in those days, - when King Ahasuerus was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shusan the palace;

Also Vashti the queen, made a banquet for the women, - in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

But Queen Vashti refused to come in at the command of the king, which was given through the eunuchs, - and the king was exceeding wroth, and, his anger, burned within him.

When the edict of the king which he shall make, is published throughout all his kingdom, for, great, it is, then, all wives, will give honour unto their lords, both great and small.

So Hathach went forth unto Mordecai, - in the broadway of the city, which was before the gate of the king.

Also, a copy of the writing of the edict which had been given in Shusan to destroy them, gave he unto him, to shew unto Esther, and to tell her, - and to lay charge upon her, to go in unto the king - to make supplication unto him, and to make request before him, for her people.

And it came to pass, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his eyes, - and the king held out to Esther, the golden sceptre which was in his hand, so Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

Then said Esther, If, unto the king, it seem good, let the king with Haman come in this day, unto the banquet which I have prepared for him.

And the king said, Hasten ye Haman, to perform the word of Esther. So the king with Haman came in, unto the banquet which Esther had prepared,

If I have found favour in the eyes of the king, and if, unto the king, it seem good, to grant my petition, and to perform my request, let the king with Haman come in unto the banquet which I will prepare for them, and, to-morrow, I will do according to the word of the king.

And Haman said, Moreover Esther the queen did bring in no one with the king into the banquet which she had prepared, saving myself, - yea moreover, even for to-morrow, I, am invited unto her, with the king.

Then said the king, Who is in the court? Now, Haman, had come into the outer court of the kings house, to speak unto the king, to hang Mordecai, upon the gallows which he had prepared for him.

let them bring in royal apparel wherewith the king hath clothed himself, - and the horse whereon the king hath ridden, and the royal crown which hath been set upon his own head;

Then said the king unto Haman, Haste, take the apparel and the horse, just as thou hast said, and do even so unto Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting in the kings gate, - do not let fail a thing, of all which thou hast spoken!

While yet they were speaking with him, the eunuchs of the king, had come, - and they hastened to bring Haman, unto the banquet which Esther had prepared.

So they hanged Haman on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai, - and, the wrath of the king, was appeased.

And the king took off his signet-ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai, - and Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Yet again, spake Esther before the king, and fell down at his feet, - and wept and made supplication unto him, to cause the mischief of Haman the Agagite to pass away, even the plot which he had plotted against the Jews.

and said - If, unto the king, it seem good, and if I have found favour before him, and the thing be approved before the king, and, I myself, be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written, to reverse the letters plotted by Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy thee Jews, who are in all the provinces of the king.

Ye, therefore, write concerning the Jews as may seem good in your own eyes, in the name of the king, and seal it with the kings signet-ring, - for a writing which hath been written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's signet-ring, none can reverse.

Then were called the kings scribes at that time - in the third month, the same, is the month Siwan, on the twenty-third thereof, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and unto the satraps and pashas and rulers of the provinces, which are from India even unto Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to their tongue, - and unto the Jews, according to their writing, and according to their tongue;

according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day, - that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.

And the Jews took upon them that which they had begun to do, - and that which Mordecai had written unto them;

but, by Esther's going in before the king, he commanded by letter, that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews, should return, upon his own head, - and that he and his sons should be hanged upon the gallows.