\NormalFont\ShortTitle{Esther}
{\MTB This book contains the account of Esther, the queen of Persia, protecting the Jewish people from Haman, who wanted to destroy them. We call this book
\par }{\MT Esther

\par }\ChapOne{1}{\SH The king of Persia deposed his queen
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}King Xerxes
ruled
{\ADD{
a
very
big empirewhich
had}} 127
provinces.
It
extended
from
India
{\ADD{
in
the
east}}
to
Ethiopia
{\ADD{
in
the
west}}.
\VS{2}He
ruled
the
empire
{\ADD{
while
he
lived}}
in
the
capital
city,
Susa.
\VS{3}During
the
third
year
that
he
ruled
his
empire,
he
invited
all
his
administrators
and
{\ADD{
other}}
officials
to
a
big
banquet/feast.
He
invited
all
the
commanders
of
the
armies
of
Persia
and
Media
to
come
to
the
banquet.
He
also
invited
the
governors
and
other
leaders
of
the
provinces.
\VS{4}{\ADD{
The
celebration}}
lasted
for
six
months.
During
that
time
the
king
showed
his
guests
all
his
wealth
and
other
things
that
showed
how
great
his
kingdom
was (OR,
how
great
a
king
he
was).
\par }{\PP \VS{5}At
the
end
of
those
six
months,
the
king
invited
people
to
another
banquet.
He
invited
to
the
banquet
all
the
men
who
worked
in
the
palace,
including
those
who
had
important jobs
and
those
who
had unimportant jobs.
{\ADD{
This
celebration}}
lasted
for
seven
days.
It
was
in
the
courtyard
of
the
palace
in
Susa.
\VS{6}{\ADD{
In
the
courtyard}}
were
beautiful
blue
and
white
curtains
that
were
fastened
by
white
and
purple
cords/ribbons
to
rings
that
were
on
pillars
made
from
{\ADD{expensive
white
stone
called}}
marble.
{\ADD{
The
guests
sat
on}}
gold
and
silver
couches.
The
couches
were
on
a
pavement/floor
which
had
on
top
of
it
designs
made
from
various
kinds
of expensive
stones.
\VS{7}{\ADD{
The
guests}}
drank
wine
from
gold
cups.
Each
cup
had
a
different
design
on
it.
\VS{8}There
was
a
lot
of
wine,
because
the
king
wanted
the
guests
to
drink
as
much
as
they
wanted.
But
the
king
told
the
servants
that
they
should
not
force
anyone
to
drink
more
than
he
wanted.
\par }{\PP \VS{9}{\ADD{
At
the
same
time,
the
king’s
wife,}}
Queen
Vashti,
invited
the
wives
of
the
men
who
worked
in
the
palace
to
a
banquet
{\ADD{
in
another
room
in
the
palace}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{10}On
the
last/seventh
day
of
those
banquets,
when
King Xerxes
was partially
drunk
from
drinking
wine,
he
{\ADD{
summoned}}
seven
of
his
personal
servants.
They
were
Mehuman,
Biztha,
Harbona,
Bigtha,
Abagtha,
Zethar,
and
Carcas.
\VS{11}He
told
them
to
bring
Queen
Vashti
to
him,
wearing
her
crown.
He
wanted
his
guests
to
see
that
she
was
very
beautiful.
\VS{12}But
when
those
servants
told
Vashti
what
the
king
wanted,
she
refused
to
go
to
the
king
{\ADD{
because
she
did
not
want
to
display
her
beauty
in
front
of
a
group
of half-drunk
men}}.
\par }{\PP So
that
caused
the
king
to
become
very
angry.
\VS{13-14}Immediately
he
had
a
meeting
with
the
seven
men
who
were
the
most
important
officials
in
Persia
and
Media.
They
were
the
men
whom
he
often
asked ◄for
their
advice/what
he
should
do►.
And
they
were
men
who
knew
all
the
customs
and
laws
{\ADD{
of
Persia}}.
Their
names
were
Carshena,
Shethar,
Admatha,
Tarshish,
Meres,
Marsena,
and
Memucan.
\VS{15}The
king
said
to
them, “Queen
Vashti
has
refused
to
obey
me
when
I
sent
my
servants
{\ADD{
to
tell
her
to
come
here}}.
What
do
our
laws
say
that
we
should
do
to
someone
who
{\ADD{
acts/behaves
like
that}}?”
\par }{\PP \VS{16}While
the
other
officials
were
present,
Memucan
told
the
king,
{\ADD{“Your
majesty}},
Queen
Vashti
has ◄insulted/done
wrong
against►
you,
but
she
has
also
insulted
all
your
officials
and
everyone
else ◄in
your
empire/that
you
rule
over►.
\VS{17}All
the
women
{\ADD{
throughout
the
empire}}
will
hear
what
she
has
done,
and
they
will
say, ‘The
king
commanded
Queen
Vashti
to
come
to
him,
and
she
refused.’
{\ADD{
So
they
will
not
obey
their
husbands.
Instead,}}
they
will
begin
to
not
respect
their
husbands.
\VS{18}Before
this
day
ends,
the
wives
of
all
us
officials
in
Persia
and
Media
will
hear
what
the
queen
did,
and
they
also
will
refuse
to
obey
their
husbands.
They
will
not
respect
us,
and
they
will
cause
us
to
become
very
angry.
\VS{19}So
if
it
pleases
you,
O
king,
you
should
write
a
law.
Like
all
the
other
laws
of
Persia
and
Media,
it
will
be
a
law
that ◄no
one
can
change/cannot
be
changed.►
Write
a
law
that states
that
Queen
Vashti
will
never
be
allowed
to
see
you
again
{\ADD{
and
will
not
continue
to
be
the
queen}}.
Then
you
can
choose
another
woman
to
be
queen,
a
woman
who
deserves
to
be
queen
more
than
Vashti
does.
\VS{20}Then,
when
everyone
in
your
empire
hears
what
you
have
commanded,
all
the
women,
including
those
who
are
important
and
those
who
are
not
important,
will
respect
and
obey
their
husbands.”
\par }{\PP \VS{21}The
king
and
the
other
officials
liked
what
Memucan
suggested,
so
he
{\ADD{
did
that.
He
wrote
a
law}}
proclaiming
that.
\VS{22}Then
he
sent
letters
to
all
the
provinces, stating
that
all
men
should
have
complete
authority
over
their
wives
and
their
children.
