8That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.H3117H4428H325H5414H1004H2001H3064H6887H635H4436H4782H935H6440H4428H635H50462The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman's estate.H4428H5493H2885H5674H2001H5414H4782H635H7760H4782H1004H20013Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews.H635H1696H3254H6440H4428H5307H6440H7272H2603H1058H5674H7451H2001H91H4284H2803H30644Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.H4428H3447H2091H8275H635H635H6965H5975H6440H44285"If it pleases the king," she said, "and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces.H559H2896H4428H4672H2580H6440H1697H3787H6440H4428H2896H5869H3789H7725H5612H4284H2001H1121H4099H91H3789H6H3064H4428H40826For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?"H349H3201H7200H7451H4672H5971H349H3201H7200H13H41387King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have hanged him on the gallows.H4428H325H559H635H4436H4782H3064H5414H635H1004H2001H8518H6086H7971H3027H30648Now write another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king's signet ring—for no document written in the king's name and sealed with his ring can be revoked."H3789H3064H2896H5869H4428H8034H2856H4428H2885H3791H3789H4428H8034H2856H4428H2885H77259At once the royal secretaries were summoned—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 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush. These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.H4428H5608H7121H6256H7992H2320H2320H5510H7969H6242H3789H4782H6680H3064H323H6346H8269H4082H1912H3568H3967H6242H7651H4082H4082H3791H5971H3956H3064H3791H395610Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king's signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.H3789H4428H325H8034H2856H4428H2885H7971H5612H3027H7323H5483H7392H7409H327H1121H742411The king's edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate 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.H4428H5414H3064H5892H6950H5975H5315H8045H2026H6H2428H5971H4082H6696H2945H802H7998H96212The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.H259H3117H4082H4428H325H7969H6240H8147H6240H2320H2320H14313A 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 that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.H6572H3791H1881H5414H4082H1540H5971H3064H6264H6259H3117H5358H34114The couriers, riding the royal horses, raced out, spurred on by the king's command. And the edict was also issued in the citadel of Susa.H7323H7392H7409H327H3318H926H1765H4428H1697H1881H5414H7800H1002
The Triumph of the Jews
15Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.H4782H3318H6440H4428H4438H3830H8504H2353H1419H5850H2091H8509H948H713H5892H7800H6670H805616For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor.H3064H219H8057H8342H336617In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, 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 seized them.H4082H5892H4725H4428H1697H1881H5060H3064H8057H8342H4960H2896H3117H7227H5971H776H3054H6343H3064H5307
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