Esther 10
Lexham English Bible
Title
10 King Ahasuerus imposed forced labor on the land and islands of the sea. 2 All the work of his authority and his powerful deeds,[a] and the full accounting of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written on the scroll of the chronicles[b] of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second-in-command to King Ahasuerus. He was great for the Jews and popular with many of his brothers, for he sought good for his people, interceding for the welfare of all his descendants.[c]
Footnotes
- Esther 10:2 Literally “power”
- Esther 10:2 Literally “the events of the days”
- Esther 10:3 Literally “spoke peace for all his offspring”
Esther 10
Expanded Bible
The Greatness of Mordecai
10 King ·Xerxes [L Ahasuerus] demanded ·taxes everywhere, even from the cities [tribute on the land and] on the seacoast. 2 And all the great ·things [achievements] ·Xerxes [L Ahasuerus] did by his ·power [authority] and strength ·are [L are they not…?] written in the ·record books [chronicles; annals] of the kings of Media and Persia. Also written in those record books are all the things done by Mordecai, whom the king made great. 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in importance to King ·Xerxes [L Ahasuerus], and he was ·the most important man [great; powerful; preeminent] among the Jews. His fellow Jews ·respected [admired; esteemed] him very much, because he ·worked for [L sought] the good of his people and ·spoke up [interceded; advocated] for the ·safety [welfare; L peace] of all the Jews.
Esther 10
King James Version
10 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.
2 And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
3 For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
Esther 10
The Voice
In all of Jewish history, Esther’s story is unique. Her meteoric rise from common Jewish girl to queen of the vast Persian Empire is evidence that God can use some unlikely characters. In this case, He uses Esther to halt a terrible injustice and to settle an ancient score. To be used by God in any capacity, however, requires courage; it requires taking a risk. In Esther’s case, she risks her own life in order to save her people, and in a greater sense to ensure that the story of redemption continues.
The world has always endured times of great injustice, times of great need. Yet God is at work, transforming sorrow to joy, shame to honor, and injustice to justice. Each person is called to impact the age in which he or she lives.
10 Across his empire, on the land and along the coasts, King Ahasuerus imposed taxation upon the people. 2 All of King Ahasuerus’ accomplishments, as well as the great work of Mordecai, whom the king promoted, are written down in the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia. 3 For Mordecai the Jew became second-in-command to King Ahasuerus, and he was highly revered among the Jews because he worked for the prosperity of his people and was an advocate for their well-being.
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The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.