He
wrote
the
letters
in
every
language
and type
of
writing/alphabet
that
was
used
in
each
province.

\par }\Chap{2}{\SH Esther became the new queen
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}After
a
while,
King Xerxes
quit
being
so
angry.
He
thought
about
Vashti,
and
he
thought
about
the
law
he
had
made
because
of
what
she
{\ADD{
had
done,
and
he
wanted
another
wife}}.
\VS{2}So
his
personal
servants
said
to
him, “{\ADD{
Your
majesty,}}
you
should
send
some
men
to
search
throughout
the
empire
for
some
beautiful
young
women/virgins
for
you.
\VS{3}{\ADD{
After
they
find
some,}}
you
can
appoint
some
officials
in
each
province
to
bring
them
to
the
place
where
you
keep ◄your
wives/the
women
you
sleep
with►
here
in
Susa.
Then
Hegai,
the
man
who
is
in
charge
of
these
women,
can
arrange
for
ointments
to
be
put
{\ADD{
on
their
bodies}}
to
make
them
{\ADD{
more}}
beautiful.
\VS{4}Then
the
woman
who
pleases
you
most
can
become
queen
instead
of
Vashti.”
The
king
liked
what
they
suggested,
so
he
did
it.
\par }{\PP \VS{5}At
that
time
there
was
a
Jew
{\ADD{
living}}
in
Susa,
the
capital,
whose
name
was
Mordecai,
the
son
of
Jair.
Jair
was
a
descendant
of
Shimei.
Shimei
was
a
descendant
of
{\ADD{
King
Saul’s
father}}
Kish.
{\ADD{
They
were
all}}
from
the
tribe
descended
from
Benjamin.
\VS{6}{\ADD{
Many
years
before
that,}}
King
Nebuchadnezzar
had
taken ◄Mordecai/Mordecai’s
family►
{\ADD{
and
brought
them
from
Jerusalem}}
to
Babylon,
at
the
same
time
he
brought
King
Jehoiachin
of
Judah
and
many
other
people
to
Babylon.
\VS{7}Mordecai
had
a cousin
whose
{\ADD{
Hebrew}}
name
was
Hadassah.
She
had
a
beautiful
face
and
beautiful
body/figure.
Her
{\ADD{
Persian}}
name
was
Esther.
After
her
father
and
mother
died,
Mordecai
took
care
of
Esther
as
though
she
were
his
own
daughter.
\VS{8}After
the
king
commanded
{\ADD{
that
they
search
for
some
beautiful
women}},
they
brought
Esther
and
many
other
young
women
to
the
king’s
palace
{\ADD{
in
Susa}},
and ◄the
king
put
Hegai/Hegai
was
put►
in
charge
of
them.
\VS{9}Hegai
was
very
pleased
with
Esther,
and
he
treated
her
well.
He
immediately
arranged
for
her
to
be
given
ointments
to
make
her
{\ADD{
even
more}}
beautiful,
and
{\ADD{
he
ordered
that}}
special
food
{\ADD{
would
be
given
to
her}}.
{\ADD{
He
arranged
that}}
seven
maids
from
the
king’s
palace
{\ADD{
would
take
care
of
her}},
and
arranged
that
she/they
would
stay
in
the
best
rooms.
\par }{\PP \VS{10}Esther
did
not
tell
anyone
that
she
was
a
Jew,
because
Mordecai
had
told
her
not
to
tell
anyone.
\VS{11}Every
day
Mordecai
walked
near
the
courtyard
of
the
place
where
those
women
stayed.
He
asked
{\ADD{
people
who
entered
the
courtyard}}
to
find
out
{\ADD{
and
tell
him}}
what
was happening
to
Esther.
\par }{\PP \VS{12}Before
these
women
were
taken
to
the
king,
they
put
ointments
on
{\ADD{
the
bodies
of}}
these
women
for
one
year
to
make
them
more
beautiful.
For
six
months
they
{\ADD{
rubbed
olive}}
oil
mixed
with
myrrh
{\ADD{
on
their
bodies
each
day}}.
For
{\ADD{
the
next}}
six
months
they
rubbed
ointments
and
perfumes
on
their
bodies.
\VS{13}Then,
when
one
of
these
women
{\ADD{
was
summoned
to}}
go
to
the
king,
she
was
allowed
to
wear
whatever
clothes
and
jewelry
she
chose.
\VS{14}In
the
evening,
they
would
take
her
{\ADD{
to
the
king’s
own
room}}.
The
next
morning,
they
would
take
her
to
another
place
where
the
women
{\ADD{
who
had
slept
with
the
king}}
stayed.
There
another
official
whose
name
was
Shaashgaz
was
in
charge
{\ADD{
of
those
women}}.
{\ADD{
Those
women
would
live
there
for
the
rest
of
their
lives,
and}}
one
of
those
women
would
go
back
to
the
king
again
only
if
the
king
very
much
wanted
her
to
come
again,
and
only
if
he
told
Shaashgaz
the
name
of
the
woman.
\par }{\PP \VS{15-16}Everyone
who
saw
Esther
liked
her.
After
King Xerxes
had
been
ruling
for
seven
years,
it
was
Esther’s
turn
to
go
to
him.
When
they
took
her
to
the
king,
it
was
during
the
middle
part
of
the
winter.
She
wore
only
the
things
that
Hegai
suggested.
\VS{17}The
king
liked
Esther
more
than
he
liked
any
of
the
other
women
{\ADD{
that
they
brought
to
him}}.
He
liked
her
so
much
that
he
put
on
her
head
the
queen’s
crown,
and
he
declared
that
Esther
would
be
the
queen
instead
of
Vashti.
\VS{18}To
celebrate
her
{\ADD{
becoming
the
queen}},
he
had
a
big
banquet/feast
prepared
for
all
his
administrators
and
{\ADD{
other}}
officials.
He
generously
gave
{\ADD{expensive}}
gifts
to
everyone,
and
he
declared
that
in
all
the
provinces
there
would
be
a
holiday,
{\ADD{
a
time
when
people
did
not
have
to
pay
taxes}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{19}Later
all
those
women
who
had
spent
a
night
with
the
king
were
gathered
together
again.
By
that
time
Mordecai
had
become
an
official
at
the
palace.
