Esther 4 אֶסְתֵּר פרק ד׳

Masoretic Text, word by word with English glosses, the English verse beneath each. Open Esther 4 in the interlinear reader for transliteration, roots and notes.

1. 1

   וּמׇרְדֳּכַיand Mordecaiיָדַעhe knewאֶת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁרall whichנַעֲשָׂהwas doneוַיִּקְרַעand he toreמׇרְדֳּכַיMordecaiאֶת־בְּגָדָיוhis garmentsוַיִּלְבַּשׁand he was clothedשַׂקsackclothוָאֵפֶרand ashesוַיֵּצֵאand went outבְּתוֹךְamongהָעִירthe cityוַיִּזְעַקand cried outזְעָקָהa cryגְדוֹלָהgreatוּמָרָה׃and bitter

   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. 2

   וַיָּבוֹאand he cameעַדuntilלִפְנֵיbeforeשַׁעַר־הַמֶּלֶךְgate of the kingכִּיbecauseאֵיןthere is noלָבוֹאto comeאֶל־שַׁעַרto the gate ofהַמֶּלֶךְthe kingבִּלְבוּשׁin clothing ofשָׂק׃sackcloth

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

3. 3

   וּבְכׇל־מְדִינָהand in all provincesוּמְדִינָהand provinceמְקוֹםthe placeאֲשֶׁרwhichדְּבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְword of the kingוְדָתוֹand his ordersמַגִּיעַwas reachingאֵבֶלmourningגָּדוֹלgreatלַיְּהוּדִיםto the Jewsוְצוֹםand fastingוּבְכִיand weepingוּמִסְפֵּדand lamentationשַׂקsackclothוָאֵפֶרand ashesיֻצַּעis spreadלָרַבִּים׃by many people

   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.

4. 4

   (ותבואינה)[וַתָּבוֹאנָה]so they may comeנַעֲרוֹתthe maids ofאֶסְתֵּרEstherוְסָרִיסֶיהָand her eunuchsוַיַּגִּידוּand did declareלָהּto herוַתִּתְחַלְחַלand she agonizedהַמַּלְכָּהthe queenמְאֹדexceedinglyוַתִּשְׁלַחand she sentבְּגָדִיםgarmentsלְהַלְבִּישׁclothingאֶת־מׇרְדֳּכַיMordecaiוּלְהָסִירand to removeשַׂקּוֹhis sackמֵעָלָיוfrom with himוְלֹאand notקִבֵּל׃received

   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. 5

   וַתִּקְרָאand she calledאֶסְתֵּרEstherלַהֲתָךְHatachמִסָּרִיסֵיone of the eunuchs ofהַמֶּלֶךְthe kingאֲשֶׁרwhichהֶעֱמִידestablishedלְפָנֶיהָto the face ofוַתְּצַוֵּהוּand she commanded himעַל־מׇרְדֳּכָיupon Mordecaiלָדַעַתto knowמַה־זֶּהwhat is thisוְעַל־מַה־זֶּה׃and about what this

   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. 6

   וַיֵּצֵאand went outהֲתָךְHatachאֶל־מׇרְדֳּכָיto Mordecaiאֶל־רְחוֹבto the street ofהָעִירthe cityאֲשֶׁרwhichלִפְנֵיbeforeשַׁעַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ׃gate of the king

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

7. 7

   וַיַּגֶּד־לוֹand told to himמׇרְדֳּכַיMordecaiאֵת־כׇּל־אֲשֶׁרall thatקָרָהוּit had happened to himוְאֵתandפָּרָשַׁתthe exact amount ofהַכֶּסֶףthe moneyאֲשֶׁרwhichאָמַרsaidהָמָןHamanלִשְׁקוֹלto weigh outעַל־גִּנְזֵיupon the treasures ofהַמֶּלֶךְthe king[בַּיְּהוּדִים]on the Jewsלְאַבְּדָם׃to destroy them

   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. 8

   וְאֶת־פַּתְשֶׁגֶןand copy ofכְּתָב־הַדָּתwriting the lawאֲשֶׁר־נִתַּןwhich was givenבְּשׁוּשָׁןin Shushanלְהַשְׁמִידָםto destroy themנָתַןgaveלוֹto himלְהַרְאוֹתto showאֶת־אֶסְתֵּרEstherוּלְהַגִּידand that they might impartלָהּto herוּלְצַוּוֹתand to commandעָלֶיהָupon itלָבוֹאto comeאֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְunto the kingלְהִתְחַנֶּן־לוֹto seek favor himוּלְבַקֵּשׁand askמִלְּפָנָיוfrom before himעַל־עַמָּהּ׃upon its people

