WEB

Esther 4

News of the decree reaches Mordecai, who tears his clothes, dons sackcloth, and wails in the middle of the city. Jews across every province mourn and fast. Esther, sealed inside the palace, does not yet know the danger; she sends clothes, then a messenger, to learn what has broken her cousin. Through the eunuch Hathach, Mordecai relays the decree and a demand: she must go to the king. Esther objects that approaching uninvited means death unless he extends the golden scepter, and she has not been summoned in thirty days.

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Esther 4 (WEB)

1
Now when Mordecai found out all that was done, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, and wailed loudly and bitterly.
2
He came even before the king’s gate, for no one is allowed inside the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.
3
In every province, wherever 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.
4
Esther’s maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordecai, to replace his sackcloth, but he didn’t receive it.
5
Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was, and why it was.
6
So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king’s gate.
7
Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
8
He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king to make supplication to him, and to make request before him for her people.
9
Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.
10
Then Esther spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message to Mordecai:
11
“All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter, that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days.”
12
They told Esther’s words to Mordecai.
13
Then Mordecai asked them to return this answer to Esther: “Don’t think to yourself that you will escape in the king’s house any more than all the Jews.
14
For if you remain silent now, then relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
15
Then Esther asked them to answer Mordecai,
16
“Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
17
So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

Ester 4 (RV1909)

1
LUEGO que supo Mardochêo todo lo que se había hecho, rasgó sus vestidos, y vistióse de saco y de ceniza, y fuése por medio de la ciudad clamando con grande y amargo clamor.
2
Y vino hasta delante de la puerta del rey: porque no era lícito pasar adentro de la puerta del rey con vestido de saco.
3
Y en cada provincia y lugar donde el mandamiento del rey y su decreto llegaba, tenían los Judíos grande luto, y ayuno, y lloro, y lamentación: saco y ceniza era la cama de muchos.
4
Y vinieron las doncellas de Esther y sus eunucos, y dijéronselo: y la reina tuvo gran dolor, y envió vestidos para hacer vestir á Mardochêo, y hacerle quitar el saco de sobre él; mas él no los recibió.
5
Entonces Esther llamó á Atach, uno de los eunucos del rey, que él había hecho estar delante de ella, y mandólo á Mardochêo, con orden de saber qué era aquello, y por qué.
6
Salió pues Atach á Mardochêo, á la plaza de la ciudad que estaba delante de la puerta del rey.
7
Y Mardochêo le declaró todo lo que le había acontecido, y dióle noticia de la plata que Amán había dicho que pesaría para los tesoros del rey por razón de los Judíos, para destruirlos.
8
Dióle también la copia de la escritura del decreto que había sido dado en Susán para que fuesen destruídos, á fin de que la mostrara á Esther y se lo declarase, y le encargara que fuese al rey á suplicarle, y á pedir delante de él por su pueblo.
9
Y vino Atach, y contó á Esther las palabras de Mardochêo.
10
Entonces Esther dijo á Atach, y mandóle decir á Mardochêo:
11
Todos los siervos del rey, y el pueblo de las provincias del rey saben, que cualquier hombre ó mujer que entra al rey al patio de adentro sin ser llamado, por una sola ley ha de morir: salvo aquel á quien el rey extendiere el cetro de oro, el cual vivirá: y yo no he sido llamada para entrar al rey estos treinta días.
12
Y dijeron á Mardochêo las palabras de Esther.
13
Entonces dijo Mardochêo que respondiesen á Esther: No pienses en tu alma, que escaparás en la casa del rey más que todos los Judíos:
14
Porque si absolutamente callares en este tiempo, respiro y libertación tendrán los Judíos de otra parte; mas tú y la casa de tu padre pereceréis. ¿Y quién sabe si para esta hora te han hecho llegar al reino?
15
Y Esther dijo que respondiesen á Mardochêo:
16
Ve, y junta á todos los Judíos que se hallan en Susán, y ayunad por mí, y no comáis ni bebáis en tres días, noche ni día: yo también con mis doncellas ayunaré igualmente, y así entraré al rey, aunque no sea conforme á la ley; y si perezco, que perezca.
17
Entonces se fué Mardochêo, é hizo conforme á todo lo que le mandó Esther.

For such a time as this

The chapter turns on Mordecai's reply (v.13-14): deliverance for the Jews will come from "another place" whether or not Esther acts, but she and her father's house will perish if she stays silent. Then the book's most famous line: "Who knows if you haven't come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"

Esther's answer reframes everything. She calls a three-day fast in Susa, aligns herself with her people she once hid from, and resolves to break the law: "if I perish, I perish" (v.16). The hidden queen chooses to be counted as a Jew.

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Fasting in the Bible is going without food to turn toward God with urgency. From Esther's three-day fast to Jesus in the wilderness, it pairs hunger with prayer and humility rather than performance.

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