1
On that dayKingAhasuerusgave the house of Haman, 1the enemy of the Jews, to QueenEsther ; and Mordecaicamebefore the king, for Esther had disclosed2what he was to her.
23The kingtookoff his signetringwhich he had takenaway from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And EsthersetMordecaiover the house of Haman.
3
Then Estherspokeagain to the king, fell at his feet, wept and implored him to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plotwhich he had devisedagainst the Jews.
44The kingextended the goldenscepter to Esther. So Estherarose and stoodbefore the king.
5
Then she said, "5If it pleases the king and if I have foundfavorbefore him and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the 6lettersdevised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jewswho are in all the king'sprovinces.
6
"For 7howcan I endure to see the calamitywhich will befall my people, and howcan I endure to see the destruction of my kindred ?"
7
So KingAhasuerussaid to QueenEsther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, 8I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and him they have hanged on the gallowsbecause he had stretched out his hands against the Jews.
8
"Now you write to the Jewsaas you seefit, in the king'sname, and 9seal it with the king'ssignetring ; for a decreewhich is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king'ssignetring10may not be revoked."
911So the king'sscribes were called at that time in the thirdmonth (that is, the monthSivan ), on the twenty-thirdbday; and it was written according to all that Mordecaicommanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the provinceswhich extended 12from India to cEthiopia, 127provinces, to 13everyprovince according to its script, and to everypeople according to their language as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language.
10
He wrote in the name of KingAhasuerus, and sealed it with the king'ssignetring, and sentletters by couriers on 14horses, riding on steedssired by the royalstud.
11dIn them the kinggranted the Jewswho were in each and everycity the right 15to assemble and to defend their lives, 16to destroy, to kill and to annihilate the entirearmy of any people or province which might attack them, includingchildren and women, and 17to plunder their spoil,
12
on 18oneday in all the provinces of KingAhasuerus, the thirteenth day of the twelfthmonth (that is, the monthAdar ).
1319A copy of the edict to be eissued as law in each and everyprovince was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for thisday to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14
The couriers, hastened and impelled by the king'scommand, went out, riding on the royalsteeds ; and the decree was given out at the citadel in Susa.
15
Then Mordecaiwent out from the presence of the king20in royalrobes of fblue and white, with a largecrown of gold and 21a garment of finelinen and purple ; and 22the city of Susashouted and rejoiced.
16
For the Jews there was 23light and gladness and joy and honor.
17
In each and everyprovince and in each and everycity, wherever the king'scommandment and his decreearrived, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, a feast and a g24holiday . And 25manyamong the peoples of the landbecameJews, for the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.
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