Esther 8:3-5

New International Reader's Version

³ Esther made another appeal to the king. She fell at his feet and wept. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman, the Agagite. He had decided to kill the Jews. ⁴ The king reached out his gold scepter toward Esther. She got up and stood in front of him.

⁵ She said, “King Xerxes, I hope you will think what I’m asking is the right thing to do. I hope you are pleased with me. If you are, and if it pleases you, let an order be written. Let it take the place of the messages Haman wrote. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite. He planned to kill the Jews. He wrote orders to destroy us in all your territories.