Esther, starting at chapter 1
{1:1} Now it happened in the days of Ahasuerus (this is Ahasuerus
who reigned from India even to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty-seven
provinces), {1:2} that in those days, when the King Ahasuerus sat on
the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace, {1:3} in
the third year of his reign, he made a feast for all his princes and
his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of
the provinces, being before him. {1:4} He displayed the riches of his
glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days,
even one hundred eighty days. {1:5} When these days were fulfilled,
the king made a seven day feast for all the people who were present in
Shushan the palace, both great and small, in the court of the garden
of the king's palace. {1:6} There were hangings of white, green, and
blue material, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver
rings and marble pillars. The couches were of gold and silver, on a
pavement of red, white, yellow, and black marble. {1:7} They gave them
drinks in golden vessels of various kinds, including royal wine in
abundance, according to the bounty of the king. {1:8} In accordance
with the law, the drinking was not compulsory; for so the king had
instructed all the officials of his house, that they should do
according to every man's pleasure. {1:9} Also Vashti the queen made a
feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to King
Ahasuerus.
{1:10} On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with
wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha,
Zethar, and Carcass, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of
Ahasuerus the king, {1:11} to bring Vashti the queen before the king
with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty;
for she was beautiful. {1:12} But the queen Vashti refused to come at
the king's commandment by the eunuchs. Therefore the king was very
angry, and his anger burned in him. {1:13} Then the king said to the
wise men, who knew the times, (for it was the king's custom to consult
those who knew law and judgment; {1:14} and the next to him were
Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the
seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat
first in the kingdom), {1:15} "What shall we do to the queen Vashti
according to law, because she has not done the bidding of the King
Ahasuerus by the eunuchs?"
{1:16} Memucan answered before the king and the princes, "Vashti the
queen has not done wrong to just the king, but also to all the
princes, and to all the people who are in all the provinces of the
King Ahasuerus. {1:17} For this deed of the queen will become known to
all women, causing them to show contempt for their husbands, when it
is reported, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought
in before him, but she didn't come.' {1:18} Today, the princesses of
Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's deed will tell all the
king's princes. This will cause much contempt and wrath.
{1:19} "If it please the king, let a royal commandment go from him,
and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so
that it cannot be altered, that Vashti may never again come before
King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another who
is better than she. {1:20} When the king's decree which he shall make
is published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the
wives will give their husbands honor, both great and small."
{1:21} This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king
did according to the word of Memucan: {1:22} for he sent letters into
all the king's provinces, into every province according to its
writing, and to every people in their language, that every man should
rule his own house, speaking in the language of his own people.
{2:1} After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was
pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was
decreed against her. {2:2} Then the king's servants who served him
said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. {2:3} Let
the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that
they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the
citadel of Susa, to the women's house, to the custody of Hegai the
king's eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them; {2:4}
and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti."
The thing pleased the king, and he did so.
{2:5} There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa, whose name was
Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a
Benjamite, {2:6} who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the
captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. {2:7} He brought
up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter; for she had
neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when
her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own
daughter. {2:8} So it happened, when the king's commandment and his
decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the
citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into
the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. {2:9}
The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly
gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice
maidens who were to be given her out of the king's house. He moved her
and her maidens to the best place in the women's house. {2:10} Esther
had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had
instructed her that she should not make it known. {2:11} Mordecai
walked every day in front of the court of the women's house, to find
out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.
{2:12} Each young woman's turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after
her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their
purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six
months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying
women). {2:13} The young woman then came to the king like this:
whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women's
house to the king's house. {2:14} In the evening she went, and on the
next day she returned into the second women's house, to the custody of
Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to
the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called
by name. {2:15} Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail
the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go
in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch,
the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight
of all those who looked at her. {2:16} So Esther was taken to King
Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month
Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. {2:17} The king loved Esther
more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his
sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her
head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
{2:18} Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his
servants, even Esther's feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the
provinces, and gave gifts according to the king's bounty.
{2:19} When the virgins were gathered together the second time,
Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate. {2:20} Esther had not yet
made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded
her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up
by him. {2:21} In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's
gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were
doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King
Ahasuerus. {2:22} This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed
Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name.
{2:23} When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so,
they were both hanged on a tree; and it was written in the book of the
chronicles in the king's presence.
{3:1} After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of
Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all
the princes who were with him. {3:2} All the king's servants who were
in the king's gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king
had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn't bow down or pay
him homage. {3:3} Then the king's servants, who were in the king's
gate, said to Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's commandment?"
{3:4} Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he didn't
listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's reason
would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. {3:5} When Haman
saw that Mordecai didn't bow down, nor pay him homage, Haman was full
of wrath. {3:6} But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai
alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai's people. Therefore
Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole
kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai's people.
{3:7} In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth
year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman
from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month,
which is the month Adar. {3:8} Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is
a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in
all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different than
other people's. They don't keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not
for the king's profit to allow them to remain. {3:9} If it pleases the
king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten
thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge
of the king's business, to bring it into the king's treasuries."
{3:10} The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman
the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy. {3:11} The king
said to Haman, "The silver is given to you, the people also, to do
with them as it seems good to you." {3:12} Then the king's scribes
were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month;
and all that Haman commanded was written to the king's satraps, and to
the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of
every people, to every province according its writing, and to every
people in their language. It was written in the name of King
Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king's ring. {3:13} Letters were
sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill,
and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children
and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth
month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
{3:14} A copy of the letter, that the decree should be given out in
every province, was published to all the peoples, that they should be
ready against that day. {3:15} The couriers went forth in haste by the
king's commandment, and the decree was given out in the citadel of
Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan
was perplexed.
________________________________________________________________________
The World English Bible: Messianic Edition is in the Public Domain.
This translation is also known as the Hebrew Names Version. "World
English Bible," "World English Bible: Messianic Edition," and "World
English Bible" are trademarks of Rainbow Missions, Inc., and may only
be used as names for the Bible translations so named and distributed by
Rainbow Missions, Inc., and faithful copies thereof. Typo reports are
welcome at http://eBible.org/cgi-bin/comment.cgi. Please see
http://HNVBible.org for updates.
_______________________________________________
You are subscribed to the
[email protected]
mailing list as
[email protected].
You may unsubscribe at
http://lists.ebible.org/mailman/listinfo/hnv
or send an email to
[email protected]
with "unsubscribe" in the subject.
