“If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”

[Illustration:  Mordecai in the king’s gate]

And the king took his ring from his hand, and gave it unto Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy, and said: 

“The people are given to thee to do with them as it seemeth good to thee.”

Then were the king’s scribes called, and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded, unto the king’s lieutenants, governors and rulers of every province, and to every people in the kingdom after their own language.  And it was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring.

And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy and to kill all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

IV

When Mordecai perceived all that was done, he 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 her about Mordecai.  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 the chamberlain whom the king had appointed to attend upon her, and sent him to Mordecai to know what it was, and why it was that he mourned.  And the chamberlain 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.

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy the Jews, to show it unto Esther, 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.

The chamberlain came and told Esther the words of Mordecai, and again Esther sent to Mordecai, saying: 

“All the king’s servants, and the people of the king’s provinces, do know, that for every one, whether man or woman, that shall come unto the king into the inner court, when he is not called, there is one law to put him to death; except those to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre; but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.”