Esther 8 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Esther Saves the Jews

1 On that day ^H3117 King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 gave ^H5414 the house ^H1004 of Haman ^H2001, the adversary ^H6887 of the Jews ^H3064, to Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635; and Mordecai ^H4782 came ^H935 before ^H6440 the king ^H4428, for Esther ^H635 had told ^H5046 what ^H4100 he was to her.

2 And the king ^H4428 removed ^H5493 his signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885, which ^H834 he had taken ^H5674 away ^H5674 from Haman ^H2001, and gave ^H5414 it to Mordecai ^H4782. And Esther ^H635 set ^H7760 Mordecai ^H4782 over ^H5921 the house ^H1004 of Haman ^H2001.

3 Then Esther ^H635 spoke ^H1696 again ^H3254 to the king ^H4428, fell ^H5307 at his feet ^H7272, wept ^H1058, and implored ^H2603 him to [fn]repeal ^H5674 the evil ^H7451 scheme of Haman ^H2001 the Agagite ^H91 and his scheme ^H4284 which ^H834 he had devised ^H2803 against ^H5921 the Jews ^H3064. 4 And the king ^H4428 extended ^H3447 the golden ^H2091 scepter ^H8275 to Esther ^H635. So Esther ^H635 arose ^H6965 and stood ^H5975 before ^H6440 the king ^H4428. 5 Then she said ^H559, “If ^H518 it seems good ^H2895 to the king ^H4428, and if ^H518 I have found ^H4672 favor ^H2580 before ^H6440 him and the matter ^H1697 seems proper ^H3787 to the king ^H4428 and I am good ^H2896 in his eyes ^H5869, let it be written ^H3789 to turn ^H7725 back ^H7725 the letters ^H5612 devised ^H4284 by Haman ^H2001, the son ^H1121 of Hammedatha ^H4099 the Agagite ^H91, which ^H834 he wrote ^H3789 to cause the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 are in all ^H3605 the king’s ^H4428 provinces ^H4082 to perish ^H6. 6 For how ^H349 can I endure ^H3201 to see ^H7200 the calamity ^H7451 which ^H834 will befall ^H4672 my people ^H5971, and how ^H349 can I endure ^H3201 to see ^H7200 the perishing ^H12 of my kinsmen ^H4138?”

The King’s Decree Avenges the Jews

7 So King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 said ^H559 to Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635 and to Mordecai ^H4782 the Jew ^H3064, “Behold ^H2009, I have given ^H5414 the house ^H1004 of Haman ^H2001 to Esther ^H635, and him they have hanged ^H8518 on the [fn]gallows ^H6086 because ^H5921 H834 he had sent ^H7971 forth ^H7971 his hand ^H3027 against the Jews ^H3064. 8 Now you write ^H3789 to the Jews ^H3064, according to what is good ^H2896 in your eyes ^H5869, in the king’s ^H4428 name ^H8034, and seal ^H2856 it with the king’s ^H4428 signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885; for a written ^H3791 decree which ^H834 is written ^H3789 in the name ^H8034 of the king ^H4428 and sealed ^H2856 with the king’s ^H4428 signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885 may not be turned ^H7725 back ^H7725.”

9 So the king’s ^H4428 scribes ^H5608 were called ^H7121 at that time ^H6256 in the third ^H7992 month ^H2320 (that is, the month ^H2320 Sivan ^H5510), on the twenty-third ^H6242 H7969 [fn]day; and it was written ^H3789 according to all ^H3605 that Mordecai ^H4782 commanded ^H6680 to the Jews ^H3064, the satraps ^H323, the governors ^H6346, and the princes ^H8269 of the provinces ^H4082 which ^H834 extended from India ^H1912 to [fn]Ethiopia ^H3568, 127 ^{H7651 H6242 H3967} provinces ^H4082, to every ^H4082 province ^H4082 according to its script ^H3791, and to every ^H5971 people ^H5971 according to their tongue ^H3956 as well as to the Jews ^H3064 according to their script ^H3791 and their tongue ^H3956. 10 And he wrote ^H3789 in the name ^H8034 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 and sealed ^H2856 it with the king’s ^H4428 signet ^H2885 ring ^H2885 and sent ^H7971 letters ^H5612 by the hand ^H3027 of couriers ^H7323 on horses ^H5483, riding ^H7392 on steeds ^H7409 sired ^H1121 by the [fn]royal ^H7424 stud ^H7424. 11 [fn]In them the king ^H4428 gave ^H5414 the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 were in each ^H5892 and every ^H3605 city ^H5892 the right to assemble ^H6950 and to make a stand ^H5975 for their lives ^H5315, to destroy ^H8045, to kill ^H2026, and to cause to perish ^H6 the entire ^H3605 military ^H2428 force ^H2482 of any people ^H5971 or province ^H4082 which would act ^H6696 as their adversaries ^H6696, including ^H854 little ^H2945 ones ^H2945 and women ^H802, and to plunder ^H962 their spoil ^H7998, 12 on one ^H259 day ^H3117 in all ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, the thirteenth ^H7969 H6240 day of the twelfth ^H8147 H6240 month ^H2320 (that is, the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143). 13 A copy ^H6572 of that which was written ^H3791 down to be given ^H5414 as law ^H1881 in each ^H4082 and every ^H3605 province ^H4082 was revealed ^H1540 to all ^H3605 the peoples ^H5971, so that the Jews ^H3064 would be ready ^H6264 for this ^H2088 day ^H3117 to avenge ^H5358 themselves on their enemies ^H340. 14 The couriers ^H7323, hurried ^H926 and hastened ^H1765 by the king’s ^H4428 word ^H1697, went ^H3318 out ^H3318, riding ^H7392 on the royal ^H327 steeds ^H7409; and the law ^H1881 was given ^H5414 out at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800.

15 Then Mordecai ^H4782 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 from the presence ^H6440 of the king ^H4428 in royal ^H4438 robes ^H3830 of [fn]blue ^H8504 and fine ^H2353 white ^H2353, with a large ^H1419 crown ^H5850 of gold ^H2091 and a garment ^H8509 of fine ^H948 linen ^H948 and purple ^H713; and the city ^H5892 of Susa ^H7800 cried ^H6670 aloud and was glad ^H8055. 16 For the Jews ^H3064 there was light ^H219 and gladness ^H8057 and joy ^H8342 and honor ^H3366. 17 And in each ^H4082 and every ^H3605 province ^H4082 and in each ^H5892 and every ^H3605 city ^H5892, wherever ^H4725 H834 the king’s ^H4428 word ^H1697 and his law ^H1881 reached ^H5060, there was gladness ^H8057 and joy ^H8342 for the Jews ^H3064, a feast ^H4960 and a [fn]holiday ^H2896 H3117. And many ^H7227 among ^H4480 the peoples ^H5971 of the land ^H776 became ^H3054 Jews ^H3054, for the dread ^H6343 of the Jews ^H3064 had fallen ^H5307 on them.