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Esther 8:1-17 — The King's Edict in Behalf of the Jews

Esth.8.1-17

¹On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman , the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, because Esther had revealed what he was to her. ²The king removed his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Then Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman. ³Then Esther spoke again before the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to turn aside the evil of Haman the Agagite and the plan he had devised against the Jews. ⁴The king held out the golden scepter to Esther, and Esther rose and stood before the king. ⁵And she said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor before him, and if the matter seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, let an order be written to revoke the letters embodying the plan of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. ⁶For how can I bear to see the disaster that would come upon my people? And how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?" ⁷Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he stretched out his hand against the Jews. ⁸Now you may write on behalf of the Jews whatever seems good to you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring. For a document written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring cannot be revoked." ⁹Then the king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, that is, the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day of it. And everything Mordecai commanded was written to the Jews, and to the satraps, the governors, and the officials of the provinces from India to Cush, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to each province in its own script, to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding royal steeds bred from the mares. ¹¹In them the king granted the Jews who were in every city the right to assemble and to stand for their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate every armed force of any people or province that might attack them, including children and women , and to plunder their goods. ¹²This was to be on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar. ¹³A copy of the document was to be issued as an edict in every province and made public to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. ¹⁴The couriers, riding the royal steeds, went out hurried and pressed on by the king's command. And the edict was issued in Susa the citadel. ¹⁵Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a robe of fine linen and purple. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. ¹⁶For the Jews there was light and joy and rejoicing and honor. ¹⁷And in every province and every city, wherever the king's word and his edict reached, there was joy and rejoicing among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the land were becoming Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.

Translation Notes

4/11/2026

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