that in those days, when king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,

And 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.

And Memucan answered before the king and the rulers, Vashti the queen has not done wrong only to the king, but also to all the rulers, and to all the peoples that are in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus.

If it please the king, let there go forth 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 gi

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 la

And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keepe

And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, 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, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to Shushan the palace to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king's house to the custody of Heg

Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known.

And the king loved Esther 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 upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

After these things king Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the rulers that were with him.

Now it came to pass, when they spoke daily to him, and he did not hearken to them, that they told Haman, to see whether Mordecai's matters would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew.

And when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down, nor did him reverence, then Haman was full of wrath.

But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him the people of Mordecai. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai

In the first month, which 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], which is the month Adar.

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.

Then the king's scribes were 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 r

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.

Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai tore 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.

And Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the Jews to destroy them.

Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Shushan to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to charge her that she should go in to the king to make supplication to him,

All the king's servants, and the people of the king's provinces, know, that whoever, whether man or woman, shall come to the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except th

Then Mordecai bade them return answer to Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shall escape in the king's house more than all the Jews.

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 in like manner. And so I will go in to the king, which is not acc

So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

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, opposite the king's house. And the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, opposite the entran

And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of the

And Esther said, If it seems good to the king, let the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.

Then the king said, Cause Haman to make haste that it may be done as Esther has said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

if I have found favor 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 tomorrow as the king

Then Haman went forth that day joyful and glad of heart. But when Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he did not stand up nor move for him, he was filled with wrath against Mordecai.

Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen let no man come in with the king to the banquet that she had prepared but myself, and tomorrow also I am invited by her together with the king.

Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, Let a gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak thou to the king that Mordecai may be hanged on it. Then go thou in merrily with the king to the banquet. And t

On that night the king could not sleep. And he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.

And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, of those who kept the threshold, who had sought to lay hands on king Ahasuerus.

And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman came into the outward court of the king's house to speak to the king to hang Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him.

So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman said in his heart, To whom would the king delight to do honor more than to myself?

let royal apparel be brought which the king uses to wear, and the horse that the king rides upon, and on the head of which a royal crown is set.

And let the apparel and the horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble rulers, that they may array the man therewith whom the king delights to honor, and cause him to ride on horseback through the street of the

Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the horse, as thou have said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Let nothing fail of all that thou have spoken.

And Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had befallen him. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, If Mordecai, before whom thou have begun to fall, be of the seed of the Jews, thou shal

While they were yet talking with him, the king's chamberlains came, and hastened to bring Haman to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

And the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine [and went] into the palace garden. And Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen, for he saw that there was evil determined against him by the king.

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath was pacified.

On that day king Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman the Jews' enemy to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her.

And Esther spoke yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

Then the king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month Sivan, on the twenty-third [day] of it. And it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded to the Jews, and to the satraps, and the governors and rulers

And he wrote the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed it with the king's ring, and sent letters by post on horseback, riding on swift steeds that were used in the king's service bred of the stud,

in which the king granted the Jews that were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province who would assault them, [t

A copy of the writing, that the decree should be given out in every province, was published to all the peoples, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

So the posts that rode upon swift steeds that were used in the king's service went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace.

Now in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule over them

On that day the number of those who were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.

to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies. And the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day, that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending

because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them.

But when [the matter] came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come to them,

the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing of it, and according to the appoin

And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the remembrance of them perish from