\VS{20}But
Esther
still
did
not
tell
anyone
that
she
was
a
Jew.
She
continued
to
do
what
Mordecai
had
told
her
to
do.
\VS{21}One
day
when
Mordecai
was
doing
his
work
in
the
palace,
two
of
the
king’s
officials
were
there.
Their
names
were
Bigthana
and
Teresh.
They
were
the
guards
who
stood
outside
the
king’s
own
rooms.
They
became
angry
{\ADD{
with
the
king}},
and
they
were
planning
how
they
could assassinate/kill
him.
\VS{22}But
Mordecai
heard
about
what
they
were
planning,
and
he
told
that
to
Queen
Esther.
Then
she
told
the
king
what
Mordecai
had
found
out.
\VS{23}The
king
investigated
and
found
out
that
Mordecai’s
report
was
true.
So
the
king
ordered
that
those
two
men
be
hanged.
When
that
was
done, ◄an
official
wrote
a
report/a
report
was
written►
about
it
in
a
book
called ‘The
book
that
records
what
happened
while Xerxes
was king’.

\par }\Chap{3}{\SH Haman planned to kill to the Jews
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}Some
time
later,
King Xerxes ◄promoted/gave
his
most
important
job/work
to►
Haman,
the
son
of
Hammedatha,
who
was
a
descendant
of
{\ADD{
King}}
Agag.
Haman
became
more
important
than
all
his
other
officials.
{\ADD{
Only
the
king
was
more
important.}}
\VS{2}Then
the
king
commanded
that
all
the
other
officials
had
to
bow
down
in
front
of
Haman
to
honor
him
{\ADD{
when
he
walked
by}}.
But
Mordecai
refused
to
bow
down
to
Haman.
\par }{\PP \VS{3}The
{\ADD{
other}}
officials
{\ADD{
saw
that,
and
they}}
asked
Mordecai, “Why
do
you
disobey
what
the
king
commanded?”
\VS{4}Mordecai
told
them
that
he
was
a
Jew,
{\ADD{
and
that
Jews
would
bow
down
only
to
God}}.
Day
after
day
the
other
officials
spoke
to
Mordecai
about
that,
but
he
still
refused
to
obey.
So
they
told
Haman
about
it,
to
see
if
Haman
would
tolerate
it.
\par }{\PP \VS{5}When
Haman
saw
that
Mordecai
would
not
bow
down
to
him,
he
became
extremely
angry.
\VS{6}{\ADD{
After
he
found
out
that
Mordecai
was
a
Jew,}}
he
decided
that
it
would
not
be
enough
to
get
rid
of
only
Mordecai.
He
decided
to
kill
all
the
Jews
in
all
the
area
that Xerxes
ruled.
\par }{\PP \VS{7}So,
during
the
twelfth
year
that Xerxes
was
ruling,
during
the
month
of April,
{\ADD{
Haman
told
his advisors
to}} ◄cast
lots/throw
small
marked
stones►
to
determine
the
best
month
and
the
best
day
to
kill
the
Jews.
Haman’s advisors
did
that,
and
the
day
that
was
selected
was
March 7th
{\ADD{
during
the
following/next
year}}.
\par }{\PP \VS{8}Then
Haman
{\ADD{
went
to}}
the
king
{\ADD{
and}}
said
to
{\ADD{
him}}, “{\ADD{
Your
majesty,}}
there
is
a
certain
group
of
people
who
live
in
many
areas
{\ADD{
of
your
empire}}
whose
customs
are
different
from
ours.
They
even
refuse
to
obey
your
laws.
So
it
would
be
good
for
you
to
get
rid
of
them.
\VS{9}If
it
pleases
you,
command
that
they
should
all
be
killed.
{\ADD{
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.”
\par }{\PP \VS{10}The
king
liked
{\ADD{
what
Haman
said,
so,
and
to
confirm
what
he
decided}},
he
gave
the
ring
that
had
his
official
seal
on
it
to
Haman,
who
now
hated
the
Jews.
\VS{11}The
king
told
Haman, “Keep
your
money,
but
do
what
you
want
to
with
those
people
{\ADD{
whom
you
talked
about}}!”
\par }{\PP \VS{12-13}On April 17th
Haman
summoned
the
king’s
secretaries,
and
he
dictated
a
letter
to
them
that
they
{\ADD{
translated
and}}
wrote
to
all
the
governors
and
administrators
and
other
officials
in
all
the
provinces.
They
wrote copies
of
the
letter
in
every
language
and
every
kind
of
writing/alphabet
that
was
used
in
the
empire.
They
wrote
that
all
the
Jews,
{\ADD{
including}}
young
people
and
old
people,
women
and
children,
had
to
be
killed
on
one
day.
That
day
was
March 7th
of
the
following
year.
They
also
wrote
that
{\ADD{
those
who
killed
the
Jews}}
could
take
everything
that
belonged
to
the
Jews.
{\ADD{
They
signed}}
the
king’s
name
{\ADD{
at
the
end
of}}
the
letters.
Then
they
sealed
the
letters
{\ADD{
with
wax,
and
stamped
the
wax
by}}
using
the
king’s
ring.
Then
they
sent
the
letters
swiftly
to
every
province
in
the
empire,
\par }{\PP \VS{14}The
king
{\ADD{
also
commanded
that}} copies
of
these
letters
should
be
{\ADD{nailed
up}}
where
{\ADD{
all
the
people}}
could
see
them,
in
every
province,
so
that
the
people
would
be
ready
to
do
on
the
day
the
king
had
set
{\ADD{
what
was
written
in
the
letter}}.
\VS{15}Then,
according
to
what
the
king
commanded,
men
{\ADD{
riding
horses}}
took
those
letters
quickly
to
every
province
{\ADD{
in
the
empire}}.
And
one
of
the
letters
was
read
{\ADD{
aloud
to
the
people}}
in
the
capital
city,
Susa.
Then
the
king
and
Haman
sat
down
and
drank
{\ADD{
wine}},
but
the
people
in
Susa
were
very
perplexed
{\ADD{
about
why
this
was
going
to
happen}}.

\par }\Chap{4}{\SH Mordecai requested help from Esther
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}When
Mordecai
found
out
about
those
{\ADD{
letters,
he
was
so
anguished
that}}
he
tore
his
clothes
and
put
on
{\ADD{
rough}}
sackcloth
and
{\ADD{
threw}}
ashes
over
himself.
