The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews
1That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2The king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.
3Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite, which he had devised against the Jews. 4Then the king extended the gold scepter to Esther and she arose and stood before him.
5“If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. 6For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”
7King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled him on the pole he set up. 8Now write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal it with the king’s signet ring—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”
9At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.8:9 That is, the upper Nile region These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language. 10Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.
11The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,8:11 Or province, together with their women and children, who might attack them; and to plunder the property of their enemies. 12The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 13A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.
14The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.
The