Esther 4:2-6

King James Version

²And came even before the king's gate: for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

³And 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.

⁴So 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.

⁵Then 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.

⁶So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was before the king's gate.

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Esther 4:2-6

New International Version

²But he went only as far as the king’s gate,^(A) because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. ³In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. ⁵Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

⁶So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate.

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Esther 4:2-6

English Standard Version

²He went up to the entrance of the king's gate, for no one was allowed to enter the king's gate clothed in sackcloth. ³And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, ^(A)with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them ^(B)lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴When Esther's young women and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. ⁵Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this was and why it was. ⁶Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate,

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Esther 4:2-6

New American Standard Bible

²And he came as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. ³In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with ^(A)fasting, weeping, and mourning rites; and many had sackcloth and ashes spread out as a bed.

⁴Then Esther’s attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her, and the queen was seized by great fear. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he would remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. ⁵Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom ^[a]the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this mourning was and why it was happening. ⁶So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square, in front of the king’s gate.