Ester, starting at chapter 1
{1:1} Now it happened in the days of Achashverosh (this is
Achashverosh who reigned from Hoddu even to Kush, over one hundred
twenty-seven provinces), {1:2} that in those days, when the king
Achashverosh 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 to
all his princes and his servants; the power of Paras and Madai, the
nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him; {1:4} when he
shown 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 feast to all the people who
were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, seven days,
in the court of the garden of the king's palace. {1:6} [There were
hangings of] white [cloth], [of] green, and [of] blue, fastened with
cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble:
the couches were of gold and silver, on a pavement of red, and white,
and yellow, and black marble. {1:7} They gave them drink in vessels of
gold (the vessels being diverse one from another), and royal wine in
abundance, according to the bounty of the king. {1:8} The drinking was
according to the law; none could compel: for so the king had appointed
to all the officers 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 Achashverosh. {1:10}
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he
commanded Mehuman, Bizeta, Harvona, Bigta, and Avagta, Zetar, and
Karkas, the seven chamberlains who ministered in the presence of
Achashverosh the king, {1:11} to bring Vashti the queen before the
king with the crown royal, to show the peoples and the princes her
beauty; for she was beautiful to look on. {1:12} But the queen Vashti
refused to come at the king's [1>]mitzvah[<1] by the chamberlains:
therefore was the king very angry, and his anger burned in him. {1:13}
Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times, (for so was
the king's manner toward all who knew law and judgment; {1:14} and the
next to him were Karshena, ShetarShibah|Shiv`ah, Admata, Tarshish,
Meres, Marsena, and Memukhan, the seven princes of Paras and Madai,
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 Achashverosh by the chamberlains? {1:16}
Memukhan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen
has not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and
to all the peoples who are in all the provinces of the king
Achashverosh. {1:17} For this deed of the queen will come abroad to
all women, to make their husbands contemptible in their eyes, when it
shall be reported, The king Achashverosh commanded Vashti the queen to
be brought in before him, but she didn't come. {1:18} This day will
the princesses of Paras and Madai who have heard of the deed of the
queen say [the like] to all the king's princes. So [will there arise]
much contempt and wrath. {1:19} If it please the king, let there go
forth a royal [2>]mitzvah[<2] from him, and let it be written among
the laws of the Paras and the Madai, that it not be altered, that
Vashti come no more before king Achashverosh; 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 shall be published throughout all
his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their
husbands honor, both to great and small. {1:21} The saying pleased the
king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of
Memukhan: {1:22} for he sent letters into all the king's provinces,
into every province according to the writing of it, and to every
people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his
own house, and should speak according to the language of his people.
{2:1} After these things, when the wrath of king Achashverosh was
pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was
decreed against her. {2:2} Then said the king's servants who
ministered to him, Let there be beautiful young virgins sought for the
king: {2:3} and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of
his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young
virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the
custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let
their things for purification 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 Yehudi in Shushan the
palace, whose name was Mordekhai, the son of Ya'ir, the son of Shim`i,
the son of Kish, a Binyamini, {2:6} who had been carried away from
Yerushalayim with the captives who had been carried away with
Yekhonyah king of Yehudah, whom Nevukhadnetztzar the king of Bavel had
carried away. {2:7} He brought up Hadassah, who is, Ester, his uncle's
daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was
fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead,
Mordekhai took her for his own daughter. {2:8} So it happened, when
the king's [1>]mitzvah[<1] and his decree was heard, and when many
maidens were gathered together to Shushan the palace, to the custody
of Hegai, that Ester 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 of him; and he speedily gave her things for her
purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were meet
to be given her out of the king's house: and he removed her and her
maidens to the best place of the house of the women. {2:10} Ester had
not made known her people nor her relatives; for Mordekhai had charged
her that she should not make it known. {2:11} Mordekhai walked every
day before the court of the women's house, to know how Ester did, and
what would become of her. {2:12} Now when the turn of every maiden was
come to go in to king Achashverosh, after it had been done to her as
