Esther:8

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* On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman , the enemy of the Jews . And Mordecai came before the king , for Esther had told how he was related to her . * So the king took off his signet ring , which he had taken from Haman , and gave it to Mordecai ; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman . * Now Esther spoke again to the king , fell down at his feet , and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite , and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews . * And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther . So Esther arose and stood before the king , * and said , "If it pleases the king , and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes , let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman , the son of Hammedatha the Agagite , which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king 's provinces . * For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people ? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen ?" * Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew , "Indeed , I have given Esther the house of Haman , and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews . * You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews , as you please , in the king 's name , and seal it with the king 's signet ring ; for whatever is written in the king 's name and sealed with the king 's signet ring no one can revoke ." * So the king 's scribes were called at that time , in the third month , which is the month of Sivan , on the twenty-third day ; and it was written , according to all that Mordecai commanded , to the Jews , the satraps , the governors , and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia , one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all , to every province in its own script , to every people in their own language , and to the Jews in their own script and language . * And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus , sealed it with the king 's signet ring , and sent letters by couriers on horseback , riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds . * By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives--to destroy , kill , and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them , both little children and women , and to plunder their possessions , * on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus , on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month , which is the month of Adar . * A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people , so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies . * The couriers who rode on royal horses went out , hastened and pressed on by the king 's command . And the decree was issued in Shushan the citadel . * So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white , with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple ; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad . * The Jews had light and gladness , joy and honor . * And in every province and city , wherever the king 's command and decree came , the Jews had joy and gladness , a feast and a holiday . Then many of the people of the land became Jews , because fear of the Jews fell upon them .

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