1 At|strong="H1004" that|strong="H3588" time|strong="H3117" King|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus gave|strong="H5414" the|strong="H6440" property of|strong="H4428" Haman|strong="H2001" the|strong="H6440" Jews|strong="H3064"’ enemy|strong="H6887" to|strong="H5414" Queen|strong="H4436" Esther. Mordecai|strong="H4782" was|strong="H1931" made|strong="H5414" one|strong="H1931" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428"’s personal|strong="H6440" advisers|strong="H6440", for|strong="H3588" Esther had|strong="H4428" disclosed|strong="H5046" his|strong="H5414" relationship to|strong="H5414" her|strong="H5414".
2 The|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428" also|strong="H4428" drew|strong="H5674" off|strong="H5493" his|strong="H5414" signet|strong="H2885" ring|strong="H2885", which|strong="H1004" he|strong="H1004" had|strong="H4428" taken|strong="H5493" from|strong="H5493" Haman|strong="H2001". He|strong="H1004" gave|strong="H5414" it|strong="H5414" to|strong="H5921" Mordecai|strong="H4782", and|strong="H4428" Esther placed|strong="H5414" Mordecai|strong="H4782" in|strong="H5921" charge|strong="H5921" of|strong="H4428" Haman|strong="H2001"’s property.
3 Then|strong="H1696" Esther sought|strong="H6440" another|strong="H3254" audience with|strong="H1696" the|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428" and|strong="H4428" fell|strong="H5307" at|strong="H5921" his|strong="H6440" feet|strong="H7272" and|strong="H4428" with|strong="H1696" tears|strong="H1058" begged|strong="H2603" him|strong="H6440" to|strong="H1696" avert|strong="H5674" the|strong="H6440" evil|strong="H7451" planned|strong="H2803" by|strong="H5921" Haman|strong="H2001" the|strong="H6440" Agagite and|strong="H4428" to|strong="H1696" frustrate his|strong="H6440" designs|strong="H4284" against|strong="H5921" the|strong="H6440" Jews|strong="H3064".
4 The|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428" held|strong="H4428" out|strong="H3447" to|strong="H6440" her|strong="H6965" the|strong="H6440" golden|strong="H2091" sceptre|strong="H8275", and|strong="H6965" she|strong="H6440" arose|strong="H6965" and|strong="H6965" stood|strong="H5975" before|strong="H6440" him|strong="H6440".
5 ‘If|strong="H1121" it|strong="H5921" seems|strong="H3605" best|strong="H2896" to|strong="H7725" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428",’ she|strong="H5921" said|strong="H1697", ‘and|strong="H1121" if|strong="H1121" I|strong="H5921" have|strong="H5869" won his|strong="H3605" favour|strong="H2580" and|strong="H1121" he|strong="H3605" thinks it|strong="H5921" right|strong="H3787", and|strong="H1121" if|strong="H1121" I|strong="H5921" please|strong="H2896" him|strong="H6440", let|strong="H7725" written|strong="H3789" orders|strong="H1697" be|strong="H1697" given to|strong="H7725" revoke|strong="H7725" the|strong="H3605" dispatches devised|strong="H4284" by|strong="H5921" Haman|strong="H2001" son|strong="H1121" of|strong="H1121" Hammedatha|strong="H4099" the|strong="H3605" Agagite, which|strong="H1697" he|strong="H3605" wrote|strong="H3789" ordering the|strong="H3605" destruction of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" who|strong="H3605" are|strong="H1121" in|strong="H5921" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s provinces|strong="H4082".
6 For|strong="H3588" how|strong="H3588" can|strong="H3201" I|strong="H3588" bear to|strong="H3201" look|strong="H7200" upon|strong="H7200" the|strong="H7200" evil|strong="H7451" that|strong="H3588" will|strong="H5971" come|strong="H4672" to|strong="H3201" my|strong="H7200" people|strong="H5971"? How|strong="H3588" can|strong="H3201" I|strong="H3588" bear to|strong="H3201" see|strong="H7200" their|strong="H7200" destruction|strong="H7451"?’
