1 On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the
Jews’ enemy to Esther the queen. Mordecai came before the king; for Esther
had told what he was to her. 2 The king took off his ring, which he had
taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther set Mordecai over the house
of Haman. 3 Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his
feet, and begged him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the
Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the
king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose, and stood before
the king. 5 She said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in
his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his
eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman, the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the
king’s provinces: 6 for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come
to my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my relatives?
7 Then the king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the
Jew, See, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged on
the gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews. 8 Write you also
to the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the
king’s ring; for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed
with the king’s ring, may no man reverse. 9 Then were the king’s scribes
called at that time, in the third month Sivan, on the three and twentieth
day of it; and it was written according to all that Mordecai
commanded to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and princes of
the provinces which are from India to Ethiopia, one hundred twenty-seven
provinces, to every province according to the writing of it, and to every
people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and
according to their language. 10 He wrote the name of king Ahasuerus, and
sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by post on horseback, riding
on swift steeds that were used in the king’s service, bred of the stud:
11 in which the king granted the Jews who were in every city to gather
themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to kill, and to
cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault
them, their little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for
a prey, 12 on one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus,
namely, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is
the month Adar. 13 A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given
out in every province, was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews
should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 So the posts who rode on swift steeds that were used in the king’s
service went out, being hurried and pressed on by the king’s commandment; and
the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. 15 Mordecai went forth
from the presence of the king in royal clothing of blue and white, and with a
great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple: and the city
of Shushan shouted and was glad. 16 The Jews had light and gladness, and
joy and honor. 17 In every province, and in every city, wherever the
king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a
feast and a good day. Many from among the peoples of the land became Jews;
for the fear of the Jews was fallen on them.
World English Bible - Public Domain |
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