⁵ and said, “If it pleases 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 it be written to revoke the ^(A)letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces.

³ Then Queen Esther answered and said, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.

⁸ If I have found favor in the sight of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and ^[a]fulfill my request, then let the king and Haman come to the ^(A)banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king has said.”

^12 (A)Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province ^(B)according to its script, and to every people in their language. ^(C)In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ And the letters were ^(D)sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, ^(E)in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and ^(F)to plunder their ^[a]possessions.

¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal ^(A)crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

⁴ Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.”

This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

²⁹ And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

¹⁶ For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, ^(A)except You go with us? So we ^(B)shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

¹³ Now therefore, I pray, ^(A)if I have found grace in Your sight, ^(B)show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is ^(C)Your people.”