7 Then|strong="H2009" King|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus said to|strong="H7971" Queen|strong="H4436" Esther and|strong="H7971" to|strong="H7971" Mordecai|strong="H4782" the|strong="H5921" Jew|strong="H3064", ‘See|strong="H2009", I|strong="H5414" have|strong="H3027" given|strong="H5414" Esther the|strong="H5921" property of|strong="H4428" Haman|strong="H2001", and|strong="H7971" they|strong="H5921" have|strong="H3027" hanged|strong="H8518" him|strong="H5414" on|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" gallows|strong="H6086", because|strong="H5921" he|strong="H1004" laid|strong="H5414" hands|strong="H3027" upon|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" Jews|strong="H3064".
8 Now|strong="H3588" you|strong="H3588" write|strong="H3789" on|strong="H5921" behalf|strong="H5921" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H5921" Jews|strong="H3064", as|strong="H3588" seems|strong="H2896" best|strong="H2896" to|strong="H7725" you|strong="H3588", in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s name|strong="H8034" and|strong="H7725" seal|strong="H2856" it|strong="H5921" with|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s signet|strong="H2885" ring|strong="H2885". For|strong="H3588" a|strong="H3068" document|strong="H2856" that|strong="H3588" is|strong="H8034" written|strong="H3789" in|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s name|strong="H8034" and|strong="H7725" sealed|strong="H2856" with|strong="H5921" the|strong="H5921" king|strong="H4428"’s signet|strong="H2885" ring|strong="H2885" cannot be|strong="H8034" revoked|strong="H7725".’
9 On|strong="H7121" the|strong="H3605" twenty-third|strong="H6242" day|strong="H2320" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" third|strong="H7992" month|strong="H2320" (that|strong="H5971" is|strong="H1931" the|strong="H3605" month|strong="H2320" of|strong="H4428" Sivan|strong="H5510"), the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s secretaries were|strong="H5971" summoned|strong="H7121" and|strong="H3967" as|strong="H5704" Mordecai|strong="H4782" instructed|strong="H6680" an|strong="H7121" edict was|strong="H1931" issued|strong="H6680" to|strong="H5704" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064", to|strong="H5704" the|strong="H3605" satraps and|strong="H3967" provincial governors|strong="H6346" and|strong="H3967" the|strong="H3605" rulers|strong="H8269" of|strong="H4428" each|strong="H3605" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" one|strong="H3605" hundred|strong="H3967" twenty-seven|strong="H6242" provinces|strong="H4082" from|strong="H5704" India|strong="H1912" to|strong="H5704" Ethiopia|strong="H3568" in|strong="H4428" their|strong="H3605" own|strong="H5971" script and|strong="H3967" their|strong="H3605" own|strong="H5971" language|strong="H3956", and|strong="H3967" to|strong="H5704" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" in|strong="H4428" their|strong="H3605" own|strong="H5971" script and|strong="H3967" language|strong="H3956".
10 Mordecai|strong="H3789" wrote|strong="H3789" in|strong="H4428" the|strong="H7971" name|strong="H8034" of|strong="H1121" King|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus. He|strong="H3027" sealed|strong="H2856" it|strong="H8034" with|strong="H3027" the|strong="H7971" king|strong="H4428"’s signet|strong="H2885" ring|strong="H2885". Dispatches were|strong="H1121" sent|strong="H7971" by|strong="H3027" mounted|strong="H7392" couriers|strong="H7323" who|strong="H1121" rode|strong="H7392" the|strong="H7971" swift|strong="H7409", noble steeds|strong="H7409", bred of|strong="H1121" the|strong="H7971" royal|strong="H4428" studs.
