1 So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

2And the king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.

3Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request:

4For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king's damage.

5Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his heart to do so?

6And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen.

7And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

8Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

9And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.

11 Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

12 Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

13 The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.

15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

16 The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

17 And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

1On that day did the King Ahasuerus giue the house of Haman, the Iewes enemy, vnto Esther the Queene; and Mordecai came before the King; for Esther hade told what he was vnto her.

2And the king tooke off his Ring which he had taken from Haman, and gaue it vnto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai ouer the house of Haman.

3 And Esther spake yet againe before the king, and fell downe at his feet, and besought him with teares, to put away the mischiefe of Haman the Agagite, and his deuice, that he had deuised against the Iewes.

4Then the king helde out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

5And said, If it please the king, and if I haue found fauour in his sight, and the thing seeme right before the king, and I bee pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reuerse the letters deuised by Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite, which hee wrote to destroy the Iewes, which are in all the kings prouinces.

6For how can I endure to see the euill that shall come vnto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kinred?

7 Then the king Ahasuerus said vnto Esther the Queene, and to Mordecai the Iewe, Behold, I haue giuen Esther the house of Haman, and him they haue hanged vpon the gallowes, because hee layde his hand vpon the Iewes.

8Write ye also for the Iewes, as it liketh you, in the Kings name, and seale it with the Kings ring: for the writing which is written in the Kings name, and sealed with the Kings ring, may no man reuerse.

9Then were the kings scribes called at that time, in the third moneth, (that is, the month Siuan) on the three and twentieth day thereof, and it was written (according to all that Mordecai commanded) vnto the Iewes, and to the Lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the prouinces, which are from India vnto Ethiopia, an hundred, twentie and seuen prouinces, vnto euery prouince according to the writing thereof, and vnto euery people after their language, and to the Iewes, according to their writing, and according to their language.

10And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus name, and sealed it with the kings Ring, and sent letters by Postes, on horsebacke, and riders on mules, camels, and yong dromedaries:

11Wherein the King granted the Iewes, which were in euery citie, to gather themselues together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish all the power of the people and prouince that would assault them, both little ones, and women, and to take the spoile of them for a pray:

12Upon one day, in all the prouinces of king Ahasuerus, namely vpon the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth, which is the moneth Adar.

13The copy of the writing, for a commandement to bee giuen in euery prouince, was published vnto all people, and that the Iewes should be readie against that day, to auenge themselues on their enemies.

14So the posts that rode vpon mules and camels went out, being hastened, and pressed on by the kings commandement, and the decree was giuen at Shushan the palace.

15 And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king, in royall apparell, of blew and white, and with a great crowne of gold, and with a garment of fine linnen, and purple, and the citie of Shushan reioyced, and was glad:

16The Iewes had light and gladnesse, and ioy and honour.

17And in euery prouince, and in euery city, whithersoeuer the kings commandement, and his decree came, the Iewes had ioy and gladnes, a feast and a good day: And many of the people of the land became Iewes; for the feare of the Iewes fell vpon them.

I == Esth 2:7

II == Esth 3:10

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV == Esth 4:11 ; 5:2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VI == Neh 2:3 ; Esth 7:4

 

 

VII == Esth 8:1 ; Prov 13:22

 

 

 

 

VIII == Esth 1:19 ; Dan 6:8 , 12 , 15

 

 

 

 

IX == Esth 1:1 , 22 ; 3:12

 

 

 

 

 

X == 1st Kings 21:8 ; Esth 3:12-13

 

 

 

 

XI == Esth 9:10 , 15-16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XII == Esth 3:13-15 ; 9:1

 

 

 

 

 

XIII == Esth 3:14-15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Esth 3:15 ; Prov 29:2

 

 

 

XVI == Ps 97:11

 

XVII == Gen 35:5 ; Ex 15:16 ; Deut 2:25 ; 11:25 ; 1st Sam 25:8 ; Esth 9:2 , 19 , 22 ; Ps 18:43

1 That day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther; and Mordecai was admitted to the king's presence, for Esther had revealed his relationship to her.