prescribed for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their
purification accomplished, [to wit], six months with oil of myrrh, and
six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of
the women), {2:13} then in this wise came the maiden to the king:
whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of
the women to the king's house. {2:14} In the evening she went, and on
the next day she returned into the second house of the women, to the
custody of Sha`ashgaz, the king's chamberlain, who kept the
concubines: she came in to the king no more, except the king delighted
in her, and she were called by name. {2:15} Now when the turn of
Ester, the daughter of Avichayil the uncle of Mordekhai, who had taken
her for his daughter, was come to go in to the king, she required
nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the
women, appointed. Ester obtained favor in the sight of all those who
looked at her. {2:16} So Ester was taken to king Achashverosh into his
house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tevet, in the
seventh year of his reign. {2:17} The king loved Ester above 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 to
all his princes and his servants, even Ester's feast; and he made a
release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the bounty of
the king. {2:19} When the virgins were gathered together the second
time, then Mordekhai was sitting in the king's gate. {2:20} Ester had
not yet made known her relatives nor her people; as Mordekhai had
charged her: for Ester did the [2>]mitzvah[<2] of Mordekhai, like as
when she was brought up with him. {2:21} In those days, while
Mordekhai was sitting in the king's gate, two of the king's
chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who kept the threshold,
were angry, and sought to lay hands on the king Achashverosh. {2:22}
The thing became known to Mordekhai, who shown it to Ester the queen;
and Ester told the king [of it] in Mordekhai's name. {2:23} When
inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they
were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the
chronicles before the king.
{3:1} After these things did king Achashverosh promote Haman the son
of Hammedata 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 did reverence to Haman; for the
king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordekhai didn't bow down,
nor did him reverence. {3:3} Then the king's servants, who were in the
king's gate, said to Mordekhai, Why disobey you the king's
[1>]mitzvah[<1]? {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 Mordekhai's matters would stand: for he had told those who he
was a Yehudi. {3:5} When Haman saw that Mordekhai didn't bow down, nor
did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath. {3:6} But he scorned
the thought of laying hands on Mordekhai alone; for they had made
known to him the people of Mordekhai: therefore Haman sought to
destroy all the Yehudim who were throughout the whole kingdom of
Achashverosh, even the people of Mordekhai. {3:7} In the first month,
which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Achashverosh,
they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and
from month to month, [to] the twelfth [month], which is the month
Adar. {3:8} Haman said to king Achashverosh, There is a certain people
scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces
of your kingdom; and their laws are diverse from [those of] every
people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the
king's profit to allow them. {3:9} If it please 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 have the 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 Hammedata the
Agagite, the Yehudim' 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 were the king's [2>]Sofrim[<2] called in the first
month, on the thirteenth day of it; and there was written according to
all that Haman commanded 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 to the writing of it, and to every people
after their language; in the name of king Achashverosh was it written,
and it was sealed with the king's ring. {3:13} Letters were sent by
posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause
to perish, all Yehudim, 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 take the spoil of them for a prey. {3:14} A
copy of the writing, 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 posts went forth in haste by the king's
[3>]mitzvah[<3], and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace.
The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Shushan was
perplexed.
________________________________________________________________________
Footnotes:
[1] {1:12} commandment
[2] {1:19} commandment
[1] {2:8} commandment
[2] {2:20} commandment
[1] {3:3} commandment
[2] {3:12} scribes
[3] {3:15} commandment
________________________________________________________________________
The Hebrew Names Version of the World English Bible is in the Public
Domain. Typo reports are welcome at [EMAIL PROTECTED] Please see
http://eBible.org/bible/hnv for updates and editing status.
___
You are getting this message because you subscribed to this mailing
list at a web site or via Majordomo.
To unsubscribe, please go to http://ebible.org/subscribe.htm OR send
email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with "unsubscribe hnv" in the
message body.
