15THE RUNNERS THEY WENT OUT BEING HASTY AT [THE] WORD OF THE KING AND THE LAW IT WAS GIVEN IN SUSA THE CITADEL AND THE KING AND HAMAN THEY SAT DOWN TO DRINK AND THE CITY OF SUSA IT WAS IN CONFUSION 15The couriers left, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.
1AND MORDECAI HE KNEW <OBJ.> ALL THAT IT HAD BEEN DONE AND HE TORE MORDECAI <OBJ.> CLOTHES HIS AND HE PUT ON SACKCLOTH AND ASH[ES] AND HE WENT OUT IN [THE] MIDST OF THE CITY AND HE CRIED A CRY LOUD AND BITTER Mordecai Appeals to Esther 1When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
2AND HE WENT TO <TO> BEFORE [THE] GATE OF THE KING FOR NOT TO GO INTO [THE] GATE OF THE KING IN CLOTHING OF SACKCLOTH 2But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering that gate.
3AND IN EVERY PROVINCE AND PROVINCE [THE] PLACE <OF> WHERE [THE] WORD OF THE KING AND LAW HIS [WERE] REACHING MOURNING GREAT [BELONGED] TO THE JEWS AND FASTING AND WEEPING AND WAILING SACKCLOTH AND ASH[ES] IT WAS SPREAD AS A BED BY <THE> MANY [PEOPLE] 3In every province to which the king’s command and edict came, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
4AND THEY CAME [THE] MAIDS OF ESTHER AND EUNUCHS HER AND THEY TOLD TO HER AND SHE AGONIZED THE QUEEN EXCEEDINGLY AND SHE SENT GARMENTS TO CLOTHE <OBJ.> MORDECAI AND TO REMOVE SACKCLOTH HIS FROM ON <THE> HIM AND NOT HE ACCEPTED [THEM] 4When Esther’s maidens and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai, the queen was overcome with distress. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
5AND SHE SUMMONED ESTHER <TO> HATHACH ONE OF [THE] EUNUCHS OF THE KING WHOM HE HAD MADE STAND <TO> BEFORE HER AND SHE COMMANDED HIM ON MORDECAI TO KNOW WHAT? [WAS] THIS AND CONCERNING WHAT? [WAS] THIS 5Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs appointed to her, and she dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what was troubling him and why.
6AND HE WENT OUT HATHACH TO MORDECAI TO [THE] OPEN PLACE OF THE CITY WHICH [WAS] <TO> BEFORE [THE] GATE OF THE KING 6So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king’s gate,
7AND HE TOLD TO HIM MORDECAI <OBJ.> ALL THAT IT HAD HAPPENED TO HIM AND <OBJ.> [THE] EXACT AMOUNT OF THE SILVER WHICH HE HAD SAID HAMAN TO WEIGH OUT TO [THE] TREASURIES OF THE KING FOR THE JEWS TO DESTROY THEM 7and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury in order to destroy the Jews.
8AND <OBJ.> <THE> COPY OF [THE] WRITING OF THE LAW WHICH IT HAD BEEN GIVEN IN SUSA TO ANNIHILATE THEM HE GAVE TO HIM TO SHOW <OBJ.> ESTHER AND TO TELL TO HER AND TO COMMAND TO HER TO GO TO THE KING TO SEEK FAVOR TO HIM AND TO REQUEST FROM TO BEFORE HIM ON PEOPLE HER 8Mordecai also gave Hathach a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for the destruction of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther urging her to approach the king, implore his favor and plead before him for her people.
9AND HE CAME HATHACH AND HE TOLD TO ESTHER <OBJ.> [THE] WORDS OF MORDECAI 9So Hathach went back and relayed Mordecai’s response to Esther.
10AND SHE SAID ESTHER TO HATHACH AND SHE COMMANDED HIM TO MORDECAI 10Then Esther spoke to Hathach and instructed him to tell Mordecai,
11ALL [THE] SERVANTS OF THE KING AND [THE] PEOPLE OF [THE] PROVINCES OF THE KING [ARE] KNOWING THAT EVERY MAN AND WOMAN WHO HE GOES TO THE KING INTO THE COURT <THE> INNER WHO NOT HE IS SUMMONED [IS] ONE LAW HIS TO PUT TO DEATH <TO> APART FROM THAT HE EXTENDS TO HIM THE KING <OBJ.> [THE] SCEPTER OF <THE> GOLD AND HE WILL LIVE AND I NOT I HAVE BEEN SUMMONED TO GO TO THE KING THIS THIRTY DAY[S] 11“All the royal officials and the people of the king’s provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned— that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the gold scepter may that person live. But I have not been summoned to appear before the king for the past thirty days.”
12AND THEY TOLD TO MORDECAI <OBJ.> [THE] WORDS OF ESTHER 12When Esther’s words were relayed to Mordecai
13AND HE SAID MORDECAI TO BRING BACK TO ESTHER MAY NOT YOU IMAGINE IN SELF YOUR TO ESCAPE [THE] HOUSE OF THE KING FROM ALL THE JEWS 13he sent back to her this reply: “Do not imagine that because you are in the king’s palace you alone will escape the fate of all the Jews.
14THAT EXCEPT CERTAINLY <TO KEEP QUIET> YOU WILL KEEP QUIET AT THE TIME <THE> THIS RELIEF AND DELIVERANCE IT WILL ARISE FOR THE JEWS FROM A PLACE ANOTHER AND YOU AND [THE] HOUSE OF FATHER YOUR YOU WILL PERISH AND WHO? [IS] KNOWING IF FOR A TIME LIKE THIS YOU HAVE REACHED <TO> THE QUEENHOOD 14For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
16GO GATHER <OBJ.> ALL THE JEWS WHO ARE FOUND IN SUSA AND FAST ON ME AND MAY NOT YOU EAT AND MAY NOT YOU DRINK THREE DAYS NIGHT AND DAY ALSO I AND MAIDS MY I WILL FAST THUS AND IN SUCH I WILL GO TO THE KING WHICH NOT [IS] ACCORDING TO THE LAW AND JUST AS I HAVE PERISHED I HAVE PERISHED 16“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!*NoteCloseOr if I am destroyed, then I will be destroyed! ”
17AND HE PASSED ON MORDECAI AND HE DID ACCORDING TO ALL THAT SHE HAD COMMANDED TO HIM ESTHER 17So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him.