Ester's maidens and her eunuchs came and told her this, and the queen was exceedingly grieved. She sent clothing to Mordekhai, to replace his sackcloth; but he didn't receive it.
All his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. He said, *For I will go down to She'ol to my son mourning.* His father wept for him.
In every province, wherever the king's mitzvah and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Then Ester called for Hatakh, one of the king's eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordekhai, to find out what this was, and why it was.
Neither let the foreigner, who has joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, the LORD will surely separate me from his people; neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
Thus says the LORD: A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.
He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Kush, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Kushim, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Yerushalayim to worship.