King James Version

Esther 4

1When Mordecaiוּמָרְדֳּכַ֗יu.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782perceivedיָדַע֙ya.Da'H3045all that was doneנַעֲשָׂ֔הna.'a.SahH6213,Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַי֙ma.re.do.KhaiH4782rentוַיִּקְרַ֤עvai.yik.Ra'H7167his clothesבְּגָדָ֔יוbe.ga.DavH899,and put onוַיִּלְבַּ֥שׁvai.yil.BashH3847sackclothשַׂ֖קsakH8242with ashesוָאֵ֑פֶרva.'E.ferH665,and went outוַיֵּצֵא֙vai.ye.Tze'H3318into the midstבְּת֣וֹךְbe.TokhH8432of the cityהָעִ֔ירha.'IrH5892,and criedוַיִּזְעַ֛קvai.yiz.'AkH2199with a loudגְדֹלָ֖הge.do.LahH1419and a bitterוּמָרָֽה׃u.ma.RahH4751cryזְעָקָ֥הze.'a.KahH2201;

2And cameוַיָּב֕וֹאvai.ya.Vo'H935even beforeלִפְנֵ֣יlif.NeiH6440the king’sהַמֶּ֑לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428gateשַֽׁעַר־sha.'ar-H8179: for none mightenterלָב֛וֹאla.Vo'H935into the king’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428gateשַׁ֥עַרSha.'arH8179clothedבִּלְב֥וּשׁbil.VushH3830with sackclothשָֽׂק׃SakH8242.

3And in every provinceH4082,whithersoeverמְקוֹם֙me.kOmH4725the king’sהַמֶּ֤לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428commandmentדְּבַר־de.var-H1697and his decreeוְדָתוֹ֙ve.da.ToH1881cameמַגִּ֔יעַma.Gi.a'H5060, there wasgreatגָּדוֹל֙ga.dOlH1419mourningאֵ֤בֶל'E.velH60among the Jewsלַיְּהוּדִ֔יםlai.ye.hu.DimH3064,and fastingוְצ֥וֹםve.TzomH6685,and weepingוּבְכִ֖יu.ve.KhiH1065,and wailingוּמִסְפֵּ֑דu.mis.PedH4553;and manyלָֽרַבִּֽים׃La.ra.BimH7227layיֻצַּ֖עyu.Tza'H3331in sackclothשַׂ֣קsakH8242and ashesוָאֵ֔פֶרva.'E.ferH665.

4So Esther’sאֶסְתֵּ֤ר'es.TerH635maidsנַעֲר֨וֹתna.'a.RotH5291and her chamberlainsוְסָרִיסֶ֙יהָ֙ve.sa.ri.Sei.haH5631cameוַ֠תָּבֹאינָהva.te.vo.'ei.nahH935and toldוַיַּגִּ֣ידוּvai.ya.Gi.duH5046ither. Then was the queenהַמַּלְכָּ֖הha.mal.KahH4436exceedinglyמְאֹ֑דme.'OdH3966grievedוַתִּתְחַלְחַ֥לva.tit.chal.ChalH2342;and she sentוַתִּשְׁלַ֨חva.tish.LachH7971raimentבְּגָדִ֜יםbe.ga.DimH899to clotheלְהַלְבִּ֣ישׁle.hal.BishH3847Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֗יma.re.do.KhaiH4782,and to take awayוּלְהָסִ֥ירu.le.ha.SirH5493his sackclothשַׂקּ֛וֹsa.KoH8242from him: but he receivedקִבֵּֽל׃ki.BelH6901it not.

5Then calledוַתִּקְרָא֩va.tik.Ra'H7121Estherאֶסְתֵּ֨ר'es.TerH635for Hatachלַהֲתָ֜ךְla.ha.TakhH2047, oneof the king’sהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428chamberlainsמִסָּרִיסֵ֤יmi.sa.ri.SeiH5631,whom he had appointedהֶעֱמִ֣ידhe.'e.MidH5975to attendלְפָנֶ֔יהָle.fa.Nei.haH6440upon her, and gave him a commandmentוַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּva.te.tza.Ve.huH6680to Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782,to knowלָדַ֥עַתla.Da.'atH3045what it was, and why it was.

