Esther 8 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Mordecai Promoted

1 On that day ^H3117 King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 gave ^H5414 the house ^H1004 of Haman ^H2001, the enemy ^H6887 of the Jews ^H3064, to Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635; and Mordecai ^H4782 came ^H935 before ^H6440 the king ^H4428, because ^H3588 Esther ^H635 had disclosed ^H5046 what ^H4100 he was to her.

2 Then the king ^H4428 took ^H5493 off ^H5493 his signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885, which ^H834 he had taken ^H5674 away ^H5674 from Haman ^H2001, and gave ^H5414 it to Mordecai ^H4782. And Esther ^H635 set ^H7760 Mordecai ^H4782 over ^H5921 the house ^H1004 of Haman ^H2001.

3 Then Esther ^H635 spoke ^H1696 again ^H3254 [fn]to the king ^H4428, fell ^H5307 at his feet ^H7272, wept ^H1058, and pleaded ^H2603 for ^H2603 his compassion ^H2603 to avert ^H5674 the evil ^H7451 scheme of Haman ^H2001 the Agagite ^H91 and his plot ^H4284 which ^H834 he had devised ^H2803 against ^H5921 the Jews ^H3064. 4 And the king ^H4428 extended ^H3447 the golden ^H2091 scepter ^H8275 to Esther ^H635. So Esther ^H635 got ^H6965 up ^H6965 and stood ^H5975 before ^H6440 the king ^H4428. 5 Then she said ^H559, “If ^H518 it pleases ^H5921 H2895 the king ^H4428 and if ^H518 I have found ^H4672 favor ^H2580 before ^H6440 him, and the matter ^H1697 seems proper ^H3787 to the king ^H4428 and I am pleasing ^H2896 in his sight ^H5869, let it be written ^H3789 to revoke ^H7725 the letters ^H5612 devised ^H4284 by Haman ^H2001, the son ^H1121 of Hammedatha ^H4099 the Agagite ^H91, which ^H834 he wrote ^H3789 to eliminate ^H6 the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 are in all ^H3605 the king’s ^H4428 provinces ^H4082. 6 For how ^H349 can I endure ^H3201 to see ^H7200 the disaster ^H7451 which ^H834 will happen ^H4672 to ^H4672 my people ^H5971, and how ^H349 can I endure ^H3201 to see ^H7200 the destruction ^H12 of my kindred ^H4138?” 7 So King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 said ^H559 to Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635 and to Mordecai ^H4782 the Jew ^H3064, “Behold ^H2009, I have given ^H5414 the house ^H1004 of Haman ^H2001 to Esther ^H635, and they have hanged ^H8518 him on the wooden ^H6086 gallows because ^H5921 H834 he had reached ^H7971 out ^H7971 with his hand ^H3027 against the Jews ^H3064.

The King’s Decree Avenges the Jews

8 Now you write ^H3789 to the Jews ^H3064 [fn]as you see ^H5869 fit ^H2896, in the king’s ^H4428 name ^H8034, and seal ^H2856 it with the king’s ^H4428 signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885; for a decree ^H3791 which ^H834 is written ^H3789 in the name ^H8034 of the king ^H4428 and sealed ^H2856 with the king’s ^H4428 signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885 may not be revoked ^H7725.”

9 So the king’s ^H4428 scribes ^H5608 were summoned ^H7121 at that time ^H6256 in the third ^H7992 month ^H2320 (that is, the month ^H2320 Sivan ^H5510), on the twenty-third ^H6242 H7969 [fn]day; and it was written ^H3789 in accordance with everything ^H3605 that Mordecai ^H4782 commanded ^H6680 the Jews ^H3064, the satraps ^H323, the governors ^H6346, and the officials ^H8269 of the provinces ^H4082 which ^H834 extended from India ^H1912 to [fn]Cush ^H3568, 127 ^{H7651 H6242 H3967} provinces ^H4082, to every ^H4082 province ^H4082 according to its script ^H3791, and to every ^H5971 people ^H5971 according to their language ^H3956, as well as to the Jews ^H3064 according to their script ^H3791 and their language ^H3956. 10 He wrote ^H3789 in the name ^H8034 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, and sealed ^H2856 it with the king’s ^H4428 signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885, and sent ^H7971 letters ^H5612 by couriers ^H7323 on horses ^H5483, riding ^H7392 on royal ^H327 relay ^H7409 horses ^H7409, offspring ^H1121 of racing ^H7424 mares ^H7424. 11 [fn]In the letters the king ^H4428 granted ^H5414 the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 were in each ^H5892 and every ^H3605 city ^H5892 the right to assemble ^H6950 and to defend ^H5975 their lives ^H5315, to destroy ^H8045, kill ^H2026, and eliminate ^H6 the entire ^H3605 army ^H2428 of any people ^H5971 or province ^H4082 which was going to attack ^H6696 them, including children ^H2945 and women ^H802, and to plunder ^H962 their spoils ^H7998, 12 on one ^H259 day ^H3117 in all ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, on the thirteenth ^H7969 H6240 day of the twelfth ^H8147 H6240 month ^H2320 (that is, the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143). 13 A copy ^H6572 of the edict ^H3791 to be [fn]issued ^H5414 as law ^H1881 in each ^H4082 and every ^H3605 province ^H4082 was published ^H1540 to all ^H3605 the peoples ^H5971, so that the Jews ^H3064 would be ready ^H6264 for this ^H2088 day ^H3117 to avenge ^H5358 themselves on their enemies ^H340. 14 The couriers ^H7323, hurrying ^H926 and speeded ^H1765 by the king’s ^H4428 command ^H1697, left ^H3318, riding ^H7392 on the royal ^H327 relay ^H7409 horses ^H7409; and the decree ^H1881 was issued ^H5414 at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800.

15 Then Mordecai ^H4782 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the presence ^H6440 of the king ^H4428 in a royal ^H4438 robe ^H3830 of violet ^H8504 and white ^H2353, with a large ^H1419 crown ^H5850 of gold ^H2091 and a garment ^H8509 of fine ^H948 linen ^H948 and purple ^H713; and the city ^H5892 of Susa ^H7800 shouted ^H6670 and rejoiced ^H8055. 16 For the Jews ^H3064 there was light ^H219, joy ^H8057, jubilation ^H8342, and honor ^H3366. 17 In each ^H4082 and every ^H3605 province ^H4082 and in each ^H5892 and every ^H3605 city ^H5892, wherever ^H4725 H834 the king’s ^H4428 commandment ^H1697 and his decree ^H1881 arrived ^H5060, there was joy ^H8057 and jubilation ^H8342 for the Jews ^H3064, a feast ^H4960 and a [fn]holiday ^H2896 H3117. And many ^H7227 among ^H4480 the peoples ^H5971 of the land ^H776 [fn]became ^H3054 Jews ^H3054, because ^H3588 the dread ^H6343 of the Jews ^H3064 had fallen ^H5307 on them.