Beginning

1 ¶ Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus who reigned from India even unto Ethiopia over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces)

² That in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan, the palace,

³ In the third year of his reign, he made a banquet unto all his princes and his slaves, having before him the power of Persia and Media, the governors and princes of the provinces,

⁴ to show them the riches of the glory of his kingdom and the honour of beauty of his greatness for many days, even one hundred and eighty days.

⁵ And when these days were expired, the king made a banquet unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, for seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace.

⁶ There were white, green, and blue hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble; the beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of porphyre and of marble and of alabaster and of blue.

⁷ And they gave them drink in vessels of gold (the vessels being diverse one from another) and royal wine in abundance, according to the power of the king.

⁸ And the drink was according to this law: let no one constrain themselves; for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house that they should do according to the will of each one.

⁹ Likewise Vashti, the queen, made a banquet for the women in the royal house of King Ahasuerus.

¹⁰ ¶ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs that served in the presence of Ahasuerus, the king,

¹¹ to bring Vashti, the queen, before the king with the crown of the kingdom, to show the people and the princes her beauty, for she was fair to behold.

¹² But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s word by his eunuchs; therefore, the king was very wroth, and his anger burned in him.

¹³ Then the king asked the wise men, who knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew about the law and rights,

¹⁴ and the next to him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and who sat first in the kingdom;)

¹⁵ What shall we do unto Queen Vashti according to law because she has not performed the decree of King Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?

¹⁶ And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti, the queen, has not only committed iniquity against the king, but also against all the princes and against all the people that are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

¹⁷ For this deed of the queen shall be known abroad unto all the women so that they shall despise their husbands, saying, King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti, the queen, to be brought in before him, but she did not come.

¹⁸ And now the princesses of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen shall say this unto all the king’s princes, and there shall be much contempt and wrath.

¹⁹ If it pleases the king, let there go forth a royal commandment from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it not be altered, That Vashti come no more before King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she.

²⁰ And this sentence which the king shall make shall be heard throughout all his empire, although it is great, and all the wives shall give their husbands honour, from the greatest to the least.

²¹ And this word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did according to the word of Memucan;

²² for he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, saying, That every man should bear rule in his own house and that it should be published according to the language of every people.

2 ¶ After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what was decreed against her.

² Then the king’s servants that ministered unto him said, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king,

³ and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan, the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege, the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women; and let them be given that which is necessary for their purification;

⁴ and let the maiden which pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.

⁵ Now in Shushan, the palace, there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

⁶ who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away.

⁷ And he had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; and as her father and mother were dead, Mordecai had taken her for his own daughter.

⁸ So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan, the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

⁹ And the maiden pleased him, and she found mercy before him; and he speedily gave her that which was necessary for purification and her rations, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her out of the king’s house; and he moved her and her maids into the best place of the house of the women.

¹⁰ Esther had not declared her people nor her birth, for Mordecai had charged her that she should not declare it.

¹¹ And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house to know the peace of Esther and what was done with her.

¹² Now when each maid’s turn was come to go in to King Ahasuerus, after she had been twelve months according to the law regarding the women (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, that is, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with aromatic odours and oils for women),

¹³ then thus came each maiden unto the king; whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house.

¹⁴ In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines; she came in unto the king no more, unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

¹⁵ Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai, the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained grace in the sight of all those that looked upon her.

¹⁶ So Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷ And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and mercy in his sight more than did all the other virgins so that he set the crown of the kingdom upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

¹⁸ Then the king made a great banquet unto all his princes and his slaves, the banquet of Esther; and he made a release to the provinces of their taxes and gave gifts according to the power of the king.

¹⁹ And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king’s gate.

²⁰ Esther had not yet declared her birth nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her; for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai as when she was being brought up with him.

²¹ ¶ In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth and sought to lay hand on King Ahasuerus.

²² And the thing was known by Mordecai, who told it unto Esther, the queen; and Esther notified the king of this in Mordecai’s name.

²³ And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore, they were both hanged on a tree; and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

3 ¶ After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes that were with him.

² And all the king’s slaves that were in the king’s gate, knelt down and worshipped Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not kneel or worship before him.

