So Esther's damsels and her chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly astonished. And she sent raiment, that Mordecai should put them on and lay the sackcloth from him. But Mordecai would not take them.

And when Mordecai was certified of Esther's words,

Now when the time came of Esther the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai, which had received her as his own daughter, that she should come to the king, she desired nothing but what Hegei the king's chamberlain the keeper of the women, said. And Esther found favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

whereof Mordecai gat knowledge, and told it unto queen Esther, and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.

And when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she found grace in his sight. And the king held out the golden scepter in his hand toward Esther. So Esther stepped forth, and touched the top of the scepter.

And as yet had not Esther showed her kindred and her people, according as Mordecai had bidden her: for Esther did after the word of Mordecai, like as when he was her tutor.

The king said, "Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said." Now when the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared,

the king said unto Esther, when he had drunken wine, "Esther what is thy petition? And it shall be given thee. And what requirest thou? Even the half of the empire, it shall be done."

the king said unto Esther on the second day, when he had drunken wine, "What is thy petition queen Esther, that it may be given thee? And what requirest thou? Yea, ask even half of the empire, and it shall be done."

The same day did king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman, the Jews' enemy, unto queen Esther. And Mordecai came before the king: for Esther told how that he belonged unto her.

And the king held out the golden scepter unto Esther. Then rose Esther, and stood before the king,

Then said the king Ahasuerus unto queen Esther, and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him have they hanged upon a tree, because he laid hand upon the Jews.

And on the third day put Esther on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's palace within, over against the king's house. And the king sat upon his royal seat in the king's palace over against the gate of the house.

Now when the king's commandment and commission was published, and many damsels were brought together unto the castle of Susa under the hand of Hegei, Esther was taken also unto the king's house under the hand of Hegei the keeper of the women.

And when the king came again out of the palace garden into the parlor where they had eaten, Haman had laid him upon the bed that Esther sat upon. Then said the king, "Will he force the queen also? Beside me, in the house?" As soon as that word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face.

Esther said, "If it please the king, let him suffer the Jews tomorrow also to do according unto this day's commandment, that they may hang Haman's ten sons upon the tree."

and he nourished Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and she was a fair and beautiful damsel. And when her father and mother died, Mordecai received her as his own daughter.

And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's building, that he might know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

Then Esther called Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains which stood before her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, that he might know what it were, and wherefore he did so.

Mordecai bade say again unto Esther, "Think not to save thine own life, while thou art in the king's house before all Jews:

While they were yet talking with him, came the king's chamberlains, and caused Haman to make haste to come unto the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Esther the queen answered and said: If I have found grace in thy sight, O king, and if it please the king, then grant me my life at my desire and my people for my petition's sake:

But Esther showed not her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her, that she should not tell it.

And Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus in to the house royal, in the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she found grace and mercy in his sight before all the virgins: and he set the queens crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

And the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants - which feast was because of Esther - and let the lands be in quietness, and gave royal gifts.

And he gave him the copy of the commandment, that was devised at Susa to destroy them, that he might show it unto Esther, and to speak to her and charge her; that she should go into the king, and make her prayer and supplication unto him for her people.

And when Hathach came in, and told Esther the words of Mordecai,

Esther spake unto Hathach, and commanded him to say unto Mordecai,

Esther bade, "Give Mordecai this answer:

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

Then said the king unto her, "What wilt thou, queen Esther? And what requirest thou? Ask even the half of the empire, and it shall be given thee."

Esther said, "If it please the king, let the king and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared."

Then answered Esther and said, "My petition and desire is,

Haman said moreover, "Yea and Esther the queen let no man come with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared, except me, and tomorrow am I bidden unto her also with the king.

And when the king and Haman came to banquet that queen Esther had prepared,

The king Ahasuerus spake and said unto queen Esther, "Who is he? And where is he that dare presume in his mind to do such a thing after that manner?"

Esther said, "The enemy and adversary is this wicked Haman." As for Haman, he was exceedingly afraid before the king and the queen.