Then
he
went
into
the
city,
crying
very
loudly.
\VS{2}He
stood
outside
the
gate
of
the
palace,
because
no
one
who
was
wearing
sackcloth
was
allowed
to
enter
the
palace.
\VS{3}In
every
province
{\ADD{
of
the
empire}},
when
the
letter
from
the
king
was
read
to
the
Jewish
people,
they
cried
and
mourned.
They ◄fasted/abstained
from
eating
food►,
and
wailed
loudly.
Many
of
them
also
put
on
sackcloth
and
threw
ashes
on
themselves
and
lay
{\ADD{
on
the
ground}}.
\VS{4}When
Esther’s
maids
and
other
officials
came
to
her
and
told
her
what
Mordecai
had
done,
she
was
very
distressed.
So
she
sent
to
Mordecai
{\ADD{
some
good}}
clothes
to
wear
instead
of
the
sackcloth,
but
he
refused
to
take
them.
\VS{5}Then
Esther
summoned
Hathach,
one
of
the
king’s
officials
whom
he
had
appointed
to
help
take
care
of
Esther.
She
told
him
to
go
{\ADD{
out
and
talk}}
to
Mordecai
to
find
out
what
was
distressing
him
and
why
{\ADD{
he
was
wearing
sackcloth
to
show}}
that
he
was
grieving.
\VS{6}Hathach
went
to
Mordecai,
who
was
in
the
plaza
in
front
of
the
palace
gate.
\VS{7}Mordecai
told
him
everything
that
had
happened.
He
told
him
how
much
money
Haman
had
promised
to
give
to
the
government
if
the
king
commanded
that
all
the
Jews
be
killed.
\VS{8}Mordecai
also
gave
to
Hathach
a
copy
of
the
decree
that
had
been
read
in
Susa,
{\ADD{
in
which
it
was stated}}
that
all
the
Jews
must
be
killed.
He
told
Hathach
to
show
the
copy
to
Esther.
He
told
Hathach
to
explain
to
Esther
what ◄it
meant/would
happen►.
Then
he
told
him
to
urge
her
to
go
to
the
king
and
request
the
king
to
act mercifully
to
her
people.
\VS{9}So
Hathach
returned
to
Esther
and
told
her
what
Mordecai
said.
\VS{10}Then
Esther
told
Hathach
to
{\ADD{
return
to}}
Mordecai
{\ADD{
and}}
tell
this
{\ADD{
to
him}}:
\VS{11}“There
is
a
law
{\ADD{
about
people
going
to
talk
to
the
king}}.
All
the
king’s
officials
and
all
the
people
in
the
empire
know
this
law.
{\ADD{
In
that
law
it states
that}}
anyone
who
goes
to
the
king
in
his
inner
court
without
having
been
summoned
by
the
king
must
be
executed.
Only
those
to
whom
the
king
has
extended
his
scepter/staff
will
not
be
executed.
And
a
month
has
passed
since
the
king
has
summoned
me,
{\ADD{
so
what
will
happen
to
me
if
I
try
to
see
him
and
he
doesn’t
want
to
see
me?}}”
\VS{12}So
Hathach
{\ADD{
went
back
to}}
Mordecai
{\ADD{
and}}
told
{\ADD{
him}}
what
Esther
had
said.
\VS{13}Mordecai
replied, “{\ADD{
Go
back
and}}
tell
this
to
Esther: 'Do
not
think
that
just
because
you
live
there
in
the
palace,
you
will
escape
when
all
the
other
Jews
{\ADD{
are
killed}}.
\VS{14}If
you
say
nothing
now,
someone
from
some
other
place
will
rescue
{\ADD{
many
of}}
us
Jews,
but
you
and
your
relatives
will
be
killed.
Furthermore, ◄perhaps
{\ADD{
God}}/who
knows
if
{\ADD{
God}}►
has
put
you
here
{\ADD{
as
queen}} ◄for
a
situation
like
this/to
prevent
this
from happening
to
us►!' ” [RHQ]
\VS{15}Then
{\ADD{
after
Hathach
told
this
to}}
Esther,
{\ADD{
she
}}
told
him
to
return
to
Mordecai
and
say
this
to
him:
\VS{16}“Gather
together
all
the
Jews
here
in
Susa,
and
tell
them
to ◄fast/abstain
from
food►
for
my
sake.
Tell
them
to
not
eat
or
drink
anything
for
three
days
and
nights.
My
maids
and
I
will
also
fast.
Then,
I
will
go
to
talk
to
the
king.
Even
if ◄I
am
executed/they
execute
me►
for disobeying
the
law
{\ADD{
by
seeing
him
when
he
does
not
hold
out
the
scepter/staff
toward
me,
I
am
willing
for
that
to
happen”}}.
\VS{17}So
{\ADD{
after
Hathach
told
this
to
Mordecai,}}
Mordecai
went
and
did
what
Esther
told
him
to
do.

\par }\Chap{5}{\SH Esther invited Haman and the king to a banquet
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}Three
days
later,
Esther
{\ADD{
prepared
a
big
banquet/feast.
Then
she
}}
put
on
the
robes
that
showed
that
she
was
queen,
and
she
went
to
the
inner
courtyard
of
the
palace,
across
from
the
room
where
the
king
was.
He
was
sitting
on
the
throne,
facing
the
entrance
{\ADD{
of
the
room}}.
\VS{2}When
the
king
saw
Esther
standing
there
in
the
courtyard,
he
extended
the
gold
scepter/staff
toward
her
{\ADD{
to
signal
that
he
would
be
glad
to
talk
to
her}}.
So
Esther
came
close
and
touched
the
tip
of
the
scepter/staff.
\VS{3}Then
the
king
asked
her, “Esther,
what
do
you
want?
Tell
me,
and
I
will
give
you
what
you
want,
even
if
you
ask
me
to
give
you
half
of
my
kingdom!”
\VS{4}Esther
replied, “{\ADD{
Your
majesty,}}
if
it
pleases
you,
you
and
Haman
come
to
the
banquet
that
I
have
prepared
for
you!”
\VS{5}The
king
said
{\ADD{
to
his
servants}}, “Go
and
tell
Haman
to
come
quickly
to
a
banquet
that
Esther
has
prepared
for
the
two
of
us!”
