Esther 4 (NIV11)

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.

In Other Versions

Esther 4 in the ANGEFD

Esther 4 in the ANTPNG2D

Esther 4 in the AS21

Esther 4 in the BAGH

Esther 4 in the BBPNG

Esther 4 in the BBT1E

Esther 4 in the BDS

Esther 4 in the BEV

Esther 4 in the BHAD

Esther 4 in the BIB

Esther 4 in the BLPT

Esther 4 in the BNT

Esther 4 in the BNTABOOT

Esther 4 in the BNTLV

Esther 4 in the BOATCB

Esther 4 in the BOATCB2

Esther 4 in the BOBCV

Esther 4 in the BOCNT

Esther 4 in the BOECS

Esther 4 in the BOGWICC

Esther 4 in the BOHCB

Esther 4 in the BOHCV

Esther 4 in the BOHLNT

Esther 4 in the BOHNTLTAL

Esther 4 in the BOICB

Esther 4 in the BOILNTAP

Esther 4 in the BOITCV

Esther 4 in the BOKCV

Esther 4 in the BOKCV2

Esther 4 in the BOKHWOG

Esther 4 in the BOKSSV

Esther 4 in the BOLCB

Esther 4 in the BOLCB2

Esther 4 in the BOMCV

Esther 4 in the BONAV

Esther 4 in the BONCB

Esther 4 in the BONLT

Esther 4 in the BONUT2

Esther 4 in the BOPLNT

Esther 4 in the BOSCB

Esther 4 in the BOSNC

Esther 4 in the BOTLNT

Esther 4 in the BOVCB

Esther 4 in the BOYCB

Esther 4 in the BPBB

Esther 4 in the BPH

Esther 4 in the BSB

Esther 4 in the CCB

Esther 4 in the CUV

Esther 4 in the CUVS

Esther 4 in the DBT

Esther 4 in the DGDNT

Esther 4 in the DHNT

Esther 4 in the DNT

Esther 4 in the ELBE

Esther 4 in the EMTV

Esther 4 in the ESV

Esther 4 in the FBV

Esther 4 in the FEB

Esther 4 in the GGMNT

Esther 4 in the GNT

Esther 4 in the HARY

Esther 4 in the HNT

Esther 4 in the IRVA

Esther 4 in the IRVB

Esther 4 in the IRVG

Esther 4 in the IRVH

Esther 4 in the IRVK

Esther 4 in the IRVM

Esther 4 in the IRVM2

Esther 4 in the IRVO

Esther 4 in the IRVP

Esther 4 in the IRVT

Esther 4 in the IRVT2

Esther 4 in the IRVU

Esther 4 in the ISVN

Esther 4 in the JSNT

Esther 4 in the KAPI

Esther 4 in the KBT1ETNIK

Esther 4 in the KBV

Esther 4 in the KJV

Esther 4 in the KNFD

Esther 4 in the LBA

Esther 4 in the LBLA

Esther 4 in the LNT

Esther 4 in the LSV

Esther 4 in the MAAL

Esther 4 in the MBV

Esther 4 in the MBV2

Esther 4 in the MHNT

Esther 4 in the MKNFD

Esther 4 in the MNG

Esther 4 in the MNT

Esther 4 in the MNT2

Esther 4 in the MRS1T

Esther 4 in the NAA

Esther 4 in the NASB

Esther 4 in the NBLA

Esther 4 in the NBS

Esther 4 in the NBVTP

Esther 4 in the NET2

Esther 4 in the NNT

Esther 4 in the NNT2

Esther 4 in the NNT3

Esther 4 in the PDDPT

Esther 4 in the PFNT

Esther 4 in the RMNT

Esther 4 in the SBIAS

Esther 4 in the SBIBS

Esther 4 in the SBIBS2

Esther 4 in the SBICS

Esther 4 in the SBIDS

Esther 4 in the SBIGS

Esther 4 in the SBIHS

Esther 4 in the SBIIS

Esther 4 in the SBIIS2

Esther 4 in the SBIIS3

Esther 4 in the SBIKS

Esther 4 in the SBIKS2

Esther 4 in the SBIMS

Esther 4 in the SBIOS

Esther 4 in the SBIPS

Esther 4 in the SBISS

Esther 4 in the SBITS

Esther 4 in the SBITS2

Esther 4 in the SBITS3

Esther 4 in the SBITS4

Esther 4 in the SBIUS

Esther 4 in the SBIVS

Esther 4 in the SBT

Esther 4 in the SBT1E

Esther 4 in the SCHL

Esther 4 in the SNT

Esther 4 in the SUSU

Esther 4 in the SUSU2

Esther 4 in the SYNO

Esther 4 in the TBIAOTANT

Esther 4 in the TBT1E

Esther 4 in the TBT1E2

Esther 4 in the TFTIP

Esther 4 in the TFTU

Esther 4 in the TGNTATF3T

Esther 4 in the THAI

Esther 4 in the TNFD

Esther 4 in the TNT

Esther 4 in the TNTIK

Esther 4 in the TNTIL

Esther 4 in the TNTIN

Esther 4 in the TNTIP

Esther 4 in the TNTIZ

Esther 4 in the TOMA

Esther 4 in the TTENT

Esther 4 in the UBG

Esther 4 in the UGV

Esther 4 in the UGV2

Esther 4 in the UGV3

Esther 4 in the VBL

Esther 4 in the VDCC

Esther 4 in the YALU

Esther 4 in the YAPE

Esther 4 in the YBVTP

Esther 4 in the ZBP