The signet ring
That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came in front of the king, because Esther had told him how he was related to her. And the king took off his signet ring, which he'd taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's estate.
That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came in front of the king, because Esther had told him how he was related to her.
And the king took off his signet ring, which he'd taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's estate.
At his feet
And Esther spoke to the king again. She fell at his feet and wept and begged him to put a stop to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he'd devised against the Jews. And the king held out the gold sceptre to Esther, and she got up and stood in front of him. “If it please the king,” she said, “and if he's pleased with me and thinks it the right thing to do, let an order be written overruling the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. Because how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”
And Esther spoke to the king again. She fell at his feet and wept and begged him to put a stop to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he'd devised against the Jews.
And the king held out the gold sceptre to Esther, and she got up and stood in front of him.
“If it please the king,” she said, “and if he's pleased with me and thinks it the right thing to do, let an order be written overruling the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces.
Because how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”
Write another decree
And King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I've given his estate to Esther, and they've hanged him on the pole he set up. Now write another decree in the king's name on behalf of the Jews as you see fit, and seal it with the king's signet ring — because no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” At once the royal secretaries were called in — on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai's orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Cush, in the script of each province and the language of each people, and also to the Jews in their own script and language. Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the letters with the king's signet ring, and sent them by couriers riding fast horses bred for the king's service. The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to gather and defend themselves, to destroy, kill and wipe out any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies. The day set for this throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality, so the Jews would be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies. The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, hurried along by the king's command, and the edict was issued in the fortress of Susa.
And King Xerxes said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I've given his estate to Esther, and they've hanged him on the pole he set up.
Now write another decree in the king's name on behalf of the Jews as you see fit, and seal it with the king's signet ring — because no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”
At once the royal secretaries were called in — on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai's orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India to Cush, in the script of each province and the language of each people, and also to the Jews in their own script and language.
Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the letters with the king's signet ring, and sent them by couriers riding fast horses bred for the king's service.
The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to gather and defend themselves, to destroy, kill and wipe out any armed force of any nationality or province that might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies.
The day set for this throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality, so the Jews would be ready on that day to take revenge on their enemies.
The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, hurried along by the king's command, and the edict was issued in the fortress of Susa.
Light and gladness
And Mordecai went out from the king's presence wearing royal robes of blue and white, a large crown of gold, and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyful celebration. For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honour. In every province and every city where the king's edict arrived, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews, because fear of the Jews had taken hold of them.
And Mordecai went out from the king's presence wearing royal robes of blue and white, a large crown of gold, and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyful celebration.
For the Jews it was a time of light and gladness, of joy and honour.
In every province and every city where the king's edict arrived, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews, because fear of the Jews had taken hold of them.