¶ On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house¹ of Haman the Jews' enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before² the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.

And the king took off his ring³, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set⁴ Mordecai over the house of Haman.

¶ And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell⁵ down at his feet, and besought him with tears⁶ to put away the mischief⁷ of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

Then the king held out⁸ the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

And said, If it please the king, and if I⁹ have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing¹⁰ in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters¹¹ devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote¹² to destroy the Jews which are in all the king's provinces:

For how¹³ can I endure to see¹⁴ the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold,¹⁵ I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged¹⁶ upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king's name¹⁷, and seal it with the king's ring: for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse¹⁸.

Then were the king's¹⁹ scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants²⁰, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India²¹ unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according²² to their language.

¶ And he wrote in the king²³ Ahasuerus' name, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by posts²⁴ on horseback, and riders on mules²⁵, camels²⁶, and young dromedaries²⁷:

Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather²⁸ themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy²⁹, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil³⁰ of them for a prey,

Upon one day³¹ in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth³² day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published³³ unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened³⁴ and pressed on by the king's commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan³⁵ the palace.

¶ And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel³⁶ of blue³⁷ and white, and with a great crown³⁸ of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city³⁹ of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

The Jews⁴⁰ had light⁴¹, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast⁴² and a good day. And many of the people⁴³ of the land became Jews; for the fear⁴⁴ of the Jews fell upon them.