EST 3:9 Parallel Verse View

Note: This view shows ‘verses’ which are not natural language units and hence sometimes only part of a sentence will be visible. Normally the OET discourages the reading of individual ‘verses’, but this view is only designed for doing comparisons of different translations. Click on any Bible version abbreviation down the left-hand side to see the verse in more of its context. The OET segments on this page are still very early looks into the unfinished texts of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check these texts in advance before using in public.

Text critical issues=none Clarity of original=clear Importance=normal (All still tentative.)

OET (OET-RV) Your majesty, if you approve of this plan, then write a decree saying that all of the Jews must be destroyed. When they’re dead, we can take all of their possessions, and from that I will give 300 tons of silver to your administrators for them to put into your royal treasuries.”

Key: khaki:verbs.
Note: Automatic aligning of the OET-RV to the LV is done by some temporary software, hence the OET-RV alignments are incomplete (and may occasionally be wrong).

ULT If it is good to the king, let it be written to destroy them, and I will weigh out 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of the doers of the work, to bring into the treasuries of the king.”

UST If you approve of this plan, O king, then write a decree saying that all of the Jews must die. When they are dead, we can take all of their goods, and from that I will give 300 tons of silver to your administrators for them to put into your royal treasuries.”

BSB If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver [fn] into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”

3:9 10,000 talents is approximately 377 tons or 342 metric tons of silver.

OEB If it seems best to the king, let an order be given to destroy them, and I will pay ten thousand silver coins into the royal treasury.’

WEBBE If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents[fn] of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”

3:9 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds or 965 Troy ounces

WMBB (Same as above including footnotes)

NET If the king is so inclined, let an edict be issued to destroy them. I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to be conveyed to the king’s treasuries for the officials who carry out this business.”

LSV if to the king [it be] good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring [it] into the treasuries of the king.”

FBV If it please Your Majesty, issue a decree to destroy them, and I will personally contribute 10,000 silver talents to those who carry out the king's business to be placed in the royal treasury.”

T4T If it pleases you, command that they should all be killed. If you do that, I will give ◄375 tons/750,000 pounds► of silver to your administrators so that you can use it for your government.”

LEB If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will pay[fn] ten thousand talents[fn] of silver to those who do the job, to bring to the treasury of the king.”

3:9 Or “I will weigh”

3:9 Hebrew “talent”

BBE If it is the king's pleasure, let a statement ordering their destruction be put in writing: and I will give to those responsible for the king's business, ten thousand talents of silver for the king's store-house.

Moff No Moff EST book available

JPS If it please the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have the charge of the king's business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.'

ASV If it please the king, let it be written that they be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have the charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.

DRA If it please thee, decree that they may he destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents to thy treasurers.

YLT if to the king [it be] good, let it be written to destroy them, and ten thousand talents of silver I weigh into the hands of those doing the work, to bring [it] in unto the treasuries of the king.'

Drby If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have charge of the affairs, to bring [it] into the king's treasuries.

RV If it please the king, let it be written that they be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those that have the charge of the king’s business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.

Wbstr If it shall please 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 business, to bring it into the king's treasuries.

KJB-1769 If it please 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 business, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.[fn][fn]
(If it please 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 business, to bring it into the king’s treasurys. )

3.9 that they…: Heb. to destroy them

3.9 pay: Heb. weigh

KJB-1611 [fn][fn]If it please the king, let it be written, that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of siluer to the handes of those that haue the charge of the businesse, to bring it into the kings treasuries.
(If it please 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 businesse, to bring it into the kings treasurys.)

3:9 Heb. to destroy them.

3:9 Heb. weigh.

Bshps If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and so wyll I waye downe ten thousand talents of siluer by the handes of them that haue the charge of this busines, to bring it into the kinges treasurie.
(If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and so will I way down ten thousand talents of silver by the hands of them that have the charge of this business, to bring it into the kings treasury.)

Gnva If it please the King, let it be written that they may he destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of siluer by the handes of them that haue the charge of this businesse to bring it into the Kings treasurie.
(If it please the King, let it be written that they may he destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver by the hands of them that have the charge of this businesse to bring it into the Kings treasury. )

Cvdl Yf it please the kynge, let him wryte, that they maye be destroyed, & so wil I weye downe ten thousande talentes of siluer, vnder the handes of the workmen, to be brought in to the kynges chamber.
(If it please the king, let him wryte, that they may be destroyed, and so will I way down ten thousand talentes of silver, under the hands of the workmen, to be brought in to the kings chamber/room.)

Wycl If it plesith thee, `deme thou that it perisch, and Y schal paie ten thousynde of talentis to the keperis of thi tresour.
(If it plesith thee/you, `deme thou/you that it perisch, and I shall paie ten thousand of talents to the keepers of thy/your tresour.)

Luth Gefällt es dem Könige, so schreibe er, daß man es umbringe; so will ich zehntausend Zentner Silbers darwägen unter die Hand der Amtleute, daß man es bringe in die Kammer des Königs.
(Gefällt it to_him kings/king, so schreibe er, that man it umbringe; so will I zehntausend Zentner Silbers darwägen under the hand the/of_the Amtleute, that man it bringe in the Kammer the kings.)