So
the
king
and
Haman
went
to
the
banquet
that
Esther
had
prepared
for
them.
\VS{6}While
they
were
drinking
wine,
the
king
said
to
Esther, “Tell
me
what
you
{\ADD{
really}}
want.
I
will
give
it
to
you,
even
if
{\ADD{
you
ask
for}}
half
of
my
kingdom.”
\VS{7-8}Esther
replied, “{\ADD{
I
will
tell
you}}
what
I
want
{\ADD{
most
of
all.
Your
majesty}},
if
you
are
pleased
with
me,
and
if
you
are
willing
to
give
me
what
I
am requesting,
please
come
{\ADD{
again}}
tomorrow
to
another
banquet
that
I
will
prepare
for
the
two
of
you.
Then
I
will
tell
you
{\ADD{
what
I
really
want”}}.
\par }{\SH Haman
planned
to
kill
Mordecai
\par }{\PP \VS{9}Haman
was feeling
very
happy
as
he
left
the
banquet.
But
then
he
saw
Mordecai
sitting
at
the
gate
of
the
palace.
Mordecai
did
not
stand
up
and
tremble
fearfully
in
front
of
Haman,
so
Haman
became
extremely
angry.
\VS{10}However,
he
did
not
show
that
he
was
angry;
he
{\ADD{
just}}
went
home.
Then
he
gathered
together
his
wife
Zeresh
and
his
friends,
\VS{11}and
he
boasted
to
them
about
being
very
rich,
and
about
having
many
children.
He
also
boasted
that
the
king
had
greatly
honored
him,
and
that
the
king
had ◄promoted
him/given
him
the second-most
important
job
in
the
empire►,
so
that
{\ADD{
all}}
the
other
officials
had
to
respect
him.
\VS{12}Then
Haman
added, “And
that
is
not
all!
Queen
Esther
invited
just
two
of
us,
the
king
and
me,
to
a
banquet
she
prepared
for
us
today.
And
she
is inviting
{\ADD{
only}}
the
two
of
us
to
another
banquet
that
she
will
prepare
tomorrow!”
\VS{13}Then
Haman
said, “But
those
things ◄mean
nothing
to
me/do
not
make
me
happy►
while
I
keep
seeing
that
Jew,
Mordecai,
{\ADD{
just}}
sitting
there
at
the
gate
of
the
palace
{\ADD{
and ignoring
me}}!”
\VS{14}So
Haman’s
wife
Zeresh
and
all
his
friends
{\ADD{
who
were
there}}
suggested, “{\ADD{
Why
don’t
you
quickly}}
set
up ◄a
gallows/posts
on
which
to
hang
someone►.
Make
it 75
feet
tall.
Then
tomorrow
morning
ask
the
king
to
hang
Mordecai
on
it.
After
that,
you
can
go
to
the
banquet
with
the
king
and
be
cheerful.”
That
idea
pleased
Haman
{\ADD{
very
much}},
so
he
gave
{\ADD{
men}}
orders
to
set
up
the
gallows/posts.

\par }\Chap{6}{\SH The king honored Mordecai
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}That
night
the
king
was
unable
to
sleep,
so
he
{\ADD{
summoned}}
a
servant
{\ADD{
and
}}
told
{\ADD{
him
}}
to
bring
the
records
of
what
had
happened
during
all
the
time
he
had
been
king.
{\ADD{
So
the
servant
brought
the
records}}
and
read
some
of
them
to
the
king.
\VS{2}{\ADD{
The
servant
read
about}}
Bigthana
and
Teresh,
the
two
men
who
had
guarded
the
entrance
to
the
king’s
rooms.
He
read
the
account
of
when
Mordecai
had
found
out
that
they
planned
to assassinate
the
king
{\ADD{
and
that
he
had
told
the
king
about
it}}.
\VS{3}The
king
asked
{\ADD{
some
of
his
servants}}, “What
did
we
do
to
reward
Mordecai
or
show
that
we appreciate
what
he
did?”
The
servants
replied, “We
did
not
do
anything
for
him.”
\VS{4}At
that
moment,
Haman
entered
the
outer
courtyard
of
the
palace.
He
wanted
to
talk
to
the
king
about
hanging
Mordecai
on
the
gallows
that
he
had
{\ADD{
just}}
set
up.
The
king
{\ADD{
saw
him
and}}
said, “Who
is
{\ADD{
that
out
there}}
in
the
courtyard?”
\VS{5}His
servants
replied, “That
is
Haman
standing
there
in
the
courtyard.”
The
king
said, “Bring
him
in
{\ADD{
here}}!”
\VS{6}When
Haman
came
in,
the
king
asked
him, “What
should
I
do
for
a
man
whom
I
want
to
honor?”
Haman
thought
to
himself, “◄Whom
would
the
king
like
to
honor
more
than
me?/I
think
there
is
no
one
whom
the
king
would
like
to
honor
more
than
me!►” [RHQ]
\VS{7}So
he
replied
to
the
king, “If
there
is
someone
you
wish
to
honor,
\VS{8}you
should
{\ADD{
tell
your
servants
to}}
bring
him
one
of
the
robes
you
wear
{\ADD{yo
to
show
that
you
are}}
the
king.
Also
tell
them
to
bring
one
of
the
horses
you
have
ridden.
Tell
them
to
put
a fancy headdress
on
the
horse’s
head
to
show
that
it
belongs
to
you,
the
king.
\VS{9}Then
tell
one
of
your
very
important
officials
to
put
the
robe
on
the
man
whom
you
want
to
honor,
and
tell
that
man
to
sit
on
the
horse,
and
then
lead
the
horse
through
the
city
streets.
And
tell
that
official
to
keep
shouting, ‘This
is
what ◄the
king
does/is
doing►
for
the
man
whom
he
wants
to
honor!’ ”
\VS{10}The
king
replied
to
Haman, “{\ADD{
Fine}}!
Go
and
do
what
you
said
immediately!
Get
my
robe
and
my
horse,
and
do
just
what
you
suggested!
Do
it
for
Mordecai,
the
Jew,
who
is
sitting
{\ADD{
outside}}
at
the
gate
of
the
palace.
Do
not
forget
anything
that
you
suggested!”
\VS{11}So
Haman
did
what
the
king
said.
He
got
the
robe
and
the
horse.
