1 Kad Mordochajs uzzināja visu, kas bija darīts, viņš saplēsa savas drēbes, apģērba maisu un kaisīja pelnus uz savas galvas. Viņš izgāja pilsētas vidū un brēca skaļā un izmisuma pilnā balsī.
2 Viņš nonāca ķēniņa vārtu priekšā, bet tālāk viņš netika, jo neviens nedrīkstēja ieiet pa ķēniņa vārtiem, ietērpies maisā.
3 Un ikvienā zemē, kur nonāca ķēniņa vārds un viņa pavēle, bija lielas bēdas jūdu statņa, un gavēšana, un raudāšana, un vaimanāšana; daudziem par guļas vietu bija tikai izklāts maiss un pelni.
4 Kad Esteres kalpones un viņas galma ļaudis nāca un stāstīja viņai par visu to, ķēniņiene ļoti izbijās; viņa sūtīja drēbes, lai Mordochajs tās apģērbtu un novilktu no sevis maisu, bet viņš nepaklausīja.
5 Tad Estere sauca Hatachu, vienu no ķēniņa galminiekiem, ko viņš bija iecēlis, lai tas tieši viņai kalpotu, un lika viņam iet pie Mordochaja, lai uzzinātu, kas par lietu un kāpēc viss tas notiek.
6 Un Hatachs izgāja pie Mordochaja uz pilsētas laukuma, kas bija ķēniņa vārtu priekšā,
7 Un Mordochajs izstāstīja Hatacham visu, kas bija noticis ar viņu, un arī par noteikto naudas summu, ko Hamans bija apsolījis iemaksāt ķēniņa mantnīcā par jūdiem, tas ir par atļauju viņus iznīcināt.
8 Viņš deva viņam arī kādu norakstu no Sūsos rakstītā rīkojuma par jūdu iznīcināšanu, lai parādītu to Esterei un darītu viņai zināmu un lai liktu viņai iet pie ķēniņa lūgt viņa žēlastību un aizlūgt viņa priekšā par savu tautu.
9 Kad Hatachs atnāca un darīja zināmus Esterei Mordochaja vārdus,
10 Tad Estere runāja ar Hatachu un sūtīja viņu atkal ar jaunu ziņu pie Mordochaja:
11 „Visi ķēniņa kalpi un ķēniņa zemju ļaudis zina, ka ikviens vīrs vai sieva, kas ienāk pie ķēniņa iekšējā pagalmā bez aicinājuma, ir pakļauts vienam un tam pašam likumam, proti—nogalinātam tapt, izņemot vienīgi to, kam ķēniņš izstiepj pretī savu zelta scepteri, lai to atstātu dzīvu. Bet es neesmu aicināta iet pie ķēniņa nu jau visas šīs trīsdesmit dienas.“
12 Un Hatachs paziņoja Mordochajam Esteres vārdus.
13 Tad Mordochajs sacīja, lai atbild Esterei: „Neiedomājies sevī, ka tu ķēniņa pilī izglābsies drošāk nekā visi pārējie jūdi!
14 Jo ja tu tiešām cietīsi klusu šajā laikā, tad atbrīvošana un glābšana jūdiem var rasties no kādas citas puses, bet tu un tava dzimta aizies bojā. Un kas zina, vai tu tieši šā laika dēļ neesi kļuvusi ķēnišķīgā godā?“
15 Tad Estere pavēlēja atbildēt Mordochajam tā:
16 „Ej, sapulcini visus jūdus, kas atrodas Sūsos, un gavējiet manis dēļ: neēdiet un nedzeriet tris dienas un nakds; arī es ar savām kalponēm tāpat gavēšu. Un pēc tam es iešu pie ķēniņa, kas gan nav pēc likuma, un ja es aiziešu bojā, tad es bojā aiziešu!“
17 Tad Mordochajs aizgāja un darīja visu, ko Estere viņam bija pavēlējusi.
Mordecai Asks for Esther's Help
1 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes in anguish. Then he dressed in sackcloth, covered his head with ashes, and walked through the city, wailing loudly and bitterly, 2 until he came to the entrance of the palace. He did not go in because no one wearing sackcloth was allowed inside. 3 Throughout all the provinces, wherever the king's proclamation was made known, there was loud mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, wailed, and most of them put on sackcloth and lay in ashes.
4 When Esther's servant women and eunuchs told her what Mordecai was doing, she was deeply disturbed. She sent Mordecai some clothes to put on instead of the sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5 Then she called Hathach, one of the palace eunuchs appointed as her servant by the king, and told him to go to Mordecai and find out what was happening and why. 6 Hathach went to Mordecai in the city square at the entrance of the palace. 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him and just how much money Haman had promised to put into the royal treasury if all the Jews were killed. 8 He gave Hathach a copy of the proclamation that had been issued in Susa, ordering the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai asked him to take it to Esther, explain the situation to her, and have her go and plead with the king and beg him to have mercy on her people. 9 Hathach did this, 10 and Esther gave him this message to take back to Mordecai: 11 “If anyone, man or woman, goes to the inner courtyard and sees the king without being summoned, that person must die. That is the law; everyone, from the king's advisers to the people in the provinces, knows that. There is only one way to get around this law: if the king holds out his gold scepter to someone, then that person's life is spared. But it has been a month since the king sent for me.”
12 When Mordecai received Esther's message, 13 he sent her this warning: “Don't imagine that you are safer than any other Jew just because you are in the royal palace. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, help will come from heaven to the Jews, and they will be saved, but you will die and your father's family will come to an end. Yet who knows—maybe it was for a time like this that you were made queen!”
15 Esther sent Mordecai this reply: 16 “Go and get all the Jews in Susa together; hold a fast and pray for me. Don't eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My servant women and I will be doing the same. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. If I must die for doing it, I will die.”
17 Mordecai then left and did everything that Esther had told him to do.
