Esther:4-6

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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 ; * And came even before the king 's gate : for none might enter into the king 's gate clothed with sackcloth . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city , which was before the king 's gate . * 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 . * 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 . * And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai . * Again Esther spake unto Hatach , and gave him commandment unto Mordecai ; * All the king 's servants , and the people of the king 's provinces , do know , that whosoever , whether man or woman , 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 . * And they told to Mordecai Esther 's words . * Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther , Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king 's house , more than all the Jews . * 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 ? * Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer , * 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 . * So Mordecai went his way , and did according to all that Esther had commanded him . * Now it came to pass on the third day , that Esther put on her royal apparel , and stood in the inner court of the king 's house , over against the king 's house : and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house , over against the gate of the house . * And it was so , when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court , that she obtained favour in his sight : and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand . So Esther drew near , and touched the top of the sceptre . * Then said the king unto her , What wilt thou , queen Esther ? and what is thy request ? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom . * And Esther answered , If it seem good unto the king , let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him . * Then the king said , Cause Haman to make haste , that he may do as Esther hath said . So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared . * And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine , What is thy petition ? and it shall be granted thee : and what is thy request ? even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed . * Then answered Esther , and said , My petition and my request is ; * If I have found favour in the sight of the king , and if it please the king to grant my petition , and to perform my request , let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them , and I will do to morrow as the king hath said . * Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart : but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king 's gate , that he stood not up , nor moved for him , he was full of indignation against Mordecai . * Nevertheless Haman refrained himself : and when he came home , he sent and called for his friends , and Zeresh his wife . * And Haman told them of the glory of his riches , and the multitude of his children , and all the things wherein the king had promoted him , and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king . * Haman said moreover , Yea , Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself ; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king . * Yet all this availeth me nothing , so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king 's gate . * Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him , Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high , and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon : then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet . And the thing pleased Haman ; and he caused the gallows to be made . * On that night could not the king sleep , and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles ; and they were read before the king . * And it was found written , that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh , two of the king 's chamberlains , the keepers of the door , who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus . * And the king said , What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for this ? Then said the king 's servants that ministered unto him , There is nothing done for him . * And the king said , Who is in the court ? Now Haman was come into the outward court of the king 's house , to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him . * And the king 's servants said unto him , Behold , Haman standeth in the court . And the king said , Let him come in . * So Haman came in . And the king said unto him , What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour ? Now Haman thought in his heart , To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself ? * And Haman answered the king , For the man whom the king delighteth to honour , * Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear , and the horse that the king rideth upon , and the crown royal which is set upon his head : * And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king 's most noble princes , that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour , and bring him on horseback through the street of the city , and proclaim before him , Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour . * Then the king said to Haman , Make haste , and take the apparel and the horse , as thou hast said , and do even so to Mordecai the Jew , that sitteth at the king 's gate : let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken . * Then took Haman the apparel and the horse , and arrayed Mordecai , and brought him on horseback through the street of the city , and proclaimed before him , Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour . * And Mordecai came again to the king 's gate . But Haman hasted to his house mourning , and having his head covered . * And Haman told Zeresh his wife and all his friends every thing that had befallen him . Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him , If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews , before whom thou hast begun to fall , thou shalt not prevail against him , but shalt surely fall before him . * And while they were yet talking with him , came the king 's chamberlains , and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther had prepared . * So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen .

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