So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, each one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad pla

And all the assembly of those who came again out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths, for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day the sons of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.

And thou saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heard their cry by the Red Sea,

And thou divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land. And thou cast their pursuers into the depths as a stone into the mighty waters.

Moreover thou gave them kingdoms and peoples, which thou allotted after their portions. So they possessed the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

So the sons went in and possessed the land. And thou subdued the inhabitants of the land before them, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hands, with their kings, and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as th

And they took fortified cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all good things, cisterns hewn out, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted t

But after they had rest, they again did evil before thee. Therefore thou left them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them. Yet when they returned, and cried to thee, thou heard from heaven, and many t

they clung to their brothers, their ranking men, and entered into a curse, and into an oath, to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of LORD our Lord, and his or

And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.

Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and the fields of it, Azekah and the towns of it. So they encamped from Beersheba to the valley of Hinnom.

So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me,

And they offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. And the women also and the children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

had prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the s

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each one to his field.

In those days I saw in Judah some men treading wine-presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys [therewith], as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on t

So the merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do ye lodge around the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on the Sabbath.

In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab.

And when these days were fulfilled, the king made a feast to all the people who were present in Shushan the palace, both great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's 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.

But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by the chamberlains. Therefore the king was very angry, and his fury burned in him.

Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times (for so was the king's manner toward all who knew law and judgment,

and next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven rulers of Persia and Media who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom),

And this day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the deed of the queen will say [the like] to all the king's rulers. So [there will arise] much contempt and wrath.

And when the king's decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his kingdom (for it is great), all the wives will give to their husbands honor, both to great and small.

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

Then the king's servants who ministered to him said, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king.

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 let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.

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

And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. And he quickly gave her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were suitable to be given her out of the king's house. And he removed her

And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.

Now when the turn of every maiden came to go in to king Ahasuerus, after it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, [namely], six months with

then the maiden came to the king in this way: Whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women to the king's house.

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, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more unless the king delighted in h

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appoint

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

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.

Then the king made a great feast to all his rulers and his servants, even Esther's feast, and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts according to the bounty of the king.

And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate.

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who kept the threshold, were angry, and sought to lay hands on king Ahasuerus.

And the thing became known to Mordecai, who showed it to Esther the queen, and Esther told the king [of it] in Mordecai's name.

And when inquiry was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree. And it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

And all the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, bowed down, and did reverence to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down, nor did him reverence.

Then the king's servants, who were in the king's gate, said to Mordecai, Why do thou transgress the king's commandment?

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.

And Haman said to king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and their laws are diverse from [those of] every people, nor do they keep the king's

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

And 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 sons and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth [day] of the twelfth month, which

The posts went forth in haste by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Shushan the palace. And the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.

And he came even before the king's gate, for none might enter inside the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.

And in every province, wherever 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.

And Esther's maidens and her chamberlains came and told it to her. And the queen was exceedingly grieved. And she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take his sackcloth from off him, but he did not receive it.

Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's chamberlains whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and charged him to go to Mordecai, to know what this was, and why it was.

So Hathach went forth to Mordecai to the broad place of the city, which was before the king's gate.

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.

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

And they told Esther's words to Mordecai.

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.

For if thou altogether keep quiet at this time, then relief and deliverance will arise to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy father's house will perish. And who knows whether thou have not come to the kingdom for such a

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

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.

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.

Yet all this avails me nothing so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.

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, What honor and dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this? Then the king's servants who ministered to him said, There is nothing done for him.

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.

And the king's servants said to him, Behold, Haman stands in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.

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?

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 Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hastened to his house, mourning and having his head covered.

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

So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen.

For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king's damage.

Then king Ahasuerus spoke and said to Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, who dares presume in his heart to do so?

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.

Then the king held out to Esther the golden scepter. So Esther arose, and stood before the king.

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?

Write ye also to the Jews, as it pleases you, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring, for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse.

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,

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.

And in every province, and in every city, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a good day. And many from among the peoples of the land became Jews, for the fear of the Jews

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

And all the rulers of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and those who did the king's business, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew greater and greater.

the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jew's enemy, but they did not lay their hand on the spoil.

And the king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is thy petition? And

Then Esther said, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according to this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

And the king commanded it so to be done. And a decree was given out in Shushan, and they hanged Haman's ten sons.

And the other Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them. But they did not lay their hand