He
put
the
robe
on
Mordecai,
and
as
Mordecai
sat
on
the
horse,
Haman
led
the
horse
through
the
city
streets
proclaiming “This
is
what
the
king ◄does/is
doing►
for
the
man
whom
the
king
wants
to
honor!”
\VS{12}Then,
Mordecai
returned
{\ADD{
and
sat}}
at
the
gate
of
the
palace.
But
Haman
hurried
home,
covering
his
face
{\ADD{
because
he
felt}}
completely
disgraced/humiliated.
\VS{13}He
told
his
wife
Zeresh
and
his
friends
everything
that
had
happened
to
him
that
day.
Then
his
wife
and
his
friends
said
to
him, “Mordecai,
the
man
who
has
caused
you
to
be
completely
disgraced/humiliated,
is
a
Jew.
{\ADD{
It
is
clear
that
the
God
whom
the
Jews
worship
is
fighting
for
them.}}
So
you
will
never
be
able
to
defeat
Mordecai.
He
will
defeat
you!”
\VS{14}And
while
they
were
still
talking,
some
of
the
king’s
officials
arrived
to
take
Haman
quickly
to
the
banquet/feast
that
Esther
had
prepared.

\par }\Chap{7}{\SH Haman was executed
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}So
the
king
and
Haman
went
to
eat
the
second
banquet/feast
that
Queen
Esther
had
prepared.
\VS{2}As
they
were
drinking
wine,
the
king
asked
again, “Esther,
what
do
you
want
me
to
do
{\ADD{
for
you?
Tell
me,
and}}
I
will
do
it
for
you.
Even
if
{\ADD{
you
ask
me
for}}
half
of
my
kingdom,
I
will
give
it
to
you.”
\VS{3}Esther
replied, “O
king,
if
you
are
pleased
with
me,
and
if
you
are
willing
to
do
{\ADD{
what
I
ask}},
save
me,
and
save
my
people.
That
is
what
I
want
you
to
do
for
me.
\VS{4}{\ADD{
It
is
as
though}}
I
and
my
people
{\ADD{
are
cattle
that}}
have
been
sold
to
be
slaughtered.
{\ADD{
It
is
as
though}}
we
have
been
sold
to
people
who
want
to
completely
destroy
us.
If
we
had
only
been
sold
to
people
to
become
their
male
and
female
slaves,
I
would
not
say
anything,
because
that
would
have
been
a
matter
too
small
to
bother
you,
the
king.”
\VS{5}Then
King Xerxes
asked
her, “Who
would
want
to
do
such
a
{\ADD{
terrible}}
thing?
Where
is
he?”
\VS{6}Esther
replied, “{\ADD{
The
man
who
is}}
our
enemy
is
this
evil
man
Haman!”
Then
Haman
was
terrified
as
he
stood
in
front
of
the
king
and
queen.
\VS{7}The
king
became
extremely
angry.
He
immediately
left
his
wine
and
got
up
and
went
outside
into
the
palace
garden
{\ADD{
to
decide
what
to
do}}.
But
Haman
stayed,
in
order
to
plead
with
Queen
Esther
that
she
would
spare
his
life.
\VS{8}He
threw
himself
down
on
the
couch
where
Esther
was reclining.
But
at
that
moment
the
king
returned
from
the
garden
to
the
room
where
they
had
been
eating.
{\ADD{
He
saw
Haman,
and assumed
he
was
preparing
to
rape
Esther}}.
He
exclaimed, “Are
you
going
to
rape
the
queen
while
she
is
here
with
me
in
my
own
palace?”
As
soon
as
the
king
said
that,
some
officials
covered
Haman’s
head,
{\ADD{
as
they
did
to
people
who
were
about
to
be
hanged}}.
\VS{9}Then
Harbona,
one
of
the
king’s
personal
officials,
said, “{\ADD{
Outside,}}
near
Haman’s
house,
there
is
a ◄gallows/set
of
poles
for
hanging
someone►.
It
is 75
feet
high.
Haman
made
it
for
Mordecai,
the
man
who
spared
your
life!”
The
king
said, “Hang
him
on
it!”
\VS{10}So
they
hanged
Haman
on
the
gallows
that
he
had
prepared
for
hanging
Mordecai!
And
then ◄the
king’s
anger cooled
off/the
king
was
no
longer
so
angry►.

\par }\Chap{8}{\SH The king issued a decree to save the Jews
\par }{\PP \VerseOne{1}{\ADD{
Later}}
on
that
same
day,
King Xerxes
declared
that
everything
that
Haman,
the
enemy
of
the
Jews,
owned,
would
now
belong
to
Queen
Esther.
Esther
told
the
king
that
Mordecai
was
her cousin.
{\ADD{
When}}
the
king
{\ADD{
heard
that,
he
sent
a
message
to
tell}}
Mordecai
to
come
in.
\VS{2}When
Mordecai
came
in,
the
king
took
off
the
ring
that
had
his
official
seal
on
it,
the
ring
that
he
had
{\ADD{
previously}}
given
to
Haman,
and
gave
it
to
Mordecai,
{\ADD{
to indicate
that
Mordecai
was
now
his
most
important
official}}.
And
Esther
appointed
Mordecai
to
be
in
charge
of
everything
that
had
belonged
to
Haman.
\par }{\PP \VS{3}Esther
again
{\ADD{
came
to}}
talk
to
the
king.
She
prostrated
herself
at
his
feet,
crying.
She
{\ADD{
wanted
to}}
plead
for
him
to
stop
what
Haman
had
planned,
to
kill
all
the
Jews.
\VS{4}The
king
held
out
his
gold
scepter/staff
toward
Esther,
so
Esther
arose
and
stood
in
front
of
him.
\VS{5}She
said, “Your
majesty,
if
you
are
pleased
with
me,
and
if
you
think
that
it
is
the
right
thing
to
do,
make
a
new
law
to cancel
what
Haman
decreed,
that
all
the
Jews
in
all
the
provinces
in
your
empire
should
be
killed.
\VS{6}I
cannot
bear
seeing
all
my
family
and
{\ADD{
all
the
rest
of}}
my
people
killed.”
\VS{7}King Xerxes
replied
to
Queen
Esther
and
Mordecai, “Because
Haman
tried
to
get
rid
of
all
the
Jews,
I
have
given
to
Esther
everything
that
belonged
to
Haman,
and
I
have
ordered
{\ADD{
my
soldiers}}
to
hang
Haman.
