Mordecai Appeals to Esther

1  וּמָרְדֳּכַ֗י (And Mordecai) יָדַע֙ (knew) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) נַעֲשָׂ֔ה (had been done), וַיִּקְרַ֤ע (and tore) מָרְדֳּכַי֙ (Mordecai) אֶת־ (-) בְּגָדָ֔יו (his clothes) וַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁ (and he put on) שַׂ֖ק (sackcloth) וָאֵ֑פֶר (and ashes), וַיֵּצֵא֙ (and he went out) בְּת֣וֹךְ (into the midst) הָעִ֔יר (of the city) וַיִּזְעַ֛ק (and he cried out) זְעָקָ֥ה (with a cry) גְדֹלָ֖ה (great) וּמָרָֽה׃ (and bitter). 2  וַיָּב֕וֹא (And he came) עַ֖ד (as far as) לִפְנֵ֣י (before the face) שַֽׁעַר־ (of the gate) הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ (of the king), כִּ֣י (for) אֵ֥ין (no one) לָב֛וֹא (was to come) אֶל־ (into) שַׁ֥עַר (the gate) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (of the king) בִּלְב֥וּשׁ (in a garment) שָֽׂק׃ (of sackcloth).

3  וּבְכָל־ (And in every) מְדִינָ֣ה (province) וּמְדִינָ֗ה (and province), מְקוֹם֙ (any place) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (to which) דְּבַר־ (the word) הַמֶּ֤לֶךְ (of the king) וְדָתוֹ֙ (and his law) מַגִּ֔יעַ (reached), אֵ֤בֶל (there was mourning) גָּדוֹל֙ (great) לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים (for the Jews), וְצ֥וֹם (and fasting), וּבְכִ֖י (and weeping), וּמִסְפֵּ֑ד (and wailing)— שַׂ֣ק (sackcloth) וָאֵ֔פֶר (and ashes) יֻצַּ֖ע (were spread out) לָֽרַבִּֽים׃ (for many).

4  וַ֠תָּבוֹאינָה (And came in) נַעֲר֨וֹת (the young women) אֶסְתֵּ֤ר (of Esther) וְסָרִיסֶ֙יהָ֙ (and her eunuchs) וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ (and they told it) לָ֔הּ (to her). וַתִּתְחַלְחַ֥ל (And was writhing) הַמַּלְכָּ֖ה (the queen) מְאֹ֑ד (exceedingly). וַתִּשְׁלַ֨ח (And she sent) בְּגָדִ֜ים (garments) לְהַלְבִּ֣ישׁ (to clothe) אֶֽת־ (-) מָרְדֳּכַ֗י (Mordecai) וּלְהָסִ֥יר (and to remove) שַׂקּ֛וֹ (his sackcloth) מֵעָלָ֖יו (from him), וְלֹ֥א (and not) קִבֵּֽל׃ (would he receive them).

5  וַתִּקְרָא֩ (And called) אֶסְתֵּ֨ר (Esther) לַהֲתָ֜ךְ (to Hathach) מִסָּרִיסֵ֤י (from the eunuchs) הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (of the king) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (whom) הֶעֱמִ֣יד (he had caused to stand) לְפָנֶ֔יהָ (before her face), וַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּ (and she commanded him) עַֽל־ (concerning) מָרְדֳּכָ֑י (Mordecai) לָדַ֥עַת (to know) מַה־ (what) זֶּ֖ה (this is) וְעַל־ (and on account) מַה־ (of what) זֶּֽה׃ (this was). 6  וַיֵּצֵ֥א (And went out) הֲתָ֖ךְ (Hathach) אֶֽל־ (to) מָרְדֳּכָ֑י (Mordecai) אֶל־ (to) רְח֣וֹב (the open square) הָעִ֔יר (of the city), אֲשֶׁ֖ר (which) לִפְנֵ֥י (was before the face) שַֽׁעַר־ (of the gate) הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ (of the king). 7  וַיַּגֶּד־ (And told) ל֣וֹ (to him) מָרְדֳּכַ֔י (Mordecai) אֵ֖ת (-) כָּל־ (all) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) קָרָ֑הוּ (had happened to him), וְאֵ֣ת׀ (and) פָּרָשַׁ֣ת (the exact amount) הַכֶּ֗סֶף (of the silver) אֲשֶׁ֨ר (which) אָמַ֤ר (had said) הָמָן֙ (Haman) לִ֠שְׁקוֹל (to weigh out) עַל־ (upon) גִּנְזֵ֥י (the treasuries) הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (of the king) בַּיְּהוּדִיִּים (for the Jews) לְאַבְּדָֽם׃ (to destroy them).

8  וְאֶת־ (And) פַּתְשֶׁ֣גֶן (a copy) כְּתָֽב־ (of the writing) הַ֠דָּת (of the law) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) נִתַּ֨ן (was given) בְּשׁוּשָׁ֤ן (in Susa) לְהַשְׁמִידָם֙ (to destroy them), נָ֣תַן (he gave) ל֔וֹ (to him), לְהַרְא֥וֹת (to show) אֶת־ (-) אֶסְתֵּ֖ר (Esther) וּלְהַגִּ֣יד (and to tell it) לָ֑הּ (to her), וּלְצַוּ֣וֹת (and to lay the charge) עָלֶ֗יהָ (upon her) לָב֨וֹא (to come in) אֶל־ (to) הַמֶּ֧לֶךְ (the king) לְהִֽתְחַנֶּן־ (to implore favor) ל֛וֹ (from him) וּלְבַקֵּ֥שׁ (and to seek) מִלְּפָנָ֖יו (from before his face) עַל־ (concerning) עַמָּֽהּ׃ (her people).

