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Esther 8
New King James Version

Esther Saves the Jews

8 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the (A)enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told (B)how he was related to her. 2 So the king took off (C)his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And (D)the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 5 and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the (E)letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I endure to see (F)the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?”

7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, (G)I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, [a]as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring (H)no one can revoke.”

9 (I)So the king’s scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces (J)from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province (K)in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. 10 (L)And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses [b]bred from swift steeds.

11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to (M)gather together and protect their lives—to (N)destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, 12 (O)on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of [c]Adar. 13 (P)A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in [d]Shushan the [e]citadel.

15 So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of [f]blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and (Q)the city of [g]Shushan rejoiced and was glad. 16 The Jews had (R)light and gladness, joy and honor. 17 And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast (S)and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land (T)became Jews, because (U)fear of the Jews fell upon them.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 8:8 Lit. as is good in your eyes
  2. Esther 8:10 Lit. sons of the swift horses
  3. Esther 8:12 LXX adds the text of the letter here
  4. Esther 8:14 Or Susa
  5. Esther 8:14 palace
  6. Esther 8:15 violet
  7. Esther 8:15 Or Susa
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Esther 8
New International Version

The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews

8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman,(A) the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring,(B) which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.(C)

3 Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite,(D) which he had devised against the Jews. 4 Then the king extended the gold scepter(E) to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

5 “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor(F) and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”(G)

7 King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled(H) him on the pole he set up. 8 Now write another decree(I) in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal(J) it with the king’s signet ring(K)—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”(L)

9 At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.[a](M) These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.(N) 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

11 The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,[b] and to plunder(O) the property of their enemies. 12 The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.(P) 13 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 that the Jews would be ready on that day(Q) to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.(R)

The Triumph of the Jews

15 When Mordecai(S) left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold(T) and a purple robe of fine linen.(U) And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.(V) 16 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy,(W) gladness and honor.(X) 17 In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy(Y) and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear(Z) of the Jews had seized them.(AA)

Footnotes

  1. Esther 8:9 That is, the upper Nile region
  2. Esther 8:11 Or province, together with their women and children, who might attack them;
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Esther 8
English Standard Version

Esther Saves the Jews

8 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, (A)the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told (B)what he was to her. 2 (C)And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman (D)the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 (E)When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. 5 And she said, “If it please the king, (F)and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke (G)the letters devised by Haman (H)the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear (I)to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, (J)I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows,[a] because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, (K)and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring (L)cannot be revoked.”

9 (M)The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to (N)the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces (O)from India to Ethiopia, (P)127 provinces, (Q)to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 (R)And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus (S)and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on (T)swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city (U)to gather and defend their lives, (V)to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, (W)and to plunder their goods, 12 (X)on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 (Y)A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their (Z)swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.

15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king (AA)in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown[b] and (AB)a robe of fine linen and purple, (AC)and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had (AD)light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and (AE)a holiday. (AF)And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, (AG)for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 8:7 Or wooden beam (see note on 2:23)
  2. Esther 8:15 Or headdress
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Esther 8
New American Standard Bible

Mordecai Promoted

8 On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, (A)the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai came before the king, because Esther had disclosed (B)what he was to her. 2 Then (C)the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken away from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Then Esther spoke again [a]to the king, fell at his feet, wept, and pleaded for his compassion to avert the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite and his plot which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And (D)the king extended the golden scepter to Esther. So Esther got up and stood before the king. 5 Then she said, “(E)If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him, and the matter seems proper to the king and I am pleasing in his sight, let it be written to revoke the (F)letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to eliminate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 For (G)how can I endure to see the disaster which will happen to my people, and how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, (H)I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and they have hanged him on the wooden gallows because he had reached out with his hand against the Jews.

The King’s Decree Avenges the Jews

8 Now you write to the Jews [b]as you see fit, in the king’s name, and (I)seal it with the king’s signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s signet ring (J)may not be revoked.”

9 (K)So the king’s scribes were summoned at that time in the third month (that is, the month Sivan), on the twenty-third [c]day; and it was written in accordance with everything that Mordecai commanded the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the officials of the provinces which extended (L)from India to [d]Cush, 127 provinces, to (M)every province according to its script, and to every people according to their language, as well as to the Jews according to their script and their language. 10 He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on (N)horses, riding on royal relay horses, offspring of racing mares. 11 [e]In the letters the king granted the Jews who were in each and every city the right (O)to assemble and to defend their lives, (P)to destroy, kill, and eliminate the entire army of any people or province which was going to attack them, including children and women, and (Q)to plunder their spoils, 12 on (R)one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar). 13 (S)A copy of the edict to be [f]issued as law in each and every province was published to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for this day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers, hurrying and speeded by the king’s command, left, riding on the royal relay horses; and the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa.

15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king (T)in a royal robe of violet and white, with a large crown of gold and (U)a garment of fine linen and purple; and (V)the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 For the Jews there was (W)light, joy, jubilation, and honor. 17 In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king’s commandment and his decree arrived, there was joy and jubilation for the Jews, a feast and a [g](X)holiday. And (Y)many among the peoples of the land [h]became Jews, because the dread of the Jews had fallen on them.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 8:3 Lit before
  2. Esther 8:8 Lit according to the good in your eyes
  3. Esther 8:9 Lit in it
  4. Esther 8:9 Or Ethiopia
  5. Esther 8:11 Lit Which the king
  6. Esther 8:13 Lit given
  7. Esther 8:17 Lit good day
  8. Esther 8:17 Or posed as Jews
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Esther 7
Esther 9
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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