   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. 9

   וַיָּבוֹאand he cameהֲתָךְHatachוַיַּגֵּדand he toldלְאֶסְתֵּרto Estherאֵת־דִּבְרֵיthe words ofמׇרְדֳּכָי׃Mordecai

   And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

10. 10

    וַתֹּאמֶרand saidאֶסְתֵּרEstherלַהֲתָךְHatachוַתְּצַוֵּהוּand she commanded himאֶל־מׇרְדֳּכָי׃to Mordecai

    Again Esther spake unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordecai;

11. 11

    כׇּל־עַבְדֵיall servants ofהַמֶּלֶךְthe kingוְעַם־מְדִינוֹתand the people of the provinces ofהַמֶּלֶךְthe kingיֹדְעִיםknowingאֲשֶׁרwhichכׇּל־אִישׁevery manוְאִשָּׁהand a womanאֲשֶׁרwhichיָבוֹא־אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְshall come to the kingאֶל־הֶחָצֵרto the courtyardהַפְּנִימִיתthe innerאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־יִקָּרֵאwho is not calledאַחַתoneדָּתוֹhis lawלְהָמִיתthat he might be slainלְבַדaloneמֵאֲשֶׁרthan thatיוֹשִׁיט־לוֹextends himהַמֶּלֶךְthe kingאֶת־שַׁרְבִיטthe scepter ofהַזָּהָבthe goldוְחָיָהand he will liveוַאֲנִיand IלֹאnotנִקְרֵאתִיI was calledלָבוֹאto comeאֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְunto the kingזֶהthisשְׁלוֹשִׁיםthirtyיוֹם׃day

    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. 12

    וַיַּגִּידוּand did declareלְמׇרְדֳּכָיfor Mordecaiאֵת־דִּבְרֵיthe words ofאֶסְתֵּר׃Esther

    And they told to Mordecai Esther's words.

13. 13

    וַיֹּאמֶרand saidמׇרְדֳּכַיMordecaiלְהָשִׁיבto answerאֶל־אֶסְתֵּרto Estherאַל־תְּדַמִּיdo not imagineבְנַפְשֵׁךְin your selfלְהִמָּלֵטto escapeבֵּית־הַמֶּלֶךְhouse of the kingמִכׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִים׃from all the Jews

    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. 14

    כִּיbecauseאִם־הַחֲרֵשׁif surely be silentתַּחֲרִישִׁיyou will keep quietבָּעֵתat the timeהַזֹּאתthisרֶוַחreliefוְהַצָּלָהand the deliveranceיַעֲמוֹדit will ariseלַיְּהוּדִיםto the Jewsמִמָּקוֹםfrom placeאַחֵרotherוְאַתְּand youוּבֵית־אָבִיךְand house of your fatherתֹּאבֵדוּyou shall perishוּמִיand whosoיוֹדֵעַknowsאִם־לְעֵתif to timeכָּזֹאתsuchהִגַּעַתְּyou have reachedלַמַּלְכוּת׃the queenhood

    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?

15. 15

    וַתֹּאמֶרand saidאֶסְתֵּרEstherלְהָשִׁיבto answerאֶל־מׇרְדֳּכָי׃to Mordecai

    Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,

16. 16

    לֵךְgoכְּנוֹסgatherאֶת־כׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִיםall the Jewsהַנִּמְצְאִיםthose who were foundבְּשׁוּשָׁןin Shushanוְצוּמוּand fastעָלַיupon meוְאַל־תֹּאכְלוּand do not eatוְאַל־תִּשְׁתּוּand do not drinkשְׁלֹשֶׁתthreeיָמִיםdaysלַיְלָהnightוָיוֹםand dayגַּם־אֲנִיalso Iוְנַעֲרֹתַיand my maidsאָצוּםI will fastכֵּןthusוּבְכֵןand in suchאָבוֹאI will comeאֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְunto the kingאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹא־כַדָּתnot was according to the lawוְכַאֲשֶׁרand asאָבַדְתִּיperishedאָבָדְתִּי׃I have perished

    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. 17

    וַיַּעֲבֹרand went his wayמׇרְדֳּכָיMordecaiוַיַּעַשׂand he didכְּכֹלaccording to allאֲשֶׁר־צִוְּתָהwhich she had commandedעָלָיוupon himאֶסְתֵּר׃Esther

    So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.