Esther 4 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

When Mordecai learned everything that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, crying out in loud, bitter anguish.

He went as far as the king's gate — but no further, because no one was allowed to enter the king's gate wearing sackcloth.

In every province where the king's command and decree reached, there was deep mourning among the Jewish people — fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

When Esther's attendants and eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he wouldn't accept them.

Esther called Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs who had been assigned to serve her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what was going on and why.

Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's gate.

Mordecai told him everything that had happened — including the exact amount of silver Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jewish people.

He also gave him a copy of the written decree that had been issued in Susa for their annihilation, so he could show it to Esther and explain everything. He urged her to go to the king, beg for mercy, and plead with him for her people.

Hathach went back and reported Mordecai's words to Esther.

Then Esther sent Hathach back to Mordecai with this message:

"Everyone — all the king's servants and the people of the royal provinces — knows that there is one law for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned: death. The only exception is if the king extends his golden scepter — then that person may live. And I haven't been called to come to the king in thirty days."

When Mordecai was told what Esther said,

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: "Don't think that just because you're in the king's palace you'll escape this any more than the rest of the Jewish people.

Because if you stay silent right now, relief and rescue will come to the Jewish people from somewhere else — but you and your father's family will be destroyed. And who knows? Maybe you came to your royal position for exactly this moment."

Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:

"Go, gather all the Jewish people in Susa, and fast for me. Don't eat or drink for three days, night or day. My attendants and I will fast the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though it's against the law. And if I die, I die."

So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had instructed him to do.