9  וַיָּב֖וֹא (And came) הֲתָ֑ךְ (Hathach) וַיַּגֵּ֣ד (and told) לְאֶסְתֵּ֔ר (to Esther) אֵ֖ת (-) דִּבְרֵ֥י (the words) מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ (of Mordecai).

10  וַתֹּ֤אמֶר (And spoke) אֶסְתֵּר֙ (Esther) לַהֲתָ֔ךְ (to Hathach) וַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּ (and commanded him) אֶֽל־ (unto) מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ (Mordecai): 11  כָּל־ (All) עַבְדֵ֣י (the servants) הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ (of the king) וְעַם־ (and the people) מְדִינ֨וֹת (of the provinces) הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ (of the king) יֽוֹדְעִ֗ים (know) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (that) כָּל־ (any) אִ֣ישׁ (man) וְאִשָּׁ֡ה (or woman) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (who) יָבֽוֹא־ (comes in) אֶל־ (to) הַמֶּלֶךְ֩ (the king) אֶל־ (into) הֶחָצֵ֨ר (the court) הַפְּנִימִ֜ית (inner), אֲשֶׁ֣ר (who) לֹֽא־ (not) יִקָּרֵ֗א (has been called)— אַחַ֤ת (there is one) דָּתוֹ֙ (law) לְהָמִ֔ית (to put him to death) לְ֠בַד (except) מֵאֲשֶׁ֨ר (to whom) יֽוֹשִׁיט־ (extends) ל֥וֹ (to him) הַמֶּ֛לֶךְ (the king) אֶת־ (-) שַׁרְבִ֥יט (the scepter) הַזָּהָ֖ב (of gold), וְחָיָ֑ה (and he shall live). וַאֲנִ֗י (And I) לֹ֤א (not) נִקְרֵ֙אתי֙ (I have been called) לָב֣וֹא (to come in) אֶל־ (to) הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ (the king) זֶ֖ה (these) שְׁלוֹשִׁ֥ים (thirty) יֽוֹם׃ (days).

12  וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ (And they told) לְמָרְדֳּכָ֔י (to Mordecai) אֵ֖ת (-) דִּבְרֵ֥י (the words) אֶסְתֵּֽר׃פ (of Esther). 13  וַיֹּ֥אמֶר (And said) מָרְדֳּכַ֖י (Mordecai) לְהָשִׁ֣יב (to return) אֶל־ (to) אֶסְתֵּ֑ר (Esther), אַל־ (Not) תְּדַמִּ֣י (should you think) בְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְ (in your soul) לְהִמָּלֵ֥ט (to escape) בֵּית־ (in the house) הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (of the king) מִכָּל־ (more than all) הַיְּהוּדִֽים׃ (the Jews). 14  כִּ֣י (For) אִם־ (if) הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ (to keep silent) תַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ (you would be silent) בָּעֵ֣ת (at the time) הַזֹּאת֒ (this), רֶ֣וַח (relief) וְהַצָּלָ֞ה (and deliverance) יַעֲמ֤וֹד (will arise) לַיְּהוּדִים֙ (for the Jews) מִמָּק֣וֹם (from a place) אַחֵ֔ר (another), וְאַ֥תְּ (and you) וּבֵית־ (and the house) אָבִ֖יךְ (of your father) תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ (will perish). וּמִ֣י (And who) יוֹדֵ֔עַ (knows) אִם־ (if perhaps) לְעֵ֣ת (for a time) כָּזֹ֔את (like this) הִגַּ֖עַתְּ (you have come) לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃ (to the kingdom)?

15  וַתֹּ֥אמֶר (And said) אֶסְתֵּ֖ר (Esther) לְהָשִׁ֥יב (to return) אֶֽל־ (to) מָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ (Mordecai): 16  לֵךְ֩ (Go), כְּנ֨וֹס (gather) אֶת־ (-) כָּל־ (all) הַיְּהוּדִ֜ים (the Jews) הַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣ים (who are found) בְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ן (in Susa), וְצ֣וּמוּ (and fast) עָ֠לַי (over me), וְאַל־ (and not) תֹּאכְל֨וּ (shall you⁺ eat) וְאַל־ (and not) תִּשְׁתּ֜וּ (shall you⁺ drink) שְׁלֹ֤שֶׁת (for three) יָמִים֙ (days), לַ֣יְלָה (night) וָי֔וֹם (and day). גַּם־ (Also) אֲנִ֥י (I) וְנַעֲרֹתַ֖י (and my young women) אָצ֣וּם (will fast) כֵּ֑ן (likewise), וּבְכֵ֞ן (and with this) אָב֤וֹא (I will go) אֶל־ (to) הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ (the king) אֲשֶׁ֣ר (which) לֹֽא־ (is not) כַדָּ֔ת (according to the law). וְכַאֲשֶׁ֥ר (And if) אָבַ֖דְתִּי (I perish), אָבָֽדְתִּי׃ (I perish)!

17  וַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖ר (And passed by) מָרְדֳּכָ֑י (Mordecai) וַיַּ֕עַשׂ (and did) כְּכֹ֛ל (according to all) אֲשֶׁר־ (that) צִוְּתָ֥ה (commanded) עָלָ֖יו (to him) אֶסְתֵּֽר׃ס (Esther).