2 The king removed his signet ring from Haman, and transferred it into the keeping of Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of the house of Haman.

3 In another audience with the king, Esther fell at his feet and tearfully implored him to revoke the harm done by Haman the Agagite, and the plan he had devised against the Jews.

4 The king stretched forth the golden scepter to Esther. So she rose and, standing in his presence,

5 said: "If it pleases your majesty and seems proper to you, and if I have found favor with you and you love me, let a document be issued to revoke the letters which that schemer Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, wrote for the destruction of the Jews in all the royal provinces.

6 For how can I witness the evil that is to befall my people, and how can I behold the destruction of my race?"

7 King Ahasuerus then said to Queen Esther and to the Jew Mordecai: "Now that I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gibbet because he attacked the Jews,

8 1 you in turn may write in the king's name what you see fit concerning the Jews and seal the letter with the royal signet ring." For whatever is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.

9 At that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, Sivan, the royal scribes were summoned. Exactly as Mordecai dictated, they wrote to the Jews and to the satraps, governors, and officials of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia: to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language.

10 These letters, which he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring, he sent by mounted couriers riding thoroughbred royal steeds.

11 In these letters the king authorized the Jews in each and every city to group together and defend their lives, and to kill, destroy, wipe out, along with their wives and children, every armed group of any nation or province which should attack them, and to seize their goods as spoil

12 throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on a single day, the thirteenth of the twelfth month, Adar.

13 A copy of the letter to be promulgated as law in each and every province was published among all the peoples, so that the Jews might be prepared on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

14 Couriers mounted on royal steeds sped forth in haste at the king's order, and the decree was promulgated in the stronghold of Susa.

15 Mordecai left the king's presence clothed in a royal robe of violet and of white cotton, with a large crown of gold and a cloak of crimson byssus. The city of Susa shouted with joy,

16 and there was splendor and merriment for the Jews, exultation and triumph.

17 In each and every province and in each and every city, wherever the king's order arrived, there was merriment and exultation, banqueting and feasting for the Jews. And many of the peoples of the land embraced Judaism, for they were seized with a fear of the Jews.

v 1,2. Haman didn’t live to see it, but when Esther informed the king of Mordecai’s relationship to her, the ring and power that had been Haman’s was given to Mordecai. Instead of Jew’s property being confiscated, his was given to Esther, and she made Mordecai overseer over it.

v 3-6. Esther appeared before the king a second time without being asked, but again she was welcome. The lives of all the Jews was much more important than the land and power that had been gained. She urged in tears that a second edict be issued which would override the first one.

 

 

 

v 7,8. The law could not be changed, but above what was already done regarding Haman, Mordecai was given authority to write a decree in any way which he chose that would be of advantage to the Jews. Stamped, it could not be changed either.

 

V 9,10. Scribes were hastily called in to copy the edict in the languages of each province, have each sealed with the king’s ring, and dispatched to all of the provinces, including the Jews. 

 

 

 

 

v 11-14. It stipulated that Jews everywhere were to assemble on the 13th day of the month Adar when they were to be destroyed. Instead, they were to be prepared to avenge themselves. They could defend their lives and destroy anyone of any age who rose against them and destroy them, and also confiscate their property. It was sent out by the posts in haste as had been decreed.
There is a message there for us. We are to make all haste in taking the gospel to the spiritually doomed. Also, the king gave a sentence of death, and sinners are under a sentence of death. However, a new decree freed the people, so as men respond to God’s second decree, or plan of salvation, they can be freed from judgment of sin.

v 15-17. Now Mordecai was dressed sumptuously and the Jews at Shushan had joy and honor. Likewise they had joy in every province when the decree was received. The fear generated was such that many people of the lands became Jews.