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Chapter 4
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1
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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
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And came even before the king's gate: for none might
enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. |
3
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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
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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
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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
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So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of
the city, which was before the king's gate. |
7
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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
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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
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And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. |
10
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Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment
unto Mordecai; |
11
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All the king's servants, and the people of the king's
provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or women,
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
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And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. |
13
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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
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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
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Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, |
16
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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
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So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all
that Esther had commanded him. |
