THE BOOK OF ESTHER

 

Esther Chapter 8

1 ¶ On that day king Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman the enemy of the Jews to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had revealed his relationship to her.

2 And the king took off his ring, that he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther placed Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 ¶ And Esther spoke yet again to the king, and fell down at his feet, and begged him with tears to prevent the ruin planned by Haman the Agagite, and what he had plotted against the Jews.

4 Then the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

5 And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and the thing seems right to the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let letters be written to cancel the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces:

6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

7 Then king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he laid his hand on the Jews.

8 Write also concerning the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for no man can reverse what is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring.

9 Then the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their script, and in their language.

10 And he wrote in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by messengers on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:

11 In it the king granted the Jews who were in every city permission to gather themselves together, and to defend their lives, to destroy, to slay, and to wipe out, any armed force of the people and province that would attack them, including children and women, and to take the enemies’ goods as a spoil,

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

13 A copy of the writing was to be issued as a decree in every province, and as a proclamation to all people, and the Jews should be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 So the messengers riding the kings fast mules and camels went out, being hurried and urged on by the king’s commandment. And the decree was made in Shushan the capital.

15 ¶ And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a robe of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan cheered and rejoiced.

16 So the Jews had a dawn of new hope, gladness, joy, and honor.

17 And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews were delighted and glad, feasting and having a happy day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; because the fear of the Jews fell upon them.