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El mismo día dio el rey Asuero a la reina Ester la casa de Amán enemigo de los judíos; y Mardoqueo vino delante del rey, porque Ester le declaró lo que era respecto de ella.

Y se quitó el rey su anillo que había vuelto a tomar de Amán, y lo dio a Mardoqueo. Y Ester puso a Mardoqueo sobre la casa de Amán.

Volvió luego Ester a hablar delante del rey, y se echó a sus pies, llorando y rogándole que hiciere nula la maldad de Amán agagueo, y su designio que había formado contra los judíos.

Entonces extendió el rey a Ester la vara de oro, y Ester se levantó, y se puso en pie delante del rey.

Y dijo: Si place al rey, y si he hallado gracia delante de él, y si la cosa es recta delante del rey, y si yo soy buena en sus ojos, sea escrito para revocar las cartas del designio de Amán hijo de Hamedata agagueo, que escribió para destruir a los judíos que están en todas las provincias del rey.

Porque ¿cómo podré yo ver el mal que alcanzará a mi pueblo? ¿Cómo podré yo ver la destrucción de mi nación?

Y respondió el rey Asuero a la reina Ester, y a Mardoqueo judío: He aquí yo he dado a Ester la casa de Amán, y a él han colgado en la horca, por cuanto extendió su mano contra los judíos.

Escribid pues vosotros a los judíos como bien os pareciere en el nombre del rey, y selladlo con el anillo del rey; porque la escritura que se escribe en el nombre del rey, y se sella con el anillo del rey, no es para revocarla.

Entonces fueron llamados los escribanos del rey en el mes tercero, que es Siván, a los veintitrés del mismo; y se escribió conforme a todo lo que mandó Mardoqueo, a los judíos, a los virreyes, a los capitanes, y a los príncipes de las provincias que había desde la India hasta Etiopía, ciento veintisiete provincias; a cada provincia según su escribir, y a cada pueblo conforme a su lengua, a los judíos también conforme a su escritura y lengua.

10 Y escribió en nombre del rey Asuero, y selló con el anillo del rey, y envió las cartas por correos de a caballo; caballeros en mulos, en mulos hijos de yeguas;

11 que el rey daba facultad a los judíos que estaban en todas la ciudades, que se juntaran y estuvieran a la defensa de su vida, prontos a destruir, matar, y acabar con todo ejército de pueblo o provincia que viniera contra ellos, y aun sus niños y mujeres, y que los saquearen,

12 en un mismo día en todas las provincias del rey Asuero, en el trece del mes duodécimo, que es el mes de Adar.

13 La copia de la escritura que había de darse por ley en cada provincia, para que fuera manifiesta a todos los pueblos, decía que los judíos estuvieran apercibidos para aquel día, para vengarse de sus enemigos.

14 Los correos pues, cabalgando en mulos; en mulos salieron apresurados y constreñidos por el mandamiento del rey; y la ley fue dada en Susa capital del reino.

15 Y salió Mardoqueo de delante del rey con vestido real de cárdeno y blanco, y una gran corona de oro, y un manto de lino y púrpura; y la ciudad de Susa se alegró y regocijó.

16 Los judíos tuvieron luz y alegría, gozo y honra.

17 Y en cada provincia y en cada ciudad donde llegó el mandamiento del rey y su ley, los judíos tuvieron alegría y gozo, banquete y día de placer. Y muchos de los pueblos de la tierra se hacían judíos, porque el temor de los judíos había caído sobre ellos.

On that day did HaMelech Achashverosh give the Bais Haman Tzorer HaYehudim (the estate of Haman the Vexer, Harasser, Enemy of the Jews) unto Ester HaMalkah. And Mordechai came before HaMelech; for Ester had told what he was unto her.

And HaMelech took off his taba’at (signet ring), which he had reclaimed from Haman, and gave it unto Mordechai. And Ester set Mordechai over the Bais Haman.

And Ester spoke yet again before HaMelech, and fell down at his feet, and she wept and made supplication to him to avert the rah of Haman HaAgagi and the machshevet of him (his scheme, i.e., final solution plan) that he had devised against the Yehudim.

Then HaMelech held out the sharvit hazahav (golden sceptre) toward Ester. So Ester arose, and stood before HaMelech,

And said, If it is tov to HaMelech, and if I have found chen (favor, grace) in his sight, and the thing seem kosher (fit, right, proper) before HaMelech, and I be tovah (pleasing) in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the seferim machashevet Haman (letters devised by Haman) ben Hamdata the Agagi, which he wrote to destroy the Yehudim which are in all the provinces of HaMelech;

For how can I endure to see the ra’ah that shall come unto Ami (my people)? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my moledet (kindred, Jewish kinsmen)?

Then HaMelech Achashverosh said unto Ester HaMalkah and to Mordechai HaYehudi, Hinei, I have given Ester the Bais Haman, and him they have hanged upon the etz, because he laid his hand against HaYehudim.

Write ye also in behalf of HaYehudim, as you please, b’shem HaMelech, and seal it with the taba’at (signet ring) of HaMelech; for the writing which is written b’shem HaMelech, and sealed with the taba’at (signet ring) of HaMelech may no man reverse.

Then were the soferim of HaMelech summoned at that time in the chodesh hashelishi, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and according to all that Mordechai ordered it was written unto HaYehudim, and to the satraps, and the governors and nobles of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the script thereof, and unto every people after their leshon, and to the Yehudim according to their script, and according to their leshon.

10 And he wrote b’shem HaMelech Achashverosh, and sealed it with the taba’at of HaMelech, and sent seferim by couriers on horseback riding thoroughbred royal steeds;

11 Wherein HaMelech granted the Yehudim which were in every city to assemble themselves together, and to engage in self-defense, to make shmad, to slay and to annihilate, any chayil (armed force) of any people or province that would attack them, both little ones and nashim, and to plunder their property

12 On yom echad in all the provinces of HaMelech Achashverosh, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

13 A copy of the edict was to be issued as dat (law) in every province and was galui (made known) unto kol ha’amim (all nationalities), and that the Yehudim should be atidim (ready, prepared, [see 3:14]) for yom hazeh to avenge themselves on their oyvim (enemies).

14 So the couriers that rode upon royal steeds went out, being hastened and pressed on by the devar HaMelech. And the dat (decree) was given at Shushan the capital.

15 And Mordechai went out from the presence of HaMelech in levush malkhut (royal robe, clothing) of blue and white, and with an ateret zahav gedolah (a great crown of gold), and with a tachrich (garment, robe, [see OJBC Mt 27:59]) of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan celebrated and rejoiced.

16 The Yehudim had orah (light), and simcha, and sasson, and yekar (honor).

17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the devar HaMelech and his dat came, the Yehudim had simcha and sasson, a mishteh (feast) and a yontef. And many of the people of the land mityahadim (became Yehudim); for the pachad HaYehudim fell upon them.

The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews

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. 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)

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. Then the king extended the gold scepter(E) to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

“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. For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”(G)

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. 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)

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)

Footnotes

  1. Esther 8:9 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Esther 8:11 Or province, together with their women and children, who might attack them;