Esther Appeals for the Jews 1 UST That same day, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther all the property that had belonged to Haman. He had been the enemy of the Jews. Esther told the king that Mordecai was{ her cousin and that he had been like a father} to her. When he learned that,{ the king summoned} Mordecai to come to him. 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 UST { When the king sentenced Haman to death,} the king took back from Haman the ring that had the king’ s official seal on it{ and the king was wearing it again.} The king now took the ring off and gave it to Mordecai,{ to show that Mordecai would have the power to act with the king’ s authority.} Esther also put Mordecai in charge of all the property that had belonged to 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 UST Then Esther came to speak to the king again.{ To show him how desperately she was pleading,} Esther knelt down and put her face right on top of his feet. She cried as she begged him to stop the terrible plan of Haman the Agagite to destroy 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 UST The king held out his golden scepter toward Esther, so she got up{ off the floor} and stood facing the king. BSB BSB: The king extended the gold scepter toward Esther, and she arose and stood before the king.
5 UST Then Esther said,“Your majesty, if you think that it is the right thing to do, and if you are pleased with me, please write a new letter revoking the letters that Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, sent out. His letters said to destroy all the Jews everywhere in your empire. 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 UST { I am asking this} because I cannot bear to see the terrible thing that is about to happen to my people. They are my kindred. I cannot bear to see people destroy them.” 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 UST King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew,“As you know, I have given to Esther all the property that belonged to Haman, and I had my servants hang Haman on a wooden pole because he wanted to kill all 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 UST { You also know that} no one can revoke a letter that has my name and my official seal on it,{ such as the letter that Haman wrote}. So this is what you should do. Write{ a new letter} to help the Jews, as you think best.{ I give you permission to} put my name on it and to seal{ the letter} with the ring that has my official seal on it.” 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 UST So the king sent for his scribes.{ They came and} they wrote a letter saying everything that Mordecai told them{ to write}.{ They wrote this letter} on the twenty- third day of the third month, the month of Sivan,{ in the twelfth year that Ahasuerus reigned as king of Persia}. The letter addressed the Jews{ in the empire}, but they also sent{ copies of the letter} to the royal officials, and to the governors and leaders in each province. The empire{ of Ahasuerus} had 127 provinces, extending all the way from India{ in the east} to Ethiopia{ in the west}. The scribes wrote to{ people in} every province using its own alphabet and to each people group in its own language. They wrote{ especially} to the Jews, in their alphabet and in their own language. 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 UST Mordecai signed{ each copy of the letter} with the name of King Ahasuerus, and he sealed{ each one} with the ring that had the king’ s official seal on it. Couriers on horseback delivered the letters. They rode fast horses that were only for the king’ s service. These horses were born in the king’ s own stables. 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 UST { Each copy of the letter said} that the king permits the Jews throughout the empire to join together and to fight to protect themselves.{ The king’ s letter} also{ permits them} to completely destroy any group of armed men from any people or province who would attack them.{ The letter} also{ permits them} to kill the women and children{ of those who would attack them}, and to take the possessions of the people{ whom they kill}. 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 UST { The letter permitted all the Jews} in every province throughout the empire{ to do this} on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,{ in that same year}. 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 UST { The letter told the officials} in every single province to display copies of the letter where everyone could see them so that people would know that the king had commanded this, and so that the Jews would be ready to fight back against their enemies when the day came. 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 UST The king commanded the couriers to deliver the letters as quickly as possible.{ He sent them out} on his own fast horses. The king’ s officials also proclaimed the new law{ and displayed copies of the letter} in the capital city of Susa. 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 UST The king gave Mordecai{ special things to wear to show that he was now his most important official. He gave him} a blue and white royal garment, a large golden crown, and a purple robe made of fine linen. Mordecai put these on and left the palace.{ When} the people of Susa{ saw him, they} shouted joyfully. 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 UST The Jews in Susa were very happy, and other people honored them. BSB BSB: For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honor.
17 UST In every single province and in every single city, wherever{ the couriers} brought the letter announcing the king’ s decree, the Jews rejoiced greatly and had big celebrations. Many people from other groups in the empire became very afraid of the Jews, so they became Jews themselves. 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.