Esther 8

1 On that day did king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' oppressor to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.

And in that day king Artaxerxes gave to Esther all that belonged to Aman the slanderer: and Mardochaeus was called by the king; for Esther had shown that he was related to her.

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

And the king took the ring which he had taken away from Aman, and gave it to Mardochaeus: and Esther appointed Mardochaeus over all that had been Aman's.

3 And Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device which he had devised against the Jews.

And she spoke yet again to the king, and fell at his feet, and implored [him] to do away the mischief of Aman, and all that he had done against the Jews.

4 And the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. And Esther arose and stood before the king,

Then the king stretched out to Esther the golden sceptre: and Esther arose to stand near the king.

5 and said, If it please the king and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem right to the king, and I be pleasing in his sight, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king's provinces.

And Esther said, If it seem good to you, and I have found favor [in your sight], let an order be sent that the letters sent by Aman may be reversed, that were written for the destruction of the Jews, who are in your kingdom.

6 For how shall I endure to see the evil that shall befall my people? and how shall I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

For how shall I be able to look upon the affliction of my people, and how shall I be able to survive the destruction of my kindred?

7 And king Ahasuerus said to queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he stretched forth his hand against the Jews.

And the king said to Esther, If I have given and freely granted you all that was Aman's, and hanged him on a gallows, because he laid his hands upon the Jews, what do you yet further seek?

8 Write ye then for the Jews as seems good to you, in the king's name, and seal [it] with the king's ring. For a writing that is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, cannot be reversed.

Write you also in my name, as it seems good to you, and seal [it] with my ring: for whatever [orders] are written at the command of the king, and sealed with my ring, it is not lawful to gainsay them.

9 Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the princes of the provinces which are from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.

So the scribes were called in the first month, which is Nisan, on the three and twentieth day of the same year; and [orders] were written to the Jews, whatever [the king had] commanded to the local governors and chiefs of the satraps, from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven satraps, according to the several provinces, according to their dialects.

10 And he wrote in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed [it] with the king's ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback riding on coursers, horses of blood reared in the breeding studs:

And they were written by order of the king, and sealed with his ring, and they sent the letters by the posts:

11 [stating] that the king granted the Jews that 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 power of the people and province that might assault them, [their] little ones and women, and to [take] the spoil of them for a prey,

wherein he charged them to use their [own] laws in every city, and to help each other, and to treat their adversaries, and those who attacked them, as they pleased,

12 upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, upon the thirteenth of the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

on one day in all the kingdom of Artaxerxes, on the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which is Adar.

13 That the decree might be given in every province, a copy of the writing was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

And let the copies be posted in conspicuous places throughout the kingdom, and let all the Jews be ready against this day, to fight against their enemies.

14 The couriers mounted on coursers [and] horses of blood went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the fortress.

So the horsemen went forth with haste to perform the king's commands; and the ordinance was also published in Susa.

15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a mantle of byssus and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted and was glad.

And Mardochaeus went forth robed in the royal apparel, and wearing a golden crown, and a diadem of fine purple linen: and the people in Susa saw [it] and rejoiced.

16 The Jews had light, and joy, and gladness, and honour.

And the Jews had light and gladness,

17 And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many among the peoples of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

in every city and province wherever the ordinance was published: wherever the proclamation took place, the Jews had joy and gladness, feasting and mirth: and many of the Gentiles were circumcised, and became Jews, for fear of the Jews.