ng to the writing thereof, and to every people after
their language; in the name of King Ahasuerus was it written, and it
was sealed with the king's ring. And letters were sent by the king's
messengers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to slay, and to
cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and
women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey. A
copy of the writing, that the decree should {67} be given out in every
province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be ready
at that day. The king's messenger went forth in haste by the king's
commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace: and
the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was
perplexed.

Now when Mordecai knew 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 he came even before
the king's gate: for none might enter within 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. And
Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it her; and the
queen was exceedingly grieved: and she sent raiment to clothe
Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him: but he received it
not.

Then called Esther for Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom
he had appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to
Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was. So Hathach went forth
to Mordecai unto the public square of the city, which was before the
king's gate. And 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 Jews, to destroy them. Also he gave him the
copy of the writing {68} of the decree that was given out in Shushan
to destroy them, to show it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her;
and to charge her that she should go in to the king, to make
supplication unto him, and to make request before him, for her people.

And Hathach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai. Then Esther
spoke to Hathach, and gave him a message unto Mordecai, saying: "All
the king's servants, and the people of the king's