Esther 4 When Mardocheus perceiued al that was done, he rente his clothes, and put on sacke clothe, & asshes, and went out into the middes of the citie & cried loud and lamentably,

Matthew⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹ When Mardocheus perceiued al that was done, he rente his clothes, and put on sacke clothe, & asshes, and went out into the middes of the citie & cried loud and lamentably, ² and came before the kinges gate: for there myghte no man entre wythyn the kynges gate, that hath sacke clothe on. ³ And in all landes and places, as farre as the kynges worde and commaundement extended there was greate lamentacyon among the Iewes, and many fasted, wepte, mourned, & laye in sacke clothes & in ashes. ⁴ So Esthers Damosels & her chamberlaynes, came & told it her. Then was the quene exceadingly astonyed. And she sent rayment, that Mardocheus shoulde put them on, and laye the sacke clothe from hym. But Mardocheus woulde not take them. ⁵ Then called Esther Hathath one of the kynges chamberlaynes (whyche stode before her) and gaue hym a commaundement vnto Mardocheus, that he myghte knowe what it were, & wherfore he dyd so. ⁶ So Hathath went forth to Mardocheus vnto the strete of the citye, whyche was before the kynges gate. ⁷ And Mardocheus told him of all that had happened vnto him, and of the summe of siluer that Haman had promysed to weye doune in the kinges chamber because of the Iewes for to destroy them: ⁸ and he gaue him the copy of the commaundement, that was deuised at Susan to destroy them, that he might shewe it vnto Esther, and to speake to her, and charge her, that she shoulde go into the kynge and make her prayer and supplicacion vnto hym for her people. ⁹ And when Hathath came in, & told Esther the wordes of Mardocheus, ¹⁰ Esther spake vnto Hathath, and commaunded hym to saye vnto Mardocheus: ¹¹ all the kynges seruauntes, and the people in the landes of the king know that whosoeuer commeth within the courte vnto the king, whether it be man or woman, which is not called, the commaundement is that the same shall dye immediatly, excepte the kinge holde oute the goulden scepter vnto him, that he maye lyue. As for me, I haue not bene called to come into the kyng, now this thirty dayes. ¹² And when Mardocheus was certifyed of Esthers worde ¹³ Mardocheus bad say again vnto Esther: thynke not to saue thyne owne lyfe, whyle thou arte in the kynges house before all Iewes: ¹⁴ for yf thou holdest thy peace at this tyme, then shall the Iewes haue helpe and delyueraunce out of another place, and thou and thy fathers house shalbe destroied. And who knoweth wheter thou art come to the kyngedome, for this tymes sake? ¹⁵ Esther bad geue Mardocheus this answere: ¹⁶ Go thou thy waye then, and gather together all the Iewes that are founde at Susan, and fast ye for me, that ye eat not & drinke not in thre dayes, nether day nor nyght. I & my Damosels wil fast lykewise, and so wil I go into the kynge contrary to the commaundement: yf I perish I peryshe. ¹⁷ So Mardocheus wente his way, and dyd all that Esther had commaunded him.