Esth 8
1
And in that day king Artaxerxes gave to Esther all that belonged to Aman the slanderer:
and Mardochaeus was called by the king; for Esther had shewn that he was related to
her.
2
And the king took the ring which he had taken away from Aman, and gave it to Mardochaeus:
and Esther appointed Mardochaeus over all that had been Aman’s.
3
And she spoke yet again to the king, and fell at his feet, and besought him to do
away the mischief of Aman, and all that he had done against the Jews.
4
Then the king stretched out to Esther the golden sceptre: and Esther arose to stand
near the king.
5
And Esther said, If it seem good to you, and I have found favour in your sight, let
an order be sent that the letters sent by Aman may be reversed, that were written
for the destruction of the Jews, who are in your kingdom.
6
For how shall I be able to look upon the affliction of my people, and how shall I
be able to survive the destruction of my Gr. country kindred?
7
And the king said to Esther, If I have given and freely granted you all that was Aman’s,
and hanged him on a gallows, because he laid his hands upon the Jews, what do you
yet further seek?
8
Write you also in my name, as it seems good to you, and seal it with my ring: for
whatever orders are written at the command of the king, and sealed with my ring, it
is not Or, possible lawful to gainsay them.
9
So the scribes were called in the first-month, which is Nisan, on the three and twentieth
day of the same year; and orders were written to the Jews, whatever the king had commanded
to the Gr. stewards local governors and chiefs of the satraps, from India even to Ethiopia, a hundred
and twenty-seven satraps, according to the several provinces, according to their dialects.
10
And they were written by order of the king, and sealed with his ring, and they sent
the letters by the posts:
11
wherein he charged them to use their own laws in every city, and to help each other,
and to treat their adversaries, and those who attacked them, as they pleased,
12
on one day in all the kingdom of Artaxerxes, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth
month, which is Adar.
13
LXX text not in Heb. has been left out. And let the copies be posted in conspicuous places throughout the kingdom, and let
all the Jews be ready against this day, to fight against their enemies.
14
So the horsemen went forth with haste to perform the king’s commands; and the ordinance
was also published in Susa.
15
And Mardochaeus went forth robed in the royal apparel, and wearing a golden crown,
and a diadem of fine purple linen: and the people in Susa saw it and rejoiced.
16
And the Jews had light and gladness,
17
in every city and province wherever the ordinance was published: wherever the proclamation
took place, the Jews had joy and gladness, feasting and mirth: and many of the Gentiles
were circumcised, and became Jews, for fear of the Jews.