\VS{8}So
now
I
am
also permitting
you
to
write
other
letters,
to
{\ADD{
save}}
your
people.
You
may
put
my
name
{\ADD{
on
the
letters}},
and
use
my
ring
to
seal
them
because
no
letter
that
has
my
name
on
it
and
which
is
sealed
with
my
ring
can
ever
be
changed.”
\VS{9}Then
the
king
summoned
his
secretaries,
on June 25th,
and
{\ADD{
Mordecai
told
them
to}}
write
letters
to
the
Jews
and
to
all
the
governors
and
other
officials
in
all
of
the 127
provinces,
which
extended
from
India
{\ADD{
in
the
east}}
to
Ethiopia
{\ADD{
in
the
west}}.
They
wrote
these
letters
in
all
the
languages
that
the
people
in
each
area
spoke.
They
also
wrote
letters
to
the
Jewish
people,
in
their
language.
\VS{10-11}They
wrote
in
those
letters
that
the
Jews
in
every
city
were
permitted
by
the
king
to
gather
together
to
protect
themselves.
They
also
were
permitted
to
kill
any
group
of
soldiers
who
attacked
them.
They
were
also
permitted
to
kill
the
women
and
children
of
those
who
attacked
them,
and
to
take
the
possessions
of
the
people
whom
they
killed.
\VS{12}{\ADD{
All
this
was
to
be
done}}
on
March 7th
of
the
following
year.
Mordecai
signed
the
king’s
name
on
the
letters,
and
sealed
them
with
the
seal
that
was
on
the
king’s
ring.
Then
he
gave
them
to
messengers,
who
rode
on
fast
horses
that
had
been
raised
especially
for
the
king.
\VS{13}Copies
of
this
law
were
to
be nailed
to
posts
in
every
province
and
read
to
all
the
people,
in
order
that
the
Jews
would
be
ready
to ◄get
revenge
on/fight
against►
their
enemies
on
March 7th.
\VS{14}The
king
commanded
the
men
who
took
these
letters
{\ADD{
to
all
the
provinces}}
to
ride
quickly
on
the
king’s
horses.
And copies
of
the
letter
were
also
posted
and
read
to
the
people
in
{\ADD{
the
capital
city,}}
Susa.
\VS{15}Before
Mordecai
left
the
palace,
he
put
on
the
blue
and
white
robe
and
a
large
gold
crown
that
the
king
had
given
him.
He
also
put
on
a
coat
made
of
fine
purple
cloth.
When
the
people
in
Susa
heard
the
new
law,
they
all
shouted
and cheered.
\VS{16}The
Jews
in
Susa
were
very
happy,
and
{\ADD{
other
people}}
honored
{\ADD{
them}}.
\VS{17}And
when
the
new
law
arrived
in
every
city
and
province,
the
Jews
there
celebrated
and
prepared
feasts
and
were
very
joyful.
And
many
men
throughout
the
empire
{\ADD{
were
circumcised
and}}
became
Jews,
because
they
were
now
afraid
of
{\ADD{
what}}
the
Jews
{\ADD{
would
do
to
them
if
they
were
not
Jews}}.

\par }\Chap{9}{\PP \VerseOne{1}The
first
law
that
the
king
had
commanded
was
to
be
made effective
on
March 7th.
On
that
day
the
enemies
of
the
Jews
hoped
to
get
rid
of
them.
But
instead,
on
that
same
day
the
Jews
defeated
their
enemies.
\VS{2}Throughout
the
empire,
the
Jews
gathered
together
in
their
cities
to
attack
those
who
wanted
to
get
rid
of
them.
No
one
could
fight
against
the
Jews,
because
all
the
other
people
in
the
areas
where
the
Jews
lived
were
afraid
of
them,
{\ADD{
so
they
did
not
want
to
help
anyone
who
attacked
the
Jews}}.
\VS{3}All
the
governors
and
{\ADD{
other}}
officials
and
important
people
in
all
the
provinces
helped
the
Jews,
because
they
were
afraid
of
Mordecai.
\VS{4}They
were
afraid
of
him
because
in
all
the
provinces
{\ADD{
they
knew
that}}
Mordecai
was
now
the
king’s
most
important
official,
{\ADD{
with
the
authority
that
Haman
previously
had}}.
Mordecai
was
becoming
more
famous
because
{\ADD{
the
king
was
giving
him}}
more
and
more
power.
\VS{5}{\ADD{
On
March 7th,}}
the
Jews
attacked
and
killed
with
their
swords
all
of
their
enemies.
They
did
whatever
they
wanted
to
do,
to
the
people
who
hated
them.
\VS{6}{\ADD{
Just}}
in
Susa
alone,
the
capital
city,
they
killed 500
people.
\VS{7}Among
those
whom
they
killed
were
the
ten
sons
of
Haman.
{\ADD{
Their
names
were}}
Parshandatha,
Dalphon,
Aspatha,
\VS{8}Poratha,
Adalia,
Aridatha,
\VS{9}Parmashta,
Arisai,
Aridai,
and
Vaizatha.
\VS{10}Those
were
grandsons
of
Hammedatha
and
sons
of
Haman,
the
enemy
of
the
Jews.
The
Jews
killed
them,
but
they
did
not
take
the
things
that
belonged
to
the
people
whom
they
killed.
\VS{11}{\ADD{
At
the
end
of}}
that
day
someone
reported
to
the
king
the
number
of
people
whom
the
Jews
killed
in
Susa.
\VS{12}Then
the
king
said
to
Queen
Esther, “The
Jews
have
killed 500
people
here
in
Susa,
including
the
ten
sons
of
Haman!
{\ADD{
So
I
think
that}}
they
must
have
killed
many
more
people
in
the
rest
of
my
empire [RHQ]!
{\ADD{
But okay}},
now
what
else
do
you
want
me
to
do
for
you.
You
tell
me,
and
I
will
do
it.”
\VS{13}Esther
replied, “If
it
pleases
you,
allow
the
Jews
here
in
Susa
to
do
again
tomorrow
what
{\ADD{
you}}
commanded
{\ADD{
them}}
to
do
today.
And
command
that
the
bodies
of
Haman’s
ten
sons
be
hanged
on
the
gallows/poles.”
\VS{14}So
the
king
commanded
that
the
Jews
be
permitted
to
kill
more
of
their
enemies
the
next
day.
