Esther

8 On that day did King Ahasuerus give unto Esther the queen, the house of Haman the adversary of the Jews,—and Mordecai came in before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her.

2 And the king took off his signet-ring which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai,—and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Yet again spake Esther before the king, and fell down at his feet,—and wept and made supplication unto him to cause the mischief of Haman the Agagite to pass away, even the plot which he had plotted against the Jews.

4 And the king held out unto Esther, the golden sceptre,—so Esther arose, and stood before the king;

5 and said—If unto the king it seem good and if I have found favour before him and the thing be approved before the king, and I myself be pleasing in his eyes let it be written to reverse the letters plotted by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews, who are in all the provinces of the king.

6 For how can I endure to see the ruin that shall overtake my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

7 Then said King Ahasuerus unto Esther the queen, and unto Mordecai the Jew,—Lo! the house of Haman have I given unto Esther and him have they hanged upon the gallows, because he thrust forth his hand against the Jews.

8 Ye therefore write concerning the Jews as may seem good in your own eyes in the name of the king, and seal it with the king’s signet-ring,—for a writing which hath been written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet-ring none can reverse.

9 Then were called the king’s scribes at that time—in the third month, the same is the month Siwân, on the twenty-third thereof, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews and unto the satraps and pashas and rulers of the provinces which are from India even unto Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to their tongue,—and unto the Jews, according to their writing and according to their tongue;

10 and he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s signet-ring,—and sent letters by the hand of runners on horses, riding the swift steeds used in the king’s service, bred of the stud:

11 That the king had granted unto the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to cause to perish—all the force of the people and province who should distress them, their little ones and women,—and [to take] the spoil of them as a prey:—

12 upon one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus,—upon the thirteenth of the twelfth month, the same is the month Adar:

13 A copy of the writing to be given as an edict throughout every province, was published to all the peoples,—and that the Jews be ready against that day, to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 The runners that rode on the swift steeds used in the king’s service went forth being urged forward and pressed on by the word of the king,—and the edict was given in Shusan the palace.

15 And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a large diadem of gold and a mantle of fine linen and purple,—and the city Shusan was bright and joyful.

16 To the Jews had come light and joy,—and gladness and honour.

17 And in every province and in every city whithersoever the word of the king and his edict did reach joy and gladness had the Jews,—a banquet and a happy day,—and many from among the peoples of the land were becoming Jews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen upon them.