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,^(A) which he had devised against the Jews.

⁷ During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions^(A) with fervent cries and tears^(B) to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard^(C) because of his reverent submission.^(D)

² Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord,

⁴ For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated.^(A) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.^[a]”

⁸ Then Haman said to King Xerxes, “There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs^(A) are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey^(B) the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.^{(C) 9} If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents^[a] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”^(D)

¹⁰ So the king took his signet ring^(E) from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ “Keep the money,” the king said to Haman, “and do with the people as you please.”

¹² Then on the thirteenth day of the first month the royal secretaries were summoned. They wrote out in the script of each province and in the language^(F) of each people all Haman’s orders to the king’s satraps, the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various peoples. These were written in the name of King Xerxes himself and sealed^(G) with his own ring. ¹³ Dispatches were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces with the order to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews^(H)—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,^(I) and to plunder^(J) their goods. ¹⁴ 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 they would be ready for that day.^(K)

¹⁵ The couriers went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.^(L) The king and Haman sat down to drink,^(M) but the city of Susa was bewildered.^(N)

²⁷ When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress,^(A) but the Lord has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”

²⁴ She fell at his feet and said: “Pardon your servant, my lord,^(A) and let me speak to you; hear what your servant has to say.