1
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 shewn that he was related to her.
2
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 she spoke yet again to the king, and fell at his feet, and besought to do away the mischief of Aman, and all that he had done against the Jews.
4
Then the king stretched out to Esther the golden sceptre: and Esther arose to stand near the king.
5
And Esther said, If it seem good to thee, and I have found favour , 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 thy kingdom.
6
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 the king said to Esther, If I have given and freely granted thee all that was Aman's, and hanged him on a gallows, because he laid his hands upon the Jews, what dost thou yet further seek?
8
Write ye also in my name, as it seems good to you, and seal with my ring: for whatever are written at the command of the king, and sealed with my ring, it is not lawful to gainsay them.
9
So the scribes were called in the first-month, which is Nisan, on the three and twentieth day of the same year; and were written to the Jews, whatever 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 they were written by order of the king, and sealed with his ring, and they sent the letters by the posts:
11
wherein he charged them to use their laws in every city, and to help each other, and to treat their adversaries, and those who attacked them, as they pleased,