ClVg Si tibi placet, decerne, ut pereat, et decem millia talentorum appendam arcariis gazæ tuæ.
(When/But_if to_you placet, decerne, as pereat, and ten thousands talentorum appendam arcariis gazæ tuæ. )

TTN Tyndale Theme Notes:

Ethnic Hatred

Selfish pride, a desire to maintain power, and hatred for those who stand in the way have often been the basis for the persecution of racial or religious groups. Many people have died through the centuries because of such hatred.

In the book of Esther, Haman hated Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow down as everyone else did when Haman passed by (Esth 3:1-5). Haman thus despised a man of integrity who would not obey laws that were against his convictions. This personal hatred of Mordecai the Jew developed into a murderous desire to destroy all Jews (3:6). His charge against the Jewish people was what he hated in Mordecai: They did not assimilate with other people, they had unique laws and customs, and they did not obey some of the laws of the king (3:8).

The Spanish Inquisition (1400s) and the Holocaust in Nazi Germany (1930s–40s) were other terrible attempts to wipe the Jewish people off the face of the earth. Religious and ethnic hatred still leads to diabolical plans today.

God disapproves of such hatred against any ethnic or religious group, and he will eventually hold accountable those who attempt to carry out such plots (see Deut 30:7; Pss 21:7-11; 34:19-21; 44:7). God has repeatedly saved the Jewish people and defeated their enemies, for God is faithful to all his promises (see Rom 9–11). He will similarly preserve his church through all persecution (see Matt 16:18; Rom 8:26-39).

Passages for Further Study

Gen 46:33-34; Deut 7:1-6; 23:3-8; Esth 3:1-9; Matt 15:22-28; Luke 4:27; Acts 10:34-35; Rom 9:1–11:36; Gal 3:26-29; Eph 2:14

UTN uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

אִם־עַל־הַ⁠מֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב

if on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in the=king good

Haman speaks to the king in third person as a form of respect.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אִם־עַל־הַ⁠מֶּ֣לֶךְ ט֔וֹב

if on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in the=king good

See how you decided to translate this idiom in 1:19. Alternate translation: “if it seems like a good idea to you, O king” or “if the king thinks this is a good idea” or “if this advice is pleasing to the king”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

יִכָּתֵ֖ב

decreed

You can say this with an active form, and you can say who would do the action. For example, you could say, “the king could write a decree” or “you could write a decree.”

לְ⁠אַבְּדָ֑⁠ם

to,destroy,their

This means that the decree would say that all the Jews should be killed.

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

אֶשְׁקוֹל֙ עַל־יְדֵי֙ עֹשֵׂ֣י הַ⁠מְּלָאכָ֔ה

pay on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in hands have_charge_of the,business

This could mean either of two possibilities: (1) Haman could mean that the king’s men will be able to collect a huge amount of money from the plunder that they would get from the Jews. Referring to the weight would be a way of saying, “I guarantee that it will be at least that much.” This reasoning agrees with 3:13, where the king’s letter specifies that those who kill the Jews can take their plunder. Alternate translation: “we will get so much plunder that the officers you send will be able to bring back” (Also see UST) (2) “Weigh out into the hands” could be an idiom that means Haman himself will pay the officers who will put the plan into effect. Haman will not do this personally, but it means that he will take responsibility for paying them from his own resources. Alternate translation: “From my own resources I will pay … to the men who do the work”

Note 5 topic: translate-bmoney

וַ⁠עֲשֶׂ֨רֶת אֲלָפִ֜ים כִּכַּר־כֶּ֗סֶף

and,ten thousand talents silver

This would be worth over $300 million at current prices today. But since prices vary over time, if you expressed the value in modern measurements, that could cause your Bible translation to become outdated and inaccurate. Instead you could express the amount using the ancient measurement, the talent, and explain in a note that a talent was equivalent to about 30 kilograms. Alternatively, you could specify the weight of the silver in the text, as UST does in metric tons.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / hyperbole

וַ⁠עֲשֶׂ֨רֶת אֲלָפִ֜ים כִּכַּר־כֶּ֗סֶף

and,ten thousand talents silver

The talent was the largest unit of money and 10,000 was the largest number in the counting system of the time. It is possible that Haman used these terms to represent a very large, but not precise, amount. Alternate translation: “a huge amount of silver” or “enormous amounts of silver”

עֹשֵׂ֣י הַ⁠מְּלָאכָ֔ה

have_charge_of the,business

This could mean: (1) those who work for the king in general (administrators) or (2) more specifically the officers whom Ahasuerus would send around the empire to organize the killing of the Jews.

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / 123person

גִּנְזֵ֥י הַ⁠מֶּֽלֶךְ

treasury the,king's

Haman speaks to the king in third person as a form of respect. You could also have him speak of “your royal treasuries.”

Parallel EST 3:9