Est 8 | ABEn | STEP | And in that day king Artaxerxes presented to Esther as much as existed to Haman the slanderer. And Mordecai was called on by the king, for Esther indicated how he was related to her.

‏ Esther 8

CHAPTER 8 Esther Petitions the King

1 And in that day king Artaxerxes presented to Esther as much as existed to Haman the slanderer. And Mordecai was called on by the king, for Esther indicated how he was related to her. 2 [⁴took ¹And ²the ³king] the ring which he removed from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther placed Mordecai over all the things of Haman. 3 And proceeding, she spoke to the king, and fell unto his feet, and petitioned him to remove the evil of Haman, and as much as he did to the Jews. 4 [⁴stretched out ¹And ²the ³king] to Esther the [²rod ¹gold], and Esther arose to stand beside the king. 5 And Esther said, If it seems good to you, and I found favor, let it be sent forth to return the letters being sent from Haman, the ones having been written to destroy the Jews who are in your kingdom. 6 For how shall I be able to behold the ill treatment of my people? And how shall I be able to be delivered in the destruction of my fatherland? 7 And [³said ¹the ²king] to Esther, If all the possessions of Haman I gave and granted to you, and he I hanged upon the tree for the hands he bore against the Jews, what yet do you anxiously seek?

Orders Given to Help the Jews

8 [²write ¹And you] in my name as it seems good to you, and set a seal with my ring! For as much as is written of the king in giving an order, and the seal should be set by my ring, it is not to them to contradict. 9 [⁴were called ¹And ²the ³scribes] in the first month, which is Nisan, on the third and twentieth day of the same year. And it was written to the Jews, as much as was given charge to the local managers, and to the rulers of the satrapies from India unto Ethiopia -- a hundred twenty-seven satrapies, according to place by place, according to their form of speech. 10 And it was written through the king, and the seal was set by his ring, and they sent out the letters by couriers, 11 as he gave orders to them to deal with their laws in every city, both to help them and to deal with their opponents, and with their adversaries as they wanted, 12 on [²day ¹one] in all the kingdom of Artaxerxes, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is Adar. 13 And the copies, let them be displayed clear to the eyes in all the kingdom, [⁶prepared ¹and for ⁵to be ²all ³the ⁴Jews] for this day, for them to wage war against their opponents. 14 Then the horsemen went forth hastening [²the things ⁴by ⁵the ⁶king ³being spoken ¹to complete]. [⁴was displayed ¹And ²the ³order] also in Shushan. 15 And Mordecai went forth robed in the royal apparel, and [²a crown ¹having] of gold, and a diadem [²fine line ¹of purple]. [⁵beholding ¹And ²the ones ³in ⁴Shushan] rejoiced. 16 And to the Jews there became light and gladness. 17 In each city and place of which ever [³was displayed ¹the ²public notice], there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with toasting and gladness. And many of the nations were circumcised, and were Jewish-like because of the fear of the Jews.