6So Hatachהֲתָ֖ךְha.TakhH2047went forthוַיֵּצֵ֥אvai.ye.Tze'H3318to Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782unto the streetרְח֣וֹבre.ChovH7339of the cityהָעִ֔ירha.'IrH5892, which wasbeforeלִפְנֵ֥יlif.NeiH6440the king’sהַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ha.Me.lekhH4428gateשַֽׁעַר־sha.'ar-H8179.

7And Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֔יma.re.do.KhaiH4782toldוַיַּגֶּד־vai.ya.ged-H5046him of all that had happenedקָרָ֑הוּka.Ra.huH7136unto him, and of the sumפָּרָשַׁ֣תpa.ra.ShatH6575of the moneyהַכֶּ֗סֶףha.Ke.sefH3701that Hamanהָמָן֙ha.ManH2001had promisedאָמַ֤ר'a.MarH559to payלִ֠שְׁקוֹלLish.kolH8254to the king’sהַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428treasuriesגִּנְזֵ֥יgin.ZeiH1595for the Jewsבַּיְּהוּדִ֖יםbai.ye.hu.di.yimH3064,to destroyלְאַבְּדָֽם׃le.'a.be.DamH6them.

8Also he gaveנִתַּ֨ןni.TanH5414him the copyפַּתְשֶׁ֣גֶןpat.She.genH6572of the writingכְּתָֽב־ke.tav-H3791of the decreeהַ֠דָּתHa.dotH1881that was givenנָ֣תַןNa.tanH5414at Shushanבְּשׁוּשָׁ֤ןbe.shu.ShanH7800to destroyלְהַשְׁמִידָם֙le.hash.mi.DamH8045them, to shewלְהַרְא֥וֹתle.har.'otH7200itunto Estherאֶסְתֵּ֖ר'es.TerH635,and to declareוּלְהַגִּ֣ידu.le.ha.GidH5046itunto her, and to chargeוּלְצַוּ֣וֹתu.le.tza.VotH6680her that she should go inלָב֨וֹאla.Vo'H935unto the kingהַמֶּ֧לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428,to make supplicationלְהִֽתְחַנֶּן־le.hit.cha.nen-H2603unto him, and to make requestוּלְבַקֵּ֥שׁu.le.va.KeshH1245beforeמִלְּפָנָ֖יוmi.le.fa.NavH6440him for her peopleעַמָּֽהּ׃'a.MahH5971.

9And Hatachהֲתָ֑ךְha.TakhH2047cameוַיָּב֖וֹאvai.ya.Vo'H935and toldוַיַּגֵּ֣דvai.ya.GedH5046Estherלְאֶסְתֵּ֔רle.'es.TerH635the wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697of Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ma.re.do.KhaiH4782.

10Again Estherאֶסְתֵּר֙'es.TerH635spakeוַתֹּ֤אמֶרva.To.merH559unto Hatachלַהֲתָ֔ךְla.ha.TakhH2047,and gave him commandmentוַתְּצַוֵּ֖הוּva.te.tza.Ve.huH6680unto Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ma.re.do.KhaiH4782;

11All the king’sהַמֶּ֡לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428servantsעַבְדֵ֣י'av.DeiH5650,and the peopleוְעַם־ve.'am-H5971of the king’sהַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428provincesמְדִינ֨וֹתme.di.NotH4082,do knowיֽוֹדְעִ֗יםyod.'ImH3045,that whosoever, whether manאִ֣ישׁ'ishH376or womanוְאִשָּׁ֡הve.'i.ShahH802,shall comeיָבֽוֹא־ya.Vo'-H935unto the kingהַמֶּלֶךְ֩ha.me.leKhH4428into the innerהַפְּנִימִ֜יתha.pe.ni.MitH6442courtהֶחָצֵ֨רhe.cha.TzerH2691,who is not calledיִקָּרֵ֗אyi.ka.Re'H7121, there isoneאַחַ֤ת'a.ChatH259lawדָּתוֹ֙da.ToH1881of his to put himto deathלְהָמִ֔יתle.ha.MitH4191,exceptלְ֠בַדLe.vadH905such to whom the kingהַמֶּ֛לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428shall hold outיֽוֹשִׁיט־yo.shit-H3447the goldenהַזָּהָ֖בha.za.HavH2091sceptreשַׁרְבִ֥יטshar.VitH8275,that he may liveוְחָיָ֑הve.cha.YahH2421:but I have not been calledנִקְרֵ֙אתי֙nik.Re.tiH7121to come inלָב֣וֹאla.Vo'H935unto the kingהַמֶּ֔לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428these thirtyשְׁלוֹשִׁ֥יםshe.lo.ShimH7970daysיֽוֹם׃YomH3117.

