H4782]:

11. All the king[H4428]'s servants[H5650], and the people[H5971] of the king[H4428]'s provinces[H4082], do know[H3045], that whosoever[H376], whether man or woman[H802], shall come[H935] unto the king[H4428] into the inner[H6442] court[H2691], who is not called[H7121], there is one[H259] law[H1881] for him[H4191], that he be put to death, except[H905] those to whom the king[H4428] shall hold out[H3447] the golden[H2091] sceptre[H8275], that he may live[H2421]: but I have not been called[H7121] to come in[H935] unto the king[H4428] these thirty[H7970] days[H3117].

12. And they told[H5046] to Mordecai[H4782] Esther[H635]'s words[H1697].

13. Then Mordecai[H4782] bade[H559] them return answer[H7725] unto Esther[H635], Think[H1819] not with thyself[H5315] that thou shalt escape[H4422] in the king[H4428]'s house[H1004], more than all the Jews[H3064].

14. For if thou altogether[H2790] holdest thy peace[H2790] at this time[H6256], then will relief[H7305] and deliverance[H2020] arise[H5975] to the Jews[H3064] from another[H312] place[H4725], but thou and thy father[H1]'s house[H1004] will perish[H6]: and who knoweth[H3045] whether thou art not come[H5060] to the kingdom[H4438] for such a time as this[H6256]?

15. Then Esther[H635] bade[H559] them return[H7725] answer unto Mordecai[H4782],

16. Go[H3212], gather together[H3664] all the Jews[H3064] that are present[H4672] in Shushan[H7800], and fast[H6684] ye for me[H398], and neither eat nor drink[H8354] three[H7969] days[H3117], night[H3915] or day[H3117]: I also and my maidens[H5291] will fast[H6684] in like manner[H3651]; and so will I go[H935] in unto the king[H4428], which is not according to the law[H1881]: and if I perish[H6], I perish[H6].

17. So Mordecai[H4782] went his way[H5674], and did[H6213] according to all that Esther[H635] had commanded him[H6680].