Esther:1-5
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Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus , (
this is Ahasuerus which reigned ,
from India even unto Ethiopia ,
over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces :)
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That in those days ,
when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom ,
which was in Shushan the palace ,
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In the third year of his reign ,
he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants ;
the power of Persia and Media ,
the nobles and princes of the provinces ,
being before him :
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When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days ,
even an hundred and fourscore days .
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And when these days were expired ,
the king made a feast unto all the people that were present in Shushan the palace ,
both unto great and small ,
seven days ,
in the court of the garden of the king '
s palace ;
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Where were white ,
green ,
and blue ,
hangings ,
fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble :
the beds were of gold and silver ,
upon a pavement of red ,
and blue ,
and white ,
and black ,
marble .
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And they gave them drink in vessels of gold , (
the vessels being diverse one from another ,)
and royal wine in abundance ,
according to the state of the king .
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And the drinking was according to the law ;
none did compel :
for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house ,
that they should do according to every man '
s pleasure .
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Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus .
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On the seventh day ,
when the heart of the king was merry with wine ,
he commanded Mehuman ,
Biztha ,
Harbona ,
Bigtha ,
and Abagtha ,
Zethar ,
and Carcas ,
the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king ,
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To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal ,
to shew the people and the princes her beauty :
for she was fair to look on .
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But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king '
s commandment by his chamberlains :
therefore was the king very wroth ,
and his anger burned in him .
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Then the king said to the wise men ,
which knew the times , (
for so was the king '
s manner toward all that knew law and judgment :
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And the next unto him was Carshena ,
Shethar ,
Admatha ,
Tarshish ,
Meres ,
Marsena ,
and Memucan ,
the seven princes of Persia and Media ,
which saw the king '
s face ,
and which sat the first in the kingdom ;)
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What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law ,
because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains ?
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And Memucan answered before the king and the princes ,
Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only ,
but also to all the princes ,
and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus .
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For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women ,
so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes ,
when it shall be reported ,
The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him ,
but she came not .
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Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king '
s princes ,
which have heard of the deed of the queen .
Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath .
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If it please the king ,
let there go a royal commandment from him ,
and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes ,
that it be not altered ,
That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus ;
and let the king give her royal estate unto another that is better than she .
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And when the king '
s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire , (
for it is great ,)
all the wives shall give to their husbands honour ,
both to great and small .
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And the saying pleased the king and the princes ;
and the king did according to the word of Memucan :
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For he sent letters into all the king '
s provinces ,
into every province according to the writing thereof ,
and to every people after their language ,
that every man should bear rule in his own house ,
and that it should be published according to the language of every people .
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After these things ,
when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased ,
he remembered Vashti ,
and what she had done ,
and what was decreed against her .
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Then said the king '
s servants that ministered unto him ,
Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king :
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And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom ,
that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace ,
to the house of the women ,
unto the custody of Hege the king '
s chamberlain ,
keeper of the women ;
and let their things for purification be given them :
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And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti .
And the thing pleased the king ;
and he did so .
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Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew ,
whose name was Mordecai ,
the son of Jair ,
the son of Shimei ,
the son of Kish ,
a Benjamite ;
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Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah ,
whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away .
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And he brought up Hadassah ,
that is ,
Esther ,
his uncle '
s daughter :
for she had neither father nor mother ,
and the maid was fair and beautiful ;
whom Mordecai ,
when her father and mother were dead ,
took for his own daughter .
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So it came to pass ,
when the king '
s commandment and his decree was heard ,
and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace ,
to the custody of Hegai ,
that Esther was brought also unto the king '
s house ,
to the custody of Hegai ,
keeper of the women .
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And the maiden pleased him ,
and she obtained kindness of him ;
and he speedily gave her her things for purification ,
with such things as belonged to her ,
and seven maidens ,
which were meet to be given her ,
out of the king '
s house :
and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women .
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Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred :
for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it .
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And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women '
s house ,
to know how Esther did ,
and what should become of her .
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Now when every maid '
s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus ,
after that she had been twelve months ,
according to the manner of the women , (
for so were the days of their purifications accomplished ,
to wit ,
six months with oil of myrrh ,
and six months with sweet odours ,
and with other things for the purifying of the women ;)
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Then thus came every maiden unto the king ;
whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king '
s house .
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In the evening she went ,
and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women ,
to the custody of Shaashgaz ,
the king '
s chamberlain ,
which kept the concubines :
she came in unto the king no more ,
except the king delighted in her ,
and that she were called by name .
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Now when the turn of Esther ,
the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai ,
who had taken her for his daughter ,
was come to go in unto the king ,
she required nothing but what Hegai the king '
s chamberlain ,
the keeper of the women ,
appointed .
And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her .
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So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month ,
which is the month Tebeth ,
in the seventh year of his reign .
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And the king loved Esther above all the women ,
and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins ;
so that he set the royal crown upon her head ,
and made her queen instead of Vashti .
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Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants ,
even Esther '
s feast ;
and he made a release to the provinces ,
and gave gifts ,
according to the state of the king .
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And when the virgins were gathered together the second time ,
then Mordecai sat in the king '
s gate .
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Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people ;
as Mordecai had charged her :
for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai ,
like as when she was brought up with him .
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In those days ,
while Mordecai sat in the king '
s gate ,
two of the king '
s chamberlains ,
Bigthan and Teresh ,
of those which kept the door ,
were wroth ,
and sought to lay hand on the king Ahasuerus .
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And the thing was known to Mordecai ,
who told it unto Esther the queen ;
and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai '
s name .
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And when inquisition was made of the matter ,
it was found out ;
therefore they were both hanged on a tree :
and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king .
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After these things did king Ahasuerus promote Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite ,
and advanced him ,
and set his seat above all the princes that were with him .
