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And king Ahasuerus spoke and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he that has filled his heart to do so?

And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.

And the king in his wrath rose up from the banquet of wine, [and went] into the palace garden; but Haman stayed to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

And the king returned out of the palace garden into the house of the banquet of wine, and Haman was fallen upon the couch on which Esther was. And the king said, Will he even force the queen before me in the house? The word went forth out of the king's mouth, and they covered Haman's face.

And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold, also, the gallows fifty cubits high, that Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good for the king, stands in the house of Haman. And the king said, Hang him on it!

10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. And the king's wrath was appeased.

On that day did king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews' oppressor to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was to her.

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

And Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device which he had devised against the Jews.

And the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. And Esther arose and stood before the king,

and said, If it please the king and if I have found grace before him, and the thing seem right to the king, and I be pleasing in his sight, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews that are in all the king's provinces.

For how shall I endure to see the evil that shall befall my people? and how shall I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

And king Ahasuerus said to queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he stretched forth his hand against the Jews.

Write ye then for the Jews as seems good to you, in the king's name, and seal [it] with the king's ring. For a writing that is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, cannot be reversed.

Then were the king's scribes called at that time, in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth [day] thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors, and the princes of the provinces which are from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people according to their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their language.

10 And he wrote in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed [it] with the king's ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback riding on coursers, horses of blood reared in the breeding studs:

11 [stating] that the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that might assault them, [their] little ones and women, and to [take] the spoil of them for a prey,

12 upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, upon the thirteenth of the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. The king got up in a rage,(A) left his wine and went out into the palace garden.(B) But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate,(C) stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch(D) where Esther was reclining.(E)

The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”(F)

As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.(G) Then Harbona,(H) one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits[a](I) stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!”(J) 10 So they impaled(K) Haman(L) on the pole(M) he had set up for Mordecai.(N) Then the king’s fury subsided.(O)

The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews

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

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,(S) which he had devised against the Jews. Then the king extended the gold scepter(T) to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor(U) 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. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”(V)

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(W) him on the pole he set up. Now write another decree(X) in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal(Y) it with the king’s signet ring(Z)—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”(AA)

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.[b](AB) 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.(AC) 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,[c] and to plunder(AD) 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.(AE)

Footnotes

  1. Esther 7:9 That is, about 75 feet or about 23 meters
  2. Esther 8:9 That is, the upper Nile region
  3. Esther 8:11 Or province, together with their women and children, who might attack them;