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2 Chronicles 28

Amplified Bible, 2015 (AMP)

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¹ A copy of the edict to be decreed as law in every province was published to all the peoples, so that they would be ready for this day.

² The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa. And while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was perplexed [by the unusual and alarming decree].

³ Now when Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes [in mourning], and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the center of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly.

⁴ He went [only] as far as the king's gate, because no one was to enter the king's gate dressed in sackcloth.

⁵ In each and every province that the decree and law of the king reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.

⁶ When Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and told her [what had happened], the queen was seized by great fear. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he would remove his sackcloth, but he did not accept them.

⁷ Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to find out what this issue was and why it had come about.

⁸ So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the [open] square of the city, which was in front of the king's gate.

⁹ Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, and the exact[1] amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.

¹⁰ Mordecai also gave him a copy of the text of the decree which had been issued in Susa for the Jews destruction, so that he might show Esther and explain it to her, and order her to go in to the king to seek his favor and plead with him for [the lives of] her people.

¹¹ Hathach came back and told Esther what Mordecai had said.

¹² Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai, saying:

¹³ All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court without being summoned, he has but one law, that he is to be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And as for me, I have not been summoned to come to the king for these [last] thirty days.

¹⁴ So they told Mordecai what Esther had said.

¹⁵ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews.

¹⁶ For if you remain silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father's house will perish [since you did not help when you had the chance]. And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [and for this very purpose]?"

¹⁷ Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,

¹⁸ Go, gather all the Jews that are present in Susa, and observe a fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids also will fast in the same way. Then I will go in to [see] the king [without being summoned], which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.

¹⁹ So Mordecai went away and did exactly as Esther had commanded him.

²⁰ On the third day [of the fast] Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace opposite his [throne] room. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the [main] entrance of the palace.

²¹ When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she found favor in his sight; and the king extended to her the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter.

²² Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you,[1] up to half of the kingdom."

²³ Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

²⁴ Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so that we may do as Esther says." So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

²⁵ As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, "What is your[2] petition? It shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done."

²⁶ Then Esther replied, "My petition and my request is this:

²⁷ if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to do as I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them; and tomorrow I will do as the king says [and express my request]."

#	AMP
1	A copy of the edict to be decreed as law in every province was published to all the peoples, so that they would be ready for this day.
2	The couriers went out hurriedly by order of the king, and the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa. And while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was perplexed [by the unusual and alarming decree].
3	Now when Mordecai learned of everything that had been done, he tore his clothes [in mourning], and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the center of the city and cried out loudly and bitterly.
4	He went [only] as far as the king's gate, because no one was to enter the king's gate dressed in sackcloth.
5	In each and every province that the decree and law of the king reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.
6	When Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and told her [what had happened], the queen was seized by great fear. She sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he would remove his sackcloth, but he did not accept them.
7	Then Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to find out what this issue was and why it had come about.
8	So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the [open] square of the city, which was in front of the king's gate.
9	Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, and the exact[1] amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
10	Mordecai also gave him a copy of the text of the decree which had been issued in Susa for the Jews destruction, so that he might show Esther and explain it to her, and order her to go in to the king to seek his favor and plead with him for [the lives of] her people.
11	Hathach came back and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
12	Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai, saying:
13	All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court without being summoned, he has but one law, that he is to be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And as for me, I have not been summoned to come to the king for these [last] thirty days.
14	So they told Mordecai what Esther had said.
15	Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not imagine that you in the king's palace can escape any more than all the Jews.
16	For if you remain silent at this time, liberation and rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father's house will perish [since you did not help when you had the chance]. And who knows whether you have attained royalty for such a time as this [and for this very purpose]?"
17	Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,
18	Go, gather all the Jews that are present in Susa, and observe a fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids also will fast in the same way. Then I will go in to [see] the king [without being summoned], which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.
19	So Mordecai went away and did exactly as Esther had commanded him.
20	On the third day [of the fast] Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace opposite his [throne] room. The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the [main] entrance of the palace.
21	When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she found favor in his sight; and the king extended to her the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the top of the scepter.
22	Then the king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you,[1] up to half of the kingdom."
23	Esther said, "If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him."
24	Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so that we may do as Esther says." So the king and Haman came to the banquet which Esther had prepared.
25	As they drank their wine at the banquet, the king said to Esther, "What is your[2] petition? It shall be granted to you. And what is your request? Even to half of the kingdom it shall be done."
26	Then Esther replied, "My petition and my request is this:
27	if I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to do as I request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare for them; and tomorrow I will do as the king says [and express my request]."

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