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And all the king '
s servants ,
that were in the king '
s gate ,
bowed ,
and reverenced Haman :
for the king had so commanded concerning him .
But Mordecai bowed not ,
nor did him reverence .
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Then the king '
s servants ,
which were in the king '
s gate ,
said unto Mordecai ,
Why transgressest thou the king '
s commandment ?
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Now it came to pass ,
when they spake daily unto him ,
and he hearkened not unto them ,
that they told Haman ,
to see whether Mordecai '
s matters would stand :
for he had told them that he was a Jew .
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And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not ,
nor did him reverence ,
then was Haman full of wrath .
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And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone ;
for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai :
wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus ,
even the people of Mordecai .
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In the first month ,
that 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 ,
to the twelfth month ,
that is ,
the month Adar .
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And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus ,
There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom ;
and their laws are diverse from all people ;
neither keep they the king '
s laws :
therefore it is not for the king '
s profit to suffer them .
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If it please the king ,
let it be written that they may be destroyed :
and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business ,
to bring it into the king '
s treasuries .
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And the king took his ring from his hand ,
and gave it unto Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite ,
the Jews '
enemy .
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And the king said unto Haman ,
The silver is given to thee ,
the people also ,
to do with them as it seemeth good to thee .
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Then were the king '
s scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month ,
and there was written according to all that Haman had commanded unto the king '
s lieutenants ,
and to the governors that were over every province ,
and to the rulers of every people of every province according to the writing thereof ,
and to every people after their language ;
in the name of king Ahasuerus was it written ,
and sealed with the king '
s ring .
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And the letters were sent by posts 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 upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month ,
which is the month Adar ,
and to take the spoil of them for a prey .
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The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people ,
that they should be ready against that day .
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The posts went out ,
being hastened by the king '
s commandment ,
and the decree was given in Shushan the palace .
And the king and Haman sat down to drink ;
but the city Shushan was perplexed .
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When Mordecai perceived all that was done ,
Mordecai rent his clothes ,
and put on sackcloth with ashes ,
and went out into the midst of the city ,
and cried with a loud and a bitter cry ;
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And came even before the king '
s gate :
for none might enter into the king '
s gate clothed with sackcloth .
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And in every province ,
whithersoever the king '
s commandment and his decree came ,
there was great mourning among the Jews ,
and fasting ,
and weeping ,
and wailing ;
and many lay in sackcloth and ashes .
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So Esther '
s maids and her chamberlains came and told it her .
Then was the queen exceedingly grieved ;
and she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai ,
and to take away his sackcloth from him :
but he received it not .
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Then called Esther for Hatach ,
one of the king '
s chamberlains ,
whom he had appointed to attend upon her ,
and gave him a commandment to Mordecai ,
to know what it was ,
and why it was .
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So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city ,
which was before the king '
s gate .
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And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him ,
and of the sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king '
s treasuries for the Jews ,
to destroy them .
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Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at Shushan to destroy them ,
to shew it unto Esther ,
and to declare it unto her ,
and to charge her that she should go in unto the king ,
to make supplication unto him ,
and to make request before him for her people .
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And Hatach came and told Esther the words of Mordecai .
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Again Esther spake unto Hatach ,
and gave him commandment unto Mordecai ;
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All the king '
s servants ,
and the people of the king '
s provinces ,
do know ,
that whosoever ,
whether man or woman ,
shall come unto the king into the inner court ,
who is not called ,
there is one law of his to put him to death ,
except such to whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre ,
that he may live :
but I have not been called to come in unto the king these thirty days .
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And they told to Mordecai Esther '
s words .
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Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther ,
Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king '
s house ,
more than all the Jews .
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For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time ,
then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place ;
but thou and thy father '
s house shall be destroyed :
and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this ?
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Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer ,
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Go ,
gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan ,
and fast ye for me ,
and neither eat nor drink three days ,
night or day :
I also and my maidens will fast likewise ;
and so will I go in unto the king ,
which is not according to the law :
and if I perish ,
I perish .
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So Mordecai went his way ,
and did according to all that Esther had commanded him .
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Now it came to pass on the third day ,
that Esther put on her royal apparel ,
and stood in the inner court of the king '
s house ,
over against the king '
s house :
and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house ,
over against the gate of the house .
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And it was so ,
when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court ,
that she obtained favour in his sight :
and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand .
So Esther drew near ,
and touched the top of the sceptre .
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Then said the king unto her ,
What wilt thou ,
queen Esther ?
and what is thy request ?
it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom .
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And Esther answered ,
If it seem good unto the king ,
let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him .
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Then the king said ,
Cause Haman to make haste ,
that he may do as Esther hath said .
So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared .
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And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine ,
What is thy petition ?
and it shall be granted thee :
and what is thy request ?
even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed .
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Then answered Esther ,
and said ,
My petition and my request is ;
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If I have found favour in the sight of the king ,
and if it please the king to grant my petition ,
and to perform my request ,
let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them ,
and I will do to morrow as the king hath said .
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Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart :
but when Haman saw Mordecai in the king '
s gate ,
that he stood not up ,
nor moved for him ,
he was full of indignation against Mordecai .
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Nevertheless Haman refrained himself :
and when he came home ,
he sent and called for his friends ,
and Zeresh his wife .
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And Haman told them of the glory of his riches ,
and the multitude of his children ,
and all the things wherein the king had promoted him ,
and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king .
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Haman said moreover ,
Yea ,
Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself ;
and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king .
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Yet all this availeth me nothing ,
so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king '
s gate .
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Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him ,
Let a gallows be made of fifty cubits high ,
and to morrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon :
then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet .
And the thing pleased Haman ;
and he caused the gallows to be made .
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On that night could not the king sleep ,
and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles ;
and they were read before the king .
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