Mordecai Appeals to Esther

4 When Mordecai learned all that had occurred,^(A) he tore his clothes,^(B) put on sackcloth and ashes,^(C) went into the middle of the city, and cried loudly and bitterly.^{(D) 2} He went only as far as the King’s Gate,^(E) since the law prohibited anyone wearing sackcloth from entering the King’s Gate. ³ There was great mourning among the Jewish people in every province where the king’s command and edict^(F) reached. They fasted, wept, and lamented, and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.^(G)

⁴ Esther’s female servants and her eunuchs came and reported the news to her, and the queen was overcome with fear.^(H) She sent clothes for Mordecai to wear so that he would take off his sackcloth, but he did not accept them. ⁵ Esther summoned Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who attended her, and dispatched him to Mordecai to learn what he was doing and why.^{[a] 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 as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to pay the royal treasury for the slaughter of the Jews.^(I)

⁸ Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa ordering their destruction, so that Hathach might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and command her to approach the king, implore his favor, and plead with him personally for her people.^{(J) 9} Hathach came and repeated Mordecai’s response to Esther.

¹⁰ Esther spoke to Hathach and commanded him to tell Mordecai, ¹¹ “All the royal officials and the people of the royal provinces know that one law applies to every man or woman who approaches the king in the inner courtyard^(K) and who has not been summoned—the death penalty^(L)—unless the king extends the gold scepter, allowing that person to live.^(M) I have not been summoned to appear before the king^(N) for the last^[b] thirty days.” ¹² Esther’s response was reported to Mordecai.

¹³ Mordecai told the messenger to reply to Esther, “Don’t think that you will escape the fate of all the Jews because you are in the king’s palace. ¹⁴ If you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will come to the Jewish people from another place,^(O) but you and your father’s family will be destroyed. Who knows, perhaps you have come to your royal position for such a time as this.”^(P)

¹⁵ Esther sent this reply to Mordecai: ¹⁶ “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa and fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for three days,^(Q) night or day. I and my female servants will also fast^(R) in the same way. After that, I will go to the king even if it is against the law.^(S) If I perish, I perish.”^{(T) 17} So Mordecai went and did everything Esther had commanded him.

Esther Approaches the King

5 On the third day,^(U) Esther dressed in her royal clothing and stood in the inner courtyard^(V) of the palace facing it. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal courtroom,^[c] facing its entrance. ² As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, she gained favor with him. The king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Esther, and she approached and touched the tip of the scepter.^(W)

³ “What is it, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be given to you.”^(X)

⁴ “If it pleases the king,” Esther replied, “may the king and Haman come today to the banquet^(Y) I have prepared for them.”

⁵ The king said, “Hurry, and get Haman so we can do as Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.

⁶ While drinking the^[d] wine,^(Z) the king asked Esther, “Whatever you ask will be given to you. Whatever you want, even to half the kingdom, will be done.”

⁷ Esther answered, “This is my petition and my request: ⁸ If I have found favor in the eyes of the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and perform my request,^(AA) may the king and Haman come to the banquet I will prepare for them.^(AB) Tomorrow I will do what the king has asked.”

⁹ That day Haman left full of joy and in good spirits.^[e](AC) But when Haman saw Mordecai at the King’s Gate, and Mordecai didn’t rise or tremble in fear at his presence, Haman was filled with rage toward Mordecai.^{(AD) 10} Yet Haman controlled himself and went home. He sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh^(AE) to join him. ¹¹ Then Haman described for them his glorious wealth and his many sons. He told them all how the king had honored him and promoted him in rank over the other officials and the royal staff.^{(AF) 12} “What’s more,” Haman added, “Queen Esther invited no one but me to join the king at the banquet she had prepared. I am invited again tomorrow to join her with the king. ¹³ Still, none of this satisfies me since I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the King’s Gate all the time.”

¹⁴ His wife Zeresh and all his friends told him, “Have them build a gallows seventy-five feet^[f] tall.^(AG) Ask the king in the morning to hang Mordecai on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and enjoy yourself.” The advice pleased Haman, so he had the gallows constructed.^(AH)

Mordecai Honored by the King

6 That night sleep escaped^(AI) the king, so he ordered the book recording daily events to be brought and read to the king. ² They found the written report of how Mordecai had informed on Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, when they planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus.^{(AJ) 3} The king inquired, “What honor and special recognition have been given to Mordecai for this act?” ^(AK)

The king’s personal attendants replied, “Nothing has been done for him.”

⁴ The king asked, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman was just entering the outer court of the palace to ask the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared for him.^(AL)

⁵ The king’s attendants answered him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.”

