Esther 6–8

6On that night ^†could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring ^athe book of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. ²And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of ^||Bigthana and ^bTeresh, two of the king’s chamberlains, the keepers of the ^†door, who sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus. ³And the king said, What ^chonour and ^cdignity hath been done to Mordecai for this? Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing done for him. ⁴And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into ^dthe outward court of the king’s house, ^eto speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. ⁵And the king’s servants said unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come in. ⁶So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto the man ^†whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? ⁷And Haman answered the king, For the man ^†whom the king delighteth to honour, ^8†Let the royal apparel be brought ^†which the king useth to wear, and ^fthe horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his head: ⁹And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most ^gnoble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king delighteth to honour, and ^†bring him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honour. ¹⁰Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at the king’s gate: ^†let nothing fail of all that thou hast spoken. ¹¹Then took Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour. ¹²And Mordecai came again to the king’s gate. But Haman ^hhasted to his house mourning, and ⁱhaving his head covered. ¹³And Haman told ^kZeresh his wife and all his friends ^levery thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him. ¹⁴And while they were yet talking with him, came the king’s chamberlains, and ^mhasted to bring Haman unto ⁿthe banquet that Esther had prepared.

7So 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, ^aWhat 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, ^bIf 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 ^csold, 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 ^dwas afraid ^||before the king and the queen. ⁷And the king arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into ^ethe palace garden: and Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw that there was ^fevil determined against him by the ^gking. ⁸Then the king returned out of ^ethe palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon ^gthe 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 ^hHarbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the ^†gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, ⁱwho 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 ^kwas the king’s wrath pacified.

8On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told ^awhat he was unto her. ²And the king took off ^bhis ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman. ³And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, ^†and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the ^cAgagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews. ⁴Then ^dthe king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king, ⁵And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing ^eseem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters ^†devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the ^cAgagite, ^||which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces: ⁶For how can I ^†endure to see ^fthe evil that shall ^gcome unto my people? or how can I ^†endure to see the destruction of my kindred? ⁷Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, ^hI have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews. ⁸Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, ⁱin the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, ^kmay no man reverse. ^9lThen were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month ^mSivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the ⁿlieutenants, and the ^odeputies and rulers of the provinces which are from ^pIndia unto Ethiopia, ^pan hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province ^qaccording to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language. ^10rAnd he wrote ⁱin the king Ahasuerus’ name, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on ^smules, ^tcamels, and young dromedaries: ^11rWherein 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 ^uto take the spoil of them for a prey, ^12xUpon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar. ^13yThe 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. ¹⁴So the posts that rode upon ^smules and ^tcamels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace. ¹⁵And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king ^zin royal apparel of ^||blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of ^afine linen and ^bpurple: and ^cthe city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad. ¹⁶The Jews had ^dlight, and gladness, and joy, and honour. ¹⁷And 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 ^ea good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for ^fthe fear of the Jews fell upon them.