1995 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Esther 8

1 Mordecai is advanced. 3 Esther maketh suit to reverse Haman's letters. 7 Ahasuerus granteth to the Jews to defend themselves. 15 Mordecai's honour, and the Jews' joy.

 8:1 On that day 3117 King 4428 Ahasuerus 325 gave 5414 the house 1004 of Haman 2001b, the enemy 6887c of the Jews 3064, to Queen 4436 Esther 635; and Mordecai 4782 came 935 before 6440 the king 4428, for Esther 635 had disclosed 5046 what 4100 he was to her.

 8:2 The king 4428 took 5493 off 5493 his signet 2885 ring 2885 which 834 he had taken 5674a away 5674a from Haman 2001b, and gave 5414 it to Mordecai 4782. And Esther 635 set 7760 Mordecai 4782 over 5921 the house 1004 of Haman 2001b.

 8:3 ¶ Then Esther 635 spoke 1696 again 3254 to the king 4428, fell 5307 at his feet 7272, wept 1058 and implored 2603a him to avert 5674a the evil 7463a [scheme] of Haman 2001b the Agagite 91 and his plot 4284 which 834 he had devised 2803 against 5921 the Jews 3064.

 8:4 The king 4428 extended 3447 the golden 2091 scepter 8275 to Esther 635. So Esther 635 arose 6965 and stood 5975 before 6440 the king 4428.

 8:5 Then she said 559, “If 518 it pleases 5921 2895 the king 4428 and if 518 I have found 4672 favor 2580 before 6440 him and the matter 1697 [seems] proper 3787 to the king 4428 and I am pleasing 2896a in his sight 5869, let it be written 3789 to revoke 7725 the letters 5612 devised 4284 by Haman 2001b, the son 1121 of Hammedatha 1992b the Agagite 91, which 834 he wrote 3789 to destroy 6 the Jews 3064 who 834 are in all 3605 the king’s 4428 provinces 4082.

 8:6 “For how 351c can 3201 I endure 3201 to see 7200 the calamity 7463a which 834 will befall 4672 my people 5971a, and how 351c can 3201 I endure 3201 to see 7200 the destruction 12 of my kindred 4138?”

 8:7 So King 4428 Ahasuerus 325 said 559 to Queen 4436 Esther 635 and to Mordecai 4782 the Jew 3064, “Behold 2009, I have given 5414 the house 1004 of Haman 2001b to Esther 635, and him they have hanged 8518 on the gallows 6086 because 5921 834 he had stretched 7971 out his hands 3027 against the Jews 3064.

 8:8 “Now you write 3789 to the Jews 3064 as you see 5869 fit 2896a, in the king’s 4428 name 8034, and seal 2856 [it] with the king’s 4428 signet 2885 ring 2885; for a decree 3791 which 834 is written 3789 in the name 8034 of the king 4428 and sealed 2856 with the king’s 4428 signet 2885 ring 2885 may not be revoked 7725.”

 8:9 ¶ So the king’s 4428 scribes 5613b were called 7121 at that time 6256 in the third 7992 month 2320 (that is, the month 2320 Sivan 5510), on the twenty-third 6242 7969 day; and it was written 3789 according to all 3605 that Mordecai 4782 commanded 6680 to the Jews 3064, the satraps 323, the governors 6346 and the princes 8269 of the provinces 4082 which 834 [extended] from India 1912 to Ethiopia 3568a, 127 7651 6242 3967 provinces 4082, to every 4082 province 4082 according to its script 3791, and to every 5971a people 5971a according to their language 3956 as well as to the Jews 3064 according to their script 3791 and their language 3956.

 8:10 He wrote 3789 in the name 8034 of King 4428 Ahasuerus 325, and sealed 2856 it with the king’s 4428 signet 2885 ring 2885, and sent 7971 letters 5612 by couriers 7323 on horses 5483b, riding 7392 on steeds 7409 sired 1121 by the royal 7424 stud 7424.

 8:11 In them the king 4428 granted 5414 the Jews 3064 who 834 were in each 5892b and every 3605 city 5892b [the right] to assemble 6950 and to defend 5975 their lives 5315, to destroy 8045, to kill 2026 and to annihilate 6 the entire 3605 army 2428 of any people 5971a or province 4082 which might attack 6696b them, including 854 children 2945 and women 802, and to plunder 962 their spoil 7998,

 8:12 on one 259 day 3117 in all 3605 the provinces 4082 of King 4428 Ahasuerus 325, the thirteenth 7969 6240 [day] of the twelfth 8147 6240 month 2320 (that is, the month 2320 Adar 143).

 8:13 A copy 6572 of the edict 3791 to be issued 5414 as law 1881 in each 4082 and every 3605 province 4082 was published 1540 to all 3605 the peoples 5971a, so that the Jews 3064 would be ready 6264 for this 2088 day 3117 to avenge 5358 themselves on their enemies 340.

 8:14 The couriers 7323, hastened 926 and impelled 1765 by the king’s 4428 command 1697, went 3318 out, riding 7392 on the royal 327 steeds 7409; and the decree 1881 was given 5414 out at the citadel 1002 in Susa 7800.

 8:15 ¶ Then Mordecai 4782 went 3318 out from the presence 6440 of the king 4428 in royal 4438 robes 3830 of blue 8504 and white 2353, with a large 1419 crown 5850 of gold 2091 and a garment 8509 of fine 948 linen 948 and purple 713; and the city 5892b of Susa 7800 shouted 6670a and rejoiced 8055.

 8:16 For the Jews 3064 there was light 219a and gladness 8057 and joy 8342 and honor 3366.

 8:17 In each 4082 and every 3605 province 4082 and in each 5892b and every 3605 city 5892b, wherever 4725 834 the king’s 4428 commandment 1697 and his decree 1881 arrived 5060, there was gladness 8057 and joy 8342 for the Jews 3064, a feast 4960 and a holiday 2896a 3117. And many 7227a among 4480 the peoples 5971a of the land 776 became 3054 Jews 3054, for the dread 6343 of the Jews 3064 had fallen 5307 on them.