Esther Appeals for the Jews 1 ULT On that day, the king Ahasuerus gave to Esther the queen the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the face of the king because Esther told what he was to her. BSB BSB: That same day King Xerxes awarded Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered the king’s presence because Esther had revealed his relation to her.
2 ULT And the king removed his signet ring, which he had caused to pass from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther placed Mordecai over the house of Haman. BSB BSB: The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman.
3 ULT And Esther repeated her action, and she spoke before the face of the king. She fell before the face of his feet and wept and implored favor from him to take away the evil of Haman the Agagite and his plot that he had plotted against the Jews. BSB BSB: And once again, Esther addressed the king. She fell at his feet weeping and begged him to revoke the evil scheme of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.
4 ULT And the king held out to Esther the scepter of gold, so Esther rose up and stood before the face of the king. BSB BSB: The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, and she arose and stood before the king.
5 ULT And she said,“If it is good to the king, and if I have found favor before his face, and the word is proper before the face of the king, and I am good in his eyes, let it be written to bring back the letters, the plot of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. BSB BSB: “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if I have found favor in his sight, and the matter seems proper to the king, and I am pleasing in his sight, may an order be written to revoke the letters that the scheming Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces.
6 ULT For how could I bear to see the evil that my people would find? And how could I bear seeing the destruction of my kindred?” BSB BSB: For how could I bear to see the disaster that would befall my people? How could I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?”
The Decree of Xerxes 7 ULT And the king Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew,“Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and they have hanged him on the pole on account of this, that he stretched out his hand against the Jews. BSB BSB: So King Xerxes said to Esther the Queen and Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Haman’s estate to Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows because he attacked the Jews.
8 ULT So, in the name of the king, you write for the Jews as is good in your eyes, and seal it with the signet ring of the king. For there is none to take back a writing that has been written in the name of the king and has been sealed with the signet ring of the king.” BSB BSB: Now you may write in the king’s name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”
9 ULT And the scribes of the king were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty- third of it. And according to all that Mordecai commanded, it was written to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and officials of the provinces that were from India even as far as Ethiopia: 127 provinces, province by province according to its writing, and people by people according to its tongue, and to the Jews according to their writing and according to their tongue. BSB BSB: At once the royal scribes were summoned, and on the twenty-third day of the third month (the month of Sivan), they recorded all of Mordecai’s orders to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and princes of the 127 provinces from India to Cush—writing to each province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.
10 ULT And he wrote in the name of the king Ahasuerus, and he sealed with the signet ring of the king. And he sent letters(by the hand of runners on horses, riders of the royal pack horses, sons of the mares) BSB BSB: Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes and sealed it with the royal signet ring. He sent the documents by mounted couriers riding on swift horses bred from the royal mares.
11 ULT that the king gave to the Jews who were in every city, city by city: to gather and to stand for their life, to annihilate, and to slaughter, and to destroy any strength of a people or province that would attack them, children and women, and plunder their spoil; BSB BSB: By these letters the king permitted the Jews in each and every city the right to assemble and defend themselves, to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province hostile to them, including women and children, and to plunder their possessions.
12 ULT on one day in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth of month 12, which is the month of Adar. BSB BSB: The single day appointed throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
13 ULT A copy of the writing was to be given as a law in every province by province, being uncovered for all the peoples, and for the Jews to be prepared for that day to take revenge from their enemies. BSB BSB: A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued in every province and published to all the people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14 ULT The runners, the riders of the royal pack horses, went out hastened and hurried by the word of the king. And the law was given in Susa the citadel. BSB BSB: The couriers rode out in haste on their royal horses, pressed on by the command of the king. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.
15 ULT And Mordecai went out from before the face of the king in a garment of royalty of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa cheered and rejoiced. BSB BSB: Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
16 ULT For the Jews there was light and joy and rejoicing and honor. BSB BSB: For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor.
17 ULT In every province by province and in every city by city, any place where the word of the king and his law came, there was joy and rejoicing for the Jews, a feast and a good day. And many from the peoples of the land became Jews because dread of the Jews had fallen upon them. BSB BSB: In every province and every city, wherever the king’s edict and decree reached, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many of the people of the land themselves became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.