Esther 4:16

Fasting Courage and strength Fellowship and the church Faith

¹⁴ For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows if perhaps you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:

“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”

¹⁷ So Mordecai went and did all that Esther had instructed him.

Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”
KJV: 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.
WEB: “Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa, and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.”
ASV: 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 in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
DARBY: Go, gather together all the Jews that are found in Shushan, and fast 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.
BLB: “Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast over me, and you⁺ shall not eat and you⁺ shall not drink [for] three days, night and day. Also I and my young women will fast likewise, and with this I will go to the king, which [is] not according to the law. And if I perish, I perish!”

ÅB: Gå avsted og få samlet alle jøder som finnes i Susan, og hold faste for min skyld, så dere hverken spiser eller drikker noe i tre døgn, natt eller dag! Jeg og mine unge piker vil også faste på samme måte. Og så vil jeg gå inn til kongen, enda det ikke er etter loven. Skal jeg da omkomme, så får jeg omkomme.
OTB: "Gå, samle alle jødene som er i Susa, og fast for meg. Ikke spis eller drikk på tre dager, natt eller dag. Jeg og mine tjenere vil faste som dere gjør. Etter det vil jeg gå til kongen, selv om det er mot loven. Og hvis jeg omkommer, så omkommer jeg."
B1930: Gå avsted og få samlet alle jøder som finnes i Susan, og hold faste for min skyld, så I hverken eter eller drikker noget i tre døgn, natt eller dag! Jeg og mine unge piker vil også faste på samme måte. Og så vil jeg gå inn til kongen, enda det ikke er efter loven. Skal jeg da omkomme, så får jeg omkomme.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Acts 20:24
But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Read in context
2 Chronicles 20:3
Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.
Read in context
Joel 2:12–17
“Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”
Read in context
Luke 9:24
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.
Read in context
Genesis 18:19
For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has promised.”
Read in context
2 Samuel 10:12
Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and for the cities of our God. May the LORD do what is good in His sight.”
Read in context
Jonah 3:4–9
On the first day of his journey, Jonah set out into the city and proclaimed, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned!”
Read in context
Joshua 24:15
But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!”
Read in context