Esther 8

1 On that day has King Ahasuerus given to Esther the queen the house of Haman, adversary of the Jews, and Mordecai has come in before the king, for Esther has declared what he [is] to her,

On that day did king Achashverosh give the house of Haman the adversary of the Jews unto Esther the queen: and Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.

2 and the king turns aside his signet, that he has caused to pass away from Haman, and gives it to Mordecai, and Esther sets Mordecai over the house of Haman.

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

3 And Esther adds, and speaks before the king, and falls before his feet, and weeps, and makes supplication to him, to cause the evil of Haman the Agagite to pass away, and his scheme that he had devised against the Jews;

And Esther spoke again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and wept, and besought him to do away the evil of Haman the Agagite, and his device which he had devised against the Jews.

4 and the king holds out to Esther the golden scepter, and Esther rises, and stands before the king,

And the king held out toward Esther the golden sceptre; and Esther arose, and stood up before the king;

5 and says, “If to the king [it be] good, and if I have found grace before him, and the thing has been right before the king, and I [am] good in his eyes, let it be written to bring back the letters—a scheme of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite—that he wrote to destroy the Jews who [are] in all provinces of the king,

And she said, If it be pleasing to the king, and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem proper before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to recall the letters, the device of Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he hath written to exterminate the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king.

6 for how do I endure when I have looked on the evil that finds my people? And how do I endure when I have looked on the destruction of my family?”

For how could I endure to look on the evil that is to befall my people? and how could I endure to look on the extermination of my kindred?

7 And King Ahasuerus says to Esther the queen, and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, the house of Haman I have given to Esther, and him they have hanged on the tree, because that he put forth his hand on the Jews,

Then said king Achashverosh unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, the house of Haman have I given to Esther, and him have they hanged on the gallows, because he had stretched out his hand against the Jews.

8 and you, write for the Jews, as [it is] good in your eyes, in the name of the king, and seal with the signet of the king—for the writing that is written in the name of the king, and sealed with the signet of the king, there is none to turn back.”

But ye write yourselves concerning the Jews, as it may be good in your eyes, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet-ring; for a writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's signet-ring, cannot be recalled.

9 And the scribes of the king are called, at that time, in the third month—it [is] the month of Sivan—in the twenty-third [day] of it, and it is written, according to all that Mordecai has commanded, to the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the governors, and the heads of the provinces, that [are] from Hodu even to Cush, one hundred twenty-seven provinces—province and province according to its writing, and people and people according to its tongue, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their tongue.

Then were called the king's scribes at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written all just as Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the governors and the princes of the provinces who were from India unto Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, unto every province according to its writing, and unto every people according to its language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

10 And he writes in the name of King Ahasuerus, and seals with the signet of the king, and sends letters by the hand of the runners with horses, riders of the dromedary, the mules, the young mares,

And he wrote in the name of king Achashverosh, and sealed it with the king's signet-ring, and he sent letters through means of the swift messengers on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:

11 that the king has given to the Jews who [are] in each and every city, to be assembled, and to stand for their life, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy the whole force of the people and province who are distressing them, infants and women, and their spoil to seize.

That the king had granted to the Jews who were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand forward for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to exterminate all the military strength of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to plunder their property as spoil,

12 In one day, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month—it [is] the month of Adar—

On one day in all the provinces of king Achashverosh, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

13 a copy of the writing to be made law in each and every province is revealed to all the peoples, and for the Jews being ready at this day to be avenged of their enemies.

A copy of the writing to be given out as a law in every province, was published unto all nations, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 The runners, riding on the dromedary, [and] the mules, have gone out, hurried and pressed by the word of the king, and the law has been given in Shushan the palace.

The swift messengers that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and hurried forward with the command of the king: and the law was given out at Shushan the capital.

15 And Mordecai went out from before the king, in royal clothing of blue and white, and a great crown of gold, and a garment of fine linen and purple, and the city of Shushan has rejoiced and been glad;

And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in a royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a cloak of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan was glad and joyful.

16 to the Jews has been light, and gladness, and joy, and honor,

For the Jews there was light, with joy and gladness, and honor.

17 and in each and every province, and in each and every city, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, gladness and joy [are] to the Jews, a banquet, and a good day; and many of the peoples of the land are becoming Jews, for a fear of the Jews has fallen on them.

And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's command reached with his law, there were joy and gladness for the Jews, entertainments and a feast-day: and many of the people of the land became Jews; for the dread of the Jews had fallen upon them.