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.

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Footnotes

bSee ch. 5:8.
cch. 3:9. & 4:7.
†Heb. that they should destroy, and kill, and cause to perish. ch. 3:13. & 8:11.

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In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be granted me for my wish, and my people for my request. For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.”

NIVNew International Version (2011)

Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if the king is pleased, spare my life; this is my request. And spare my people; this is my desire. For my people and I have been sold to destruction, death, and annihilation. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent. Indeed, the trouble wouldn’t be worth burdening the king.”

NLTNew Living Translation

Queen Esther replied, “If I have found favor with the king, and if it pleases the king to grant my request, I ask that my life and the lives of my people will be spared. For my people and I have been sold to those who would kill, slaughter, and annihilate us. If we had merely been sold as slaves, I could remain quiet, for that would be too trivial a matter to warrant disturbing the king.”

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

Then Queen Esther answered, and she said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, O king, and if it is good to the king, let my life be given to me at my petition and my people at my request; I and my people have been sold to be destroyed and killed, to be annihilated. If we had been sold as male and female slaves I would have kept quiet, because this is not a need sufficient to trouble the king.”