“Have him enter,” the king ordered. ⁶ Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for the man the king wants to honor?” ^(AM)

Haman thought to himself, “Who is it the king would want to honor more than me?” ⁷ Haman told the king, “For the man the king wants to honor: ⁸ Have them bring a royal garment that the king himself has worn^(AN) and a horse the king himself has ridden,^(AO) which has a royal crown on its head. ⁹ Put the garment and the horse under the charge of one of the king’s most noble officials.^(AP) Have them clothe the man the king wants to honor, parade him on the horse through the city square, and call out before him, ‘This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.’”

¹⁰ The king told Haman, “Hurry, and do just as you proposed. Take a garment and a horse for Mordecai the Jew,^(AQ) who is sitting at the King’s Gate. Do not leave out anything you have suggested.”

¹¹ So Haman took the garment and the horse. He clothed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square, calling out before him, “This is what is done for the man the king wants to honor.”

¹² Then Mordecai returned to the King’s Gate,^(AR) but Haman hurried off for home, mournful and with his head covered.^{(AS) 13} Haman told his wife Zeresh and all his friends^(AT) everything that had happened. His advisers and his wife Zeresh said to him, “Since Mordecai is Jewish, and you have begun to fall before him, you won’t overcome him, because your downfall is certain.”^{(AU) 14} While they were still speaking with him, the king’s eunuchs^(AV) arrived and rushed Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared.^(AW)

The Letters to the Seven Churches

The Letter to Ephesus

2 “Write to the angel^[a] of the church in Ephesus: Thus says the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand and who walks among the seven golden lampstands:^{(A) 2} I know your works, your labor, and your endurance,^(B) and that you cannot tolerate evil people. You have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not,^(C) and you have found them to be liars.^{(D) 3} I know that you have persevered and endured hardships for the sake of my name,^(E) and you have not grown weary. ⁴ But I have this against you: You have abandoned the love you had at first.^{(F) 5} Remember then how far you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first.^(G) Otherwise, I will come to you^[b] and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. ⁶ Yet you do have this: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give^(H) the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in^[c] the paradise of God.^(I)

The Letter to Smyrna

⁸ “Write to the angel of the church in Smyrna: Thus says the First and the Last,^(J) the one who was dead and came to life: ⁹ I know your^[d] affliction and poverty, but you are rich. I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.^{(K) 10} Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the devil^(L) is about to throw some of you into prison to test you, and you will experience affliction for ten days.^(M) Be faithful to the point of death,^(N) and I will give you the crown^[e] of life.^(O)

¹¹ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will never be harmed by the second death.^(P)

The Letter to Pergamum

¹² “Write to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Thus says the one who has the sharp, double-edged sword: ^{(Q) 13} I know^[f] where you live—where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding on to my name and did not deny your faith in me,^[g](R) even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness^(S) who was put to death among you, where Satan lives. ¹⁴ But I have a few things against you. You have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam,^(T) who taught Balak to place a stumbling block^[h] in front of the Israelites: to eat meat sacrificed to idols^(U) and to commit sexual immorality.^{(V) 15} In the same way, you also have those who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans.^{[i] 16} So repent! Otherwise, I will come to you quickly^(W) and fight against them with the sword of my mouth.^(X)

¹⁷ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna.^[j](Y) I will also give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name^(Z) is inscribed that no one knows except the one who receives it.

The Letter to Thyatira

¹⁸ “Write to the angel of the church in Thyatira: Thus says the Son of God,^(AA) the one whose eyes are like a fiery flame and whose feet are like fine bronze:^{(AB) 19} I know your works—your love, faithfulness,^[k] service, and endurance.^(AC) I know that your last works are greater than the first. ²⁰ But I have this against you: You tolerate the woman Jezebel,^(AD) who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat meat sacrificed to idols.^{(AE) 21} I gave her time to repent,^(AF) but she does not want to repent of her sexual immorality.^{(AG) 22} Look, I will throw her into a sickbed^(AH) and those who commit adultery with her^(AI) into great affliction.^(AJ) Unless they repent of her^[l] works, ²³ I will strike her children dead.^[m](AK) Then all the churches will know that I am the one who examines minds and hearts,^(AL) and I will give to each of you according to your works.^{(AM) 24} I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who haven’t known “the so-called secrets^[n](AN) of Satan”^(AO) —as they say—I am not putting any other burden on you.^{(AP) 25} Only hold on to what you have until I come.^{(AQ) 26} The one who conquers and who keeps my works to the end: I will give him authority over the nations—

²⁸ just as I have received this from my Father. I will also give him the morning star.^(AT)

²⁹ “Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.