12And they toldוַיַּגִּ֣ידוּvai.ya.Gi.duH5046to Mordecaiלְמָרְדֳּכָ֔יle.ma.re.do.KhaiH4782Esther’sאֶסְתֵּֽר׃ פ'es.TerH635wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יdiv.ReiH1697.

13Then Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכַ֖יma.re.do.KhaiH4782commandedוַיֹּ֥אמֶרvai.Yo.merH559to answerלְהָשִׁ֣יבle.ha.ShivH7725Estherאֶסְתֵּ֑ר'es.TerH635,Thinkתְּדַמִּ֣יte.da.MiH1819not with thyselfבְנַפְשֵׁ֔ךְve.naf.ShekhH5315that thou shalt escapeלְהִמָּלֵ֥טle.hi.ma.LetH4422in the king’sהַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekhH4428houseבֵּית־beit-H1004,more than all the Jewsהַיְּהוּדִֽים׃hai.ye.hu.DimH3064.

14For if thou altogetherהַחֲרֵ֣שׁha.cha.ReshH2790holdest thy peaceתַּחֲרִישִׁי֮ta.cha.ri.ShiH2790at this timeבָּעֵ֣תba.'EtH6256, thenshall there enlargementרֶ֣וַחRe.vachH7305and deliveranceוְהַצָּלָ֞הve.ha.tza.LahH2020ariseיַעֲמ֤וֹדya.'a.ModH5975to the Jewsלַיְּהוּדִים֙lai.ye.hu.DimH3064from anotherאַחֵ֔ר'a.CherH312placeמִמָּק֣וֹםmi.ma.KomH4725;but thou and thy father’sאָבִ֖יךְ'a.VikhH1houseוּבֵית־u.veit-H1004shall be destroyedתֹּאבֵ֑דוּto.Ve.duH6:and who knowethיוֹדֵ֔עַyo.De.a'H3045whether thou art comeהִגַּ֖עַתְּhi.Ga.'atH5060to the kingdomלַמַּלְכֽוּת׃la.mal.KhutH4438for sucha timeלְעֵ֣תle.'EtH6256as this?

15Then Estherאֶסְתֵּ֖ר'es.TerH635badeוַתֹּ֥אמֶרva.To.merH559themreturnלְהָשִׁ֥יבle.ha.ShivH7725Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָֽי׃ma.re.do.KhaiH4782this answer,

16GoH3212,gather togetherכְּנ֨וֹסke.NosH3664all the Jewsהַיְּהוּדִ֜יםhai.ye.hu.DimH3064that are presentהַֽנִּמְצְאִ֣יםha.nim.tze.'ImH4672in Shushanבְּשׁוּשָׁ֗ןbe.shu.ShanH7800,and fastוְצ֣וּמוּve.Tzu.muH6684ye for me, and neither eatתֹּאכְל֨וּto.khe.LuH398nor drinkתִּשְׁתּ֜וּtish.TuH8354threeשְׁלֹ֤שֶׁתshe.Lo.shetH7969daysיָמִים֙ya.MimH3117,nightלַ֣יְלָהLay.lahH3915or dayוָי֔וֹםva.YomH3117:I also and my maidensוְנַעֲרֹתַ֖יve.na.'a.ro.TaiH5291will fastאָצ֣וּם'a.TzumH6684likewise; and soH3651will I goאָב֤וֹא'a.Vo'H935in unto the kingהַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ha.Me.lekhH4428, which isnot according to the lawכַדָּ֔תkha.DatH1881:and if I perishאָבַ֖דְתִּי'a.Vad.tiH6,I perishאָבָֽדְתִּי׃'a.Va.de.tiH6.

17So Mordecaiמָרְדֳּכָ֑יma.re.do.KhaiH4782went his wayוַֽיַּעֲבֹ֖רvai.ya.'a.VorH5674,and didוַיַּ֕עַשׂvai.Ya.'asH6213according to all that Estherאֶסְתֵּֽר׃ ס'es.TerH635had commandedצִוְּתָ֥הtzi.ve.TahH6680him.

Commentaries on Esther 4

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