After
he
issued
{\ADD{
another}}
order
in
Susa,
the
bodies
of
Haman’s
ten
sons
were
hanged.
\VS{15}On
the
next
day,
the
Jews
in
Susa
gathered
together
and
killed 300
more
people.
But
{\ADD{
again,}}
they
did
not
take
the
things
that
belonged
to
the
people
whom
they
killed.
\VS{16}That
happened
on
March 8th.
On
the
following
day,
the
Jews
{\ADD{
in
Susa}}
rested
and
celebrated.
In
all
the
other
provinces,
the
Jewish
people
gathered
together
to
defend
themselves,
and
they
killed 75,000
people
who
hated
them,
but
{\ADD{
again}}
they
did
not
take
the
things
that
belonged
to
the
people
whom
they
killed.
\VS{17}That
occurred
on
March 7th,
and
on
the
following
day
they
rested
and
celebrated.
\VS{18}After
the
Jews
in
Susa
gathered
together
{\ADD{
and
killed
their
enemies}}
on
March 7th
and 8th,
they
rested
and
celebrated
on
March 9th.
\VS{19}That
is
why
{\ADD{
every
year}},
on
March 8th,
the
Jews
who
live
in
villages
now
celebrate
{\ADD{
defeating
their
enemies}}.
They
have
feasts
and
give
gifts
{\ADD{
of
food}}
to
each
other.
\VS{20}Mordecai
wrote
down
all
the
things
that
had
happened.
Then
he
sent
letters
to
the
Jews
who
lived
throughout
the
empire
of
King Xerxes.
\VS{21}He
told
them
that
every
year
they
should
celebrate
on
the 8th
and 9th
of
March,
\VS{22}because
those
were
the
days
when
the
Jews
got
rid
of
their
enemies.
He
also
told
them
that
they
should
celebrate
on
those
days
by
feasting
and
giving
gifts
{\ADD{
of
food}}
to
each
other
and
to
poor
people.
They
would
remember
it
as
the
month
in
which
they
changed
from
being
very
sorrowful
to
being
very
joyful,
from
crying
to
celebrating.
\VS{23}So
the
Jews
agreed
to
do
what
Mordecai
wrote.
They
agreed
to
celebrate
on
those
days
{\ADD{
every
year}}.
\VS{24}They
would
remember
how
Haman,
son
of
Hammedatha,
a
descendant
of
{\ADD{
King}}
Agag,
became
an
enemy
of
all
the
Jews.
{\ADD{
They
would
remember}}
how
he
had
made
an
evil
plan
to
kill
the
Jews,
and
that
he
had ◄cast
lots/thrown
small
marked
stones►
to
choose
the
day
to
kill [DOU]
them.
\VS{25}{\ADD{
They
would
remember}}
that
when
Esther
told
the
king
about
Haman’s
plan,
the
king
arranged
that
the
evil
plan
that
Haman
had
made
to
kill
the
Jews
would
fail,
and
that
he
{\ADD{
would
be
killed}}
instead
of
the
Jews,
and
that
Haman
and
that
his
sons
were
hanged.
\VS{26}{\ADD{
Because
the ◄lot/small
marked
stone►
that
Haman
threw
was
called}}
Pur,
the
Jews
called
these
days
Purim.
And,
because
of
everything
that ◄{\ADD{
Mordecai}}
wrote/was
written►
in
that
letter,
and
because
of
all
that
happened
to
them,
\VS{27}the
Jews
{\ADD{
throughout
the
empire}}
agreed
to
celebrate
in
that
manner
on
those
two
days
every
year.
They
said
that
they
would
tell
their
descendants
and
those
people
who
became
Jews
to
be
certain
to
celebrate
this
festival
every
year.
They
should
celebrate
just
as
{\ADD{
Mordecai}}
told
them
to
do
{\ADD{
in
the
letter}}
that
he
wrote.
\VS{28}They
said
that
they
would
remember
and
celebrate
on
those
two
days
every
year,
in
each
family,
in
every
city,
and
in
every
province.
They
solemnly
declared
that
they
and
their
descendants
would
never
stop
remembering
and
celebrating
those
days
called
Purim.
\VS{29}Then
Mordecai
and
Queen
Esther,
who
was
the
daughter
of
Abihail,
wrote
a
second
letter
about
the
Purim
feast.
Esther
used
the
authority
that
she
had
because
of
being
the
queen
to
confirm
that
what
Mordecai
had
written
in
the
first
letter
was
true.
\VS{30-31}What
they
wrote
{\ADD{
in
the
second
letter}}
was, “We
wish
that
all
of
you
will
be
living
peacefully
and
safely/righteously.
We
want
you
and
your
descendants
to
celebrate
Purim
each
year
on
the
days
that
we
two
established,
and
to
do
the
things
that
we
two
told
you
to
do.”
In
that
letter,
Queen
Esther
and
Mordecai
also
gave
them
instructions
about ◄fasting/abstaining
from
eating
food►
and
being
sorrowful.
Then copies
of
that
letter
were
sent
to
all
the
Jews
who
were
living
in
the 127
provinces
of
the
empire.
\VS{32}The
letter
that
Esther
wrote
about
the
manner
in
which
they
should
celebrate
the
Purim
feast
was
also
written
in
an
official
record.

\par }\Chap{10}{\PP \VerseOne{1}King Xerxes
required
that
all
the
people
in
his
empire
pay
taxes.
Even
the
people
who
lived
on
the
islands
{\ADD{
in
the Mediterranean
Sea}} (OR,
in coastal
areas)
were
required
to
pay
taxes.
\VS{2}And
all
the
great
and
powerful
things
that Xerxes
did
were
written
in
the
scroll
called/entitled ‘The
record
of
the
things
done
by
the
kings
of
Media
and Persia’.
In
this
book
were
also
written
{\ADD{
the
things
done}}
by
Mordecai,
the
man
whom
the
king
had
greatly
honored.
\VS{3}Mordecai,
who
was
a
Jew,
became
the
king’s
most
important
official,
and
{\ADD{
all}}
the
Jews
also
considered
him
to
be
a
very
great
man.
They
{\ADD{
all}}
respected
him,
because
he
did
many
good
things
for
the
Jews,
and
he
often
asked
{\ADD{
the
king}}
to
do
good
things
for
them.
\par }