Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews

3 After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,^(A) elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles. ² All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor.

³ Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”^{(B) 4} Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply.^(C) Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.

⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged.^{(D) 6} Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way^(E) to destroy^(F) all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,^(G) throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.

⁷ In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur^(H) (that is, the lot^(I)) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month. And the lot fell on^[a] the twelfth month, the month of Adar.^(J)

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^(K) are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey^(L) the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them.^{(M) 9} If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents^[b] of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”^(N)

¹⁰ So the king took his signet ring^(O) 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^(P) 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^(Q) 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^(R)—young and old, women and children—on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,^(S) and to plunder^(T) 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.^(U)

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

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends,^(A) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(B) to abstain from sinful desires,^(C) which wage war against your soul.^{(D) 12} Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(E) and glorify God^(F) on the day he visits us.

¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(G) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(H) and to commend those who do right.^{(I) 15} For it is God’s will^(J) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^{(K) 16} Live as free people,^(L) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(M) live as God’s slaves.^{(N) 17} Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(O) fear God, honor the emperor.^(P)

¹⁸ Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(Q) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(R) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^{(S) 20} But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^{(T) 21} To this^(U) you were called,^(V) because Christ suffered for you,^(W) leaving you an example,^(X) that you should follow in his steps.

²³ When they hurled their insults at him,^(AA) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(AB) Instead, he entrusted himself^(AC) to him who judges justly.^{(AD) 24} “He himself bore our sins”^(AE) in his body on the cross,^(AF) so that we might die to sins^(AG) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^{(AH) 25} For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[b](AI) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(AJ) and Overseer of your souls.^(AK)

3 Wives, in the same way submit yourselves^(AL) to your own husbands^(AM) so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over^(AN) without words by the behavior of their wives, ² when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. ³ Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes.^{(AO) 4} Rather, it should be that of your inner self,^(AP) the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.^{(AQ) 5} For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God^(AR) used to adorn themselves.^(AS) They submitted themselves to their own husbands, ⁶ like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her lord.^(AT) You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

⁷ Husbands,^(AU) in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.

Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

4 When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes,^(A) put on sackcloth and ashes,^(B) and went out into the city, wailing^(C) loudly and bitterly. ² But he went only as far as the king’s gate,^(D) because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it. ³ In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them. ⁵ Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.

⁶ So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him everything that had happened to him, including the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.^{(E) 8} He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.

⁹ Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said. ¹⁰ Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai, ¹¹ “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned^(F) the king has but one law:^(G) that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter^(H) to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.”

¹² When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai, ¹³ he sent back this answer: “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. ¹⁴ For if you remain silent^(I) at this time, relief^(J) and deliverance^(K) for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”^(L)

¹⁵ Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast^(M) for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”^(N)

¹⁷ So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.

Suffering for Doing Good

⁸ Finally, all of you, be like-minded,^(A) be sympathetic, love one another,^(B) be compassionate and humble.^{(C) 9} Do not repay evil with evil^(D) or insult with insult.^(E) On the contrary, repay evil with blessing,^(F) because to this^(G) you were called^(H) so that you may inherit a blessing.^{(I) 10} For,

¹³ Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good?^{(K) 14} But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed.^(L) “Do not fear their threats^[b]; do not be frightened.”^{[c](M) 15} But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer^(N) to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope^(O) that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, ¹⁶ keeping a clear conscience,^(P) so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.^{(Q) 17} For it is better, if it is God’s will,^(R) to suffer for doing good^(S) than for doing evil. ¹⁸ For Christ also suffered once^(T) for sins,^(U) the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.^(V) He was put to death in the body^(W) but made alive in the Spirit.^{(X) 19} After being made alive,^[d] he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits^(Y)— ²⁰ to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently^(Z) in the days of Noah while the ark was being built.^(AA) In it only a few people, eight in all,^(AB) were saved^(AC) through water, ²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you^(AD) also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience^(AE) toward God.^[e] It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,^{(AF) 22} who has gone into heaven^(AG) and is at God’s right hand^(AH)—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.^(AI)