And the king arose from the banquet and from the wine in his displeasure and went in to the palace garden. And Haman stood up, and besought queen Esther for his life: for he saw that there was a mischeif prepared for him of the king already.

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

And Esther spake yet more before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him, that he would put away the wickedness of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had imagined against the Jews.

And the king said unto queen Esther, "The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men at the castle of Susa, and the ten sons of Haman: What shall they do in the other lands of the king? What is thy petition, that it may be given thee? And what requirest thou more to be done?"

and how Esther went and spake to the king, that through letters his wicked device - which he imagined against the Jews - might be turned upon his own head, and how he and his sons were hanged on the tree.

And queen Esther the daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew wrote with all authority, to confirm this second writing of Purim,

to confirm these days of Purim, in their time appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had ordained concerning them: like as they upon their soul and upon their seed had confirmed the acts of the fasting and of her complaint.

And Esther commanded to establish these acts of this Purim, and to write them in a book.

Write ye now therefore for the Jews, as it liketh you in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring." For the writings that were written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, durst no man disannul.

Then went Laban into Jacob's tent, and into Lea's tent, and into two maidens' tents: but found them not. Then went he out of Lea's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

As soon as Jacob saw Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, he went and rolled the stone from the well's mouth, and watered the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother.

The very same hour was this matter fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar: so that he was cast out of men's company, and ate grass like an ox; His body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were as great as Eagle's feathers, and his nails like bird's claws.

Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah David's brother answered and said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons: save Amnon only is dead. For that hath been ever in Absalom's mouth since he forced his sister Tamar.

Then said Boaz unto the elders and unto all the people, "Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.

Then the king's servants which were in the king's gate, said unto Mordecai, "Why transgressest thou the king's commandment?"

Then were the king's scribes called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and there was written, according as Haman commanded, unto the king's princes, and to the captains everywhere in the lands, and to the rulers of every people in the countries on every side, according to the writing of every nation, and after their language in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed with the king's ring.

And Jacob heard the words of Laban's sons, how they said, "Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's, and of our father's goods, hath he gotten all this honour."

And I had Pharaoh's cup in my hand, and took of the grapes and wrung them into Pharaoh's cup, and delivered Pharaoh's cup into his hand."

When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him. And he lift up his father's hand, to have removed it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head,

Also, if he smite out his servant's or his maid's tooth, he shall let them go out free for the tooth's sake.

Therefore choose the best, and him that most pleaseth you of your master's sons, and put him on his father's seat, and fight for your lord's house."

"'If a man take his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and see her privities, and she see his privities also: it is a wicked thing. Therefore let them perish in the sight of their people; he hath seen his sister's secretness, he shall therefore bear his sin.

Notwithstanding, if the priest's daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, but is returned unto her father's house again, she shall eat of her father's bread as well as she did in her youth. But there shall no stranger eat thereof.

And Jonathan, David's brother's son, a man of counsel, a man that taught wisdom, and a writer: he and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni waited on the king's sons.

'Thou shalt not lust after thy neighbour's wife: thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, field, servant, maid, ox, ass nor ought that is thy neighbour's.'

For Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem, unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them and with all his mother's father's kindred, saying,

And thus shall it happen in the day of the LORD's slain offering: I will visit the princes, the king's children, and all such as wear strange clothing.

Then Haggai the LORD's messenger said in the LORD's message to the people, "I am with you, sayeth the LORD."

and prophesy no more at Bethel, for it is the king's chapel, and the king's court.

Men shall go about the whole earth, as upon a field: from Geba to Rimmon, and from the south to Jerusalem. She shall be set up, and inhabited in her place: from Benjamin's port, unto the place of the first port, and unto the corner port: and from the tower of Hananel, unto the king's wine presses.

For he that hath been despised a little season, shall rejoice, when he seeth the tin weight in Zerubbabel's hand. The seven eyes are the LORD's, which go through the whole world.'