Haman’s Plot against the Jews

3 After these events King Ahasuerus ^(A)honored Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^(B)the Agagite, and ^(C)promoted him and ^[a]established his authority over all the officials who were with him. ² All the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate bowed down and paid ^[b]homage to Haman; for so the king had commanded regarding him. But ^(D)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid ^[c]homage. ³ Then the king’s servants who were at ^(E)the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “^(F)Why are you violating the king’s command?” ⁴ Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would ^[d]stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that ^(G)Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid ^[e]homage to him, Haman was filled with rage. ⁶ But he ^[f]considered it beneath his dignity to ^[g]kill Mordecai alone, for they had told him who the people of Mordecai were; so Haman ^(H)sought to annihilate all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were found throughout the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

⁷ In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, ^[h]Pur, that is the lot, was ^(I)cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, ^[i]until the twelfth month, that is ^(J)the month Adar. ⁸ Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; ^(K)their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not ^[j]comply with the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. ⁹ If it is pleasing to the king, let it be ^[k]decreed that they be eliminated, and I will pay ^[l]ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.” ¹⁰ Then ^(L)the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha ^(M)the Agagite, ^(N)the enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ And the king said to Haman, “The silver is ^[m]yours, and the people also, to do with them as you please.”

^12 (O)Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to ^(P)the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the officials of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written ^(Q)in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ Letters were sent by ^(R)couriers to all the king’s provinces ^(S)to annihilate, kill, and destroy all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, ^(T)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to ^(U)seize their possessions as plunder. ^14 (V)A copy of the edict to be ^[n]issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they would be ready for this day. ¹⁵ The couriers went out, speeded by the king’s ^[o]order while the decree was ^[p]issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, ^(W)the city of Susa was agitated.

^11 (A)Beloved, ^(B)I urge you as ^(C)foreigners and strangers to abstain from ^(D)fleshly lusts, which wage ^(E)war against the soul. ^12 (F)Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they ^(G)slander you as evildoers, they may ^[a]because of your good deeds, as they observe them, ^(H)glorify God ^(I)on the day of ^[b]visitation.

Honor Authority

^13 (J)Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent ^[c]by him ^(K)for the punishment of evildoers and the ^(L)praise of those who do right. ¹⁵ For ^[d](M)such is the will of God, that by doing right you ^(N)silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Act as ^(O)free people, and ^[e]do not use your freedom as a ^[f]covering for evil, but use it as ^(P)bond-servants of God. ^17 (Q)Honor all people, ^(R)love the brotherhood, ^(S)fear God, ^(T)honor the ^[g]king.

^18 (U)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and ^(V)gentle, but also to those who are ^[h]harsh. ¹⁹ For this finds favor, if for the sake of ^(W)conscience toward God a person endures ^[i]grief when suffering unjustly. ²⁰ For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if ^(X)when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.

Christ Is Our Example

²¹ For ^(Y)you have been called for this purpose, ^(Z)because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you ^(AA)an example, so that you would follow in His steps, ²² He who ^(AB)committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; ^23 [j]and while being ^(AC)abusively insulted, He did not insult in return; while suffering, He did not threaten, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ and He Himself ^[k](AD)brought our sins in His body up on the ^[l](AE)cross, so that we ^(AF)might die to ^[m]sin and live for righteousness; ^(AG)by His ^[n]wounds you were ^(AH)healed. ²⁵ For you were ^(AI)continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the ^(AJ)Shepherd and ^[o]Guardian of your souls.

Godly Living

3 ^(AK)In the same way, you wives, ^(AL)be subject to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be ^(AM)won over without a word by the behavior of their wives, ² as they observe your pure ^[p]and respectful behavior. ^3 (AN)Your adornment must not be merely the external—braiding the hair, wearing gold jewelry, or putting on apparel; ⁴ but it should be ^(AO)the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God. ⁵ For in this way the holy women of former times, ^(AP)who hoped in God, also used to adorn themselves, being subject to their own husbands, ⁶ just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, ^(AQ)calling him lord; and you have proved to be her children if you do what is right ^[q](AR)without being frightened by any fear.

^7 (AS)You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with ^[r](AT)someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.

Esther Learns of Haman’s Plot

4 When Mordecai learned of ^(A)everything that had been done, ^[a]he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. ² And he came as far as the king’s gate, for no one was to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth. ³ In each and every province where the command and decree of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with ^(B)fasting, weeping, and mourning rites; and many had sackcloth and ashes spread out as a bed.

⁴ Then Esther’s attendants and her eunuchs came and informed her, and the queen was seized by great fear. And she sent garments to clothe Mordecai so that he would remove his sackcloth from him, but he did not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king’s eunuchs, whom ^[b]the king had appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what this mourning was and why it was happening. ⁶ So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square, in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, and ^(C)the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the elimination of the Jews. ⁸ He also gave him ^(D)a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their annihilation, so that he might show Esther and inform her, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and plead with him for her people.

⁹ So Hathach came back and reported Mordecai’s words to Esther. ¹⁰ Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: ¹¹ “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who ^(E)comes to the king in the inner courtyard, who is not summoned, ^(F)he has only one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out ^(G)to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” ¹² And they reported Esther’s words to Mordecai.

¹³ Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴ For if you keep silent at this time, liberation and ^(H)rescue will arise for the Jews from another place, and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther Plans to Intercede

¹⁵ Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, ¹⁶ “Go, gather all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; ^(I)do not eat or drink for ^(J)three days, night or day. I and my attendants also will fast in the same way. And then I will go in to the king, which is not in accordance with the law; and if I perish, I perish.” ¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him.

^8 [a]To sum up, ^(A)all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, ^[b](B)loving, ^(C)compassionate, and ^(D)humble; ^9 (E)not returning evil for evil or ^(F)insult for insult, but giving a ^(G)blessing instead; for ^(H)you were called for the very purpose that you would ^(I)inherit a blessing. ¹⁰ For,

^13 (M)And who is ^[c]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? ¹⁴ But even if you should ^(N)suffer for the sake of righteousness, ^(O)you ^[d]are blessed. ^(P)And do not fear their ^[e]intimidation, and do not be in dread, ¹⁵ but ^[f]sanctify ^(Q)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready ^(R)to make a ^[g]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the ^(S)hope that is in you, but ^(T)with gentleness and ^(U)respect; ^16 [h]and keep a ^(V)good conscience so that in the thing in which ^(W)you are slandered, those who disparage your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. ¹⁷ For ^(X)it is better, ^(Y)if ^[i]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. ¹⁸ For ^(Z)Christ also ^[j]suffered for sins ^(AA)once for all time, the just for the unjust, so that He might ^(AB)bring us to God, having been put to death ^(AC)in the flesh, but made alive ^(AD)in the ^[k]spirit; ¹⁹ in ^[l]which He also went and made proclamation to the spirits in prison, ²⁰ who once were disobedient when the ^(AE)patience of God ^(AF)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of ^(AG)the ark, in which a few, that is, ^(AH)eight ^(AI)persons, were brought safely through the water. ^21 (AJ)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—^(AK)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God ^[m]for a ^(AL)good conscience—through ^(AM)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ^22 (AN)who is at the right hand of God, ^(AO)having gone into heaven, ^(AP)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.