The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews

8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman,^(A) the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. ² The king took off his signet ring,^(B) which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.^(C)

³ Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite,^(D) which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ Then the king extended the gold scepter^(E) to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

⁵ “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor^(F) and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶ For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”^(G)

⁷ King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled^(H) him on the pole he set up. ⁸ Now write another decree^(I) in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal^(J) it with the king’s signet ring^(K)—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”^(L)

⁹ At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.^[a](M) These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.^{(N) 10} Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

¹¹ The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,^[b] and to plunder^(O) the property of their enemies. ¹² The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.^{(P) 13} A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day^(Q) to avenge themselves on their enemies.

¹⁴ The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.^(R)

The Triumph of the Jews

¹⁵ When Mordecai^(S) left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold^(T) and a purple robe of fine linen.^(U) And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.^{(V) 16} For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy,^(W) gladness and honor.^{(X) 17} In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy^(Y) and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear^(Z) of the Jews had seized them.^(AA)

¹ The elder,^(A)

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

² Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. ³ It gave me great joy when some believers^(B) came and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.^{(C) 4} I have no greater joy than to hear that my children^(D) are walking in the truth.^(E)

⁵ Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters,^[a](F) even though they are strangers to you.^{(G) 6} They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way^(H) in a manner that honors^(I) God. ⁷ It was for the sake of the Name^(J) that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.^{(K) 8} We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.

⁹ I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will not welcome us. ¹⁰ So when I come,^(L) I will call attention to what he is doing, spreading malicious nonsense about us. Not satisfied with that, he even refuses to welcome other believers.^(M) He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.^(N)

¹¹ Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.^(O) Anyone who does what is good is from God.^(P) Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.^{(Q) 12} Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone^(R)—and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true.^(S)

¹³ I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. ¹⁴ I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.^(T)

¹⁵ Peace to you.^(U) The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name.^(V)