11 In|strong="H5921" this|strong="H5414" way|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428" permitted|strong="H5414" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" who|strong="H3605" were|strong="H5971" in|strong="H5921" every|strong="H3605" city|strong="H5892" to|strong="H5921" gather|strong="H6950" together|strong="H6950" and|strong="H4428" make|strong="H5414" a|strong="H3068" stand|strong="H5975" for|strong="H5921" their|strong="H3605" life|strong="H5315", to|strong="H5921" destroy|strong="H8045", to|strong="H5921" kill|strong="H2026", and|strong="H4428" annihilate all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" armed forces|strong="H6696" of|strong="H4428" any|strong="H3605" people|strong="H5971" or|strong="H5892" province|strong="H4082" that|strong="H5971" might|strong="H5971" be|strong="H5315" hostile to|strong="H5921" them|strong="H5414", including|strong="H3605" their|strong="H3605" children|strong="H2945" and|strong="H4428" women, and|strong="H4428" to|strong="H5921" take|strong="H5414" their|strong="H3605" goods as|strong="H5315" plunder|strong="H7998"
12 throughout|strong="H3605" all|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" provinces|strong="H4082" of|strong="H4428" King|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus on|strong="H3117" that|strong="H3605" thirteenth|strong="H7969" day|strong="H3117" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" twelfth|strong="H8147" month|strong="H2320" (which|strong="H1931" is|strong="H1931" called Adar).
13 A|strong="H3068" copy|strong="H6572" of|strong="H3117" the|strong="H3605" edict|strong="H1881" was|strong="H1961" to|strong="H1961" be|strong="H1961" published|strong="H1540" as|strong="H3117" a|strong="H3068" decree|strong="H1881" in|strong="H3117" every|strong="H3605" province|strong="H4082" – publicly displayed|strong="H5414" so|strong="H1961" that|strong="H5971" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" might|strong="H5971" be|strong="H1961" ready for|strong="H3117" that|strong="H5971" day|strong="H3117" and|strong="H3117" avenge|strong="H5358" themselves|strong="H5414".
14 So|strong="H5414" the|strong="H5414" couriers|strong="H7323" who|strong="H4428" rode|strong="H7392" the|strong="H5414" swift|strong="H7409", noble steeds|strong="H7409" went|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318", hastened|strong="H1765" and|strong="H4428" impelled|strong="H1765" by|strong="H3318" the|strong="H5414" king|strong="H4428"’s commands|strong="H1697"!
15 and|strong="H4428" Mordecai|strong="H4782" had|strong="H4428" gone|strong="H3318" out|strong="H3318" from|strong="H3318" the|strong="H6440" presence|strong="H6440" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H6440" king|strong="H4428" in|strong="H4428" royal|strong="H4438" garments|strong="H3830" of|strong="H4428" violet|strong="H8504" and|strong="H4428" white|strong="H2353" and|strong="H4428" with|strong="H6440" a|strong="H3068" great|strong="H1419" crown|strong="H5850" of|strong="H4428" gold|strong="H2091" and|strong="H4428" with|strong="H6440" a|strong="H3068" robe|strong="H3830" of|strong="H4428" fine linen and|strong="H4428" purple|strong="H8504". The|strong="H6440" people of|strong="H4428" Susa|strong="H7800" shouted|strong="H6670" and|strong="H4428" were|strong="H1419" glad|strong="H8055".
16 To|strong="H1961" the|strong="H1961" Jews|strong="H3064" there|strong="H1961" came|strong="H1961" light and|strong="H8057" gladness|strong="H8057" and|strong="H8057" joy|strong="H8057" and|strong="H8057" honour|strong="H3366".
17 And|strong="H4428" in|strong="H5921" every|strong="H3605" province|strong="H4082" and|strong="H4428" city|strong="H5892", wherever|strong="H3605" the|strong="H3605" king|strong="H4428"’s command|strong="H1697" and|strong="H4428" decree|strong="H1881" came|strong="H5060", there|strong="H3117" was|strong="H1697" gladness|strong="H8057" and|strong="H4428" joy|strong="H8057" among|strong="H5921" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" and|strong="H4428" a|strong="H3068" holiday|strong="H2896". Many|strong="H7227" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" peoples|strong="H5971" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" earth professed to|strong="H5921" be|strong="H1697" Jews|strong="H3064", for|strong="H3588" fear|strong="H6343" of|strong="H4428" the|strong="H3605" Jews|strong="H3064" took|strong="H4428" possession of|strong="H4428" them|strong="H5921".