1 When Mordecai perceived 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;
2 And came even before the
king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with
sackcloth.
3 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.
(The Jews didn't try to make themselves look good in the sight of men but rather they humbled themselves before God, dressing in sackcloth and ashes ... I am unworthy ... "but please help me God.")
4 So Esther's maids and her chamberlains came and told it her. 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.
5 Then
called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had
appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to
know what it was, and why it was.
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordecai
unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate. 7 And
Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of
the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for
the Jews, to destroy them.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the writing of
the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto
Esther, and to declare it unto her, 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. 9 And Hatach came and told Esther the words
of Mordecai.
10 Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto
Mordecai; 11 All the king's servants, and the people of the king's
provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come
unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law
of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out
the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come
in unto the king these thirty days. 12 And they told to Mordecai
Esther's words.
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not
with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all
the Jews. 14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then
shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another
place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who
knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?
(Joseph was sent down to Egypt before his brethren and was put into the position before the famine so he could save Israel alive ... Esther is in a similar position.)
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, 16 Go, gather
together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me,
and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my
maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is
not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish. 17 So Mordecai went
his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
(Esther humbled herself by fasting ... turning to God for help. She didn't rush into to the king, dressed in finery ... She humbled herself first in the sight of God before going to the king.)