1
On that day[H3117] did the king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325]give[H5414] the house[H1004] of Haman[H2001] the Jews[H3064]' enemy[H6887] unto Esther[H635] the queen[H4436]. And Mordecai[H4782]came[H935]before[H6440] the king[H4428]; for Esther[H635] had told[H5046] what he was unto her.
2
And the king[H4428] took off[H5493] his ring[H2885], which he had taken[H5674] from Haman[H2001], and gave[H5414] it unto Mordecai[H4782]. And Esther[H635]set[H7760]Mordecai[H4782] over the house[H1004] of Haman[H2001].
3
And Esther[H635]spake[H1696] yet again[H3254]before[H6440] the king[H4428], and fell down[H5307]at[H6440] his feet[H7272], and besought[H2603] him with tears[H1058] to put away[H5674] the mischief[H7451] of Haman[H2001] the Agagite[H91], and his device[H4284] that he had devised[H2803] against the Jews[H3064].
4
Then the king[H4428] held out[H3447] the golden[H2091]sceptre[H8275] toward Esther[H635]. So Esther[H635]arose[H6965], and stood[H5975]before[H6440] the king[H4428],
5
And said[H559], If it please[H2896] the king[H4428], and if I have found[H4672]favour[H2580] in his sight[H6440], and the thing[H1697] seem right[H3787]before[H6440] the king[H4428], and I be pleasing[H2896] in his eyes[H5869], let it be written[H3789] to reverse[H7725] the letters[H5612]devised[H4284] by Haman[H2001] the son[H1121] of Hammedatha[H4099] the Agagite[H91], which he wrote[H3789] to destroy[H6] the Jews[H3064] which are in all the king[H4428]'s provinces[H4082]:
6
For how[H349] can I endure[H3201] to see[H7200] the evil[H7451] that shall come[H4672] unto my people?[H5971] or how[H349] can I endure[H3201] to see[H7200] the destruction[H13] of my kindred?[H4138]
7
Then the king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325]said[H559] unto Esther[H635] the queen[H4436] and to Mordecai[H4782] the Jew[H3064], Behold, I have given[H5414]Esther[H635] the house[H1004] of Haman[H2001], and him they have hanged[H8518] upon the gallows[H6086], because he laid[H7971] his hand[H3027] upon the Jews[H3064].
8Write[H3789] ye also for the Jews[H3064], as it liketh[H2896]you[H5869], in the king's name[H8034], and seal[H2856] it with the king's ring[H2885]: for the writing[H3791] which is written[H3789] in the king's name[H8034], and sealed[H2856] with the king's ring[H2885], may no man reverse[H7725].
9
Then were the king's scribes[H5608]called[H7121] at that time[H6256] in the third[H7992]month[H2320], that is, the month[H2320]Sivan[H5510], on the three[H7969] and twentieth[H6242] day thereof; and it was written[H3789] according to all that Mordecai[H4782]commanded[H6680] unto the Jews[H3064], and to the lieutenants[H323], and the deputies[H6346] and rulers[H8269] of the provinces[H4082] which are from India[H1912] unto Ethiopia[H3568], an hundred[H3967]twenty[H6242] and seven[H7651]provinces[H4082], unto every province[H4082] according to the writing[H3791] thereof, and unto every people[H5971] after their language[H3956], and to the Jews[H3064] according to their writing[H3791], and according to their language[H3956].
10
And he wrote[H3789] in the king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325]' name[H8034], and sealed[H2856] it with the king[H4428]'s ring[H2885], and sent[H7971]letters[H5612]by[H3027]posts[H7323] on horseback[H5483], and riders[H7392] on mules[H7409], camels[H327], and young[H1121]dromedaries[H7424]:
11
Wherein the king[H4428]granted[H5414] the Jews[H3064] which were in every city[H5892] to gather themselves together[H6950], and to stand[H5975] for their life[H5315], to destroy[H8045], to slay[H2026], and to cause to perish[H6], all the power[H2428] of the people[H5971] and province[H4082] that would assault[H6696] them, both little ones[H2945] and women[H802], and to take the spoil[H7998] of them for a prey[H962],
12
Upon one[H259]day[H3117] in all the provinces[H4082] of king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325], namely, upon the thirteenth[H7969]day[H3117] of the twelfth[H8147]month[H2320], which is the month[H2320]Adar[H143].
13
The copy[H6572] of the writing[H3791] for a commandment[H1881] to be given[H5414] in every province[H4082] was published[H1540] unto all people[H5971], and that the Jews[H3064] should be ready[H6264] against that day[H3117] to avenge[H5358] themselves on their enemies[H341].
14
So the posts[H7323] that rode[H7392] upon mules[H7409] and camels[H327] went out[H3318], being hastened[H926] and pressed on[H1765] by the king's commandment[H1697]. And the decree[H1881] was given[H5414] at Shushan[H7800] the palace[H1002].
15
And Mordecai[H4782] went out[H3318] from the presence[H6440] of the king[H4428] in royal[H4438]apparel[H3830] of blue[H8504] and white[H2353], and with a great[H1419]crown[H5850] of gold[H2091], and with a garment[H8509] of fine linen[H948] and purple[H713]: and the city[H5892] of Shushan[H7800]rejoiced[H6670] and was glad[H8056].
16
The Jews[H3064] had light[H219], and gladness[H8057], and joy[H8342], and honour[H3366].
17
And in every province[H4082], and in every city[H5892], whithersoever[H4725] the king's commandment[H1697] and his decree[H1881]came[H5060], the Jews[H3064] had joy[H8057] and gladness[H8342], a feast[H4960] and a good[H2896]day[H3117]. And many[H7227] of the people[H5971] of the land[H776] became Jews[H3054]; for the fear[H6343] of the Jews[H3054]fell[H5307] upon them.