8:1 On that day the king Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the
Jews' enemy, to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the
king; for Esther had told what he [was] to her.
8:2 And the king took off his ring which he had taken from
Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over
the house of Haman.
8:3 And Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at
his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief
of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised
against the Jews.
8:4 Then the king held out the golden scepter towards Esther. So
Esther arose, and stood before the king,
8:5 And said, If it shall please the king, and if I have found
favor in his sight, and the thing [shall seem] right before the
king, and I [am] pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to
reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the
Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who [are] in all
the king's provinces:
8:6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my
people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my
kindred?
8:7 Then the king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to
Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of
Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he
laid his hand upon the Jews.
8:8 Write ye also for the Jews, as it pleaseth you, in the
king's name, and seal [it] with the king's ring: for the
writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with
the king's ring, no man may reverse.
8:9 Then were the king's scribes called at that time in the
third month, that [is], the month Sivan, on the three and
twentieth [day] of it; and it was written, according to all
that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, and to the lieutenants,
and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which [are] from
India to Cush, a hundred twenty and seven provinces, to every
province according to the writing of it, and to every people
after their language, and to the Jews according to their
writing, and according to their language.
8:10 And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus's name, and sealed [it]
with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback,
[and] riders on mules, camels, [and] young dromedaries:
8:11 In which the king granted the Jews who [were] in every city
to assemble, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay,
and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and
province that would assault them, [both] little ones and women,
and [to take] the spoil of them for a prey,
8:12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus,
[namely], upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which
[is] the month Adar,
8:13 The copy of the writing for a commandment, to be given in
every province [was] published to all people, and that the Jews
should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their
enemies.
8:14 [So] the posts that rode upon mules [and] camels went out,
being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And
the decree was given at Shushan the palace.
8:15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in
royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of
gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city
of Shushan rejoiced, and was glad:
8:16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honor.
8:17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the
king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and
gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the
land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.
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