³ Then the king’s slaves, who were in the king’s gate, said unto Mordecai, Why dost thou pass over the king’s commandment?

⁴ Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily unto him, and he did not hearken unto them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s word would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew.

⁵ And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not kneel or worship before him, then Haman was filled with wrath.

⁶ And he thought it a small matter to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for now they had declared unto him the people of Mordecai; therefore, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, the people of Mordecai.

⁷ ¶ In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day and from month to month, and the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar was taken.

⁸ And Haman said unto King Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws are different from all other people; neither do they observe the king’s laws: therefore, it is not profitable for the king to allow them to remain.

⁹ If it pleases the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the public works, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.

¹⁰ And the king took his ring from his hand and gave it unto Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the Jews’ enemy.

¹¹ And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given to thee, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to thee.

¹² Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king’s lieutenants and to the governors that were over each province and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof and to every people after their language; in the name of King Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with the king’s ring.

¹³ And the letters were sent by posts into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

¹⁴ The copy of the writing was to be given as law in every province that it be published unto all the peoples, that they should be ready against that day.

¹⁵ The posts went out in haste by the king’s commandment, and the law was given in Shushan, the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

4 ¶ When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes and put on sackcloth with ashes and went out into the midst of the city and cried with a loud and a bitter cry

² and came before the king’s gate; for no one was allowed to enter into the king’s gate clothed with sackcloth.

³ And in each province, wherever the king’s commandment and his law came, there was great mourning among the Jews and fasting and weeping and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

⁴ So Esther’s maids and her eunuchs came and told her. Then the queen was grieved exceedingly, and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he did not receive it.

⁵ ¶ Then Esther called for Hatach, one of the king’s eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and sent him to Mordecai, to know what it was and why it was.

⁶ So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the plaza of the city, which was before the king’s gate.

⁷ And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king’s treasuries for the Jews, to destroy them.

⁸ Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them, to show it unto Esther and to declare it unto her and to charge her that she should go in unto the king to make supplication unto him and to make request before him for her people.

⁹ And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai.

¹⁰ Again Esther spoke unto Hatach and sent him to say unto Mordecai,

¹¹ All the king’s slaves and the people of the king’s provinces do know that anyone, whether man or woman, who shall come unto the king into the inner court without being called, by one law shall be put to death, unless the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that they may live; but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days.

¹² And they told to Mordecai Esther’s words.

¹³ Then Mordecai told them to answer Esther, Do not think in thy soul that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.

¹⁴ For if thou art silent at this time, then enlargement and deliverance shall arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed; and who knows whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

¹⁵ Then Esther told them to return Mordecai this answer,

¹⁶ Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan and fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so I will go in unto the king, even though this is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.

¹⁷ So Mordecai went and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

5 ¶ Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, over against the king’s house; and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over against the gate of the house.

² And it was so, when the king saw Esther, the queen, standing in the court, that she had grace in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and touched the top of the sceptre.

³ Then the king said unto her, What wilt thou, Queen Esther? And what is thy request? It shall be given thee, even to the half of the kingdom.

⁴ And Esther answered, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

⁵ Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste that he may do as Esther has said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

⁶ And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition? And it shall be granted thee. What is thy request? Even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed.

⁷ Then answered Esther and said, My petition and my request is:

⁸ If I have found grace in the sight of the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to perform my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I will do tomorrow as the king has commanded.

⁹ ¶ Then Haman went forth that day joyful and with a glad heart, but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king’s gate and that he did not stand up nor move for him, he was filled with indignation against Mordecai.

¹⁰ Nevertheless, Haman refrained himself, and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends and Zeresh, his wife.

¹¹ And Haman told them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his sons and all the things in which the king had promoted him and how he had advanced him above the princes and slaves of the king.

¹² Haman said, moreover, Even Esther, the queen, let no one come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself, and tomorrow I am also invited by her with the king.

¹³ Yet all this avails me nothing so long as I see Mordecai, the Jew, sitting at the king’s gate.

¹⁴ Then said Zeresh, his wife, and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows {Heb. stake} be made fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged upon it; then go in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman, and he caused the gallows to be made.