Mordecai is Advanced
1On that daydid the kingAhasuerusgivethe houseof Hamanthe Jews'enemyunto Estherthe queen.And Mordecaicamebeforethe king;for Estherhad toldwhat he [was] unto her.2And the kingtook offhis ring,which he had takenfrom Haman,and gaveit unto Mordecai.And EsthersetMordecaiover the houseof Haman.
3And Estherspakeyet againbeforethe king,and fell downathis feet,and besoughthim with tearsto put awaythe mischiefof Hamanthe Agagite,and his devicethat he had devisedagainst the Jews.4Then the kingheld outthe goldensceptretoward Esther.So Estherarose,and stoodbeforethe king,5And said,If it pleasethe king,and if I have foundfavourin his sight,and the thing[seem] rightbeforethe king,and I [be] pleasingin his eyes,let it be writtento reversethe lettersdevisedby Hamanthe sonof Hammedathathe Agagite,which he wroteto destroythe Jewswhich [are] in all the king'sprovinces:6For howcan I endureto seethe evilthat shall comeunto my people?or howcan I endureto seethe destructionof my kindred?
Xerxes' Decree
7Then the kingAhasuerussaidunto Estherthe queenand to Mordecaithe Jew,Behold, I have givenEstherthe houseof Haman,and him they have hangedupon the gallows,because he laidhis handupon the Jews.
8Writeye also for the Jews,as it likethyou,in the king'sname,and seal[it] with the king'sring:for the writingwhich is writtenin the king'sname,and sealedwith the king'sring,may no man reverse.
9Then were the king'sscribescalledat that timein the thirdmonth,that [is], the monthSivan,on the threeand twentieth[day] thereof; and it was writtenaccording to all that Mordecaicommandedunto the Jews,and to the lieutenants,and the deputiesand rulersof the provinceswhich [are] from Indiaunto Ethiopia,an hundredtwentyand sevenprovinces,unto every provinceaccording to the writingthereof, and unto every peopleafter their language,and to the Jewsaccording to their writing,and according to their language.10And he wrotein the kingAhasuerus'name,and sealed[it] with the king'sring,and sentlettersbypostson horseback,[and] riderson mules,camels,[and] youngdromedaries:11Wherein the kinggrantedthe Jewswhich [were] in every cityto gather themselves together,and to standfor their life,to destroy,to slay,and to cause to perish,all the powerof the peopleand provincethat would assaultthem, [both] little onesand women,and [to take] the spoilof them for a prey,12Upon onedayin all the provincesof kingAhasuerus,[namely], upon the thirteenth[day] of the twelfthmonth,which [is] the monthAdar.13The copyof the writingfor a commandmentto be givenin every province[was] publishedunto all people,and that the Jewsshould be readyagainst that dayto avengethemselves on their enemies.14[So] the poststhat rodeupon mules[and] camelswent out,being hastenedand pressed onby the king'scommandment.And the decreewas givenat Shushanthe palace.
15And Mordecaiwent outfrom the presenceof the kingin royalapparelof blueand white,and with a greatcrownof gold,and with a garmentof fine linenand purple:and the cityof Shushanrejoicedand was glad.16The Jewshad light,and gladness,and joy,and honour.17And in every province,and in every city,whithersoeverthe king'scommandmentand his decreecame,the Jewshad joyand gladness,a feastand a goodday.And manyof the peopleof the landbecame Jews;for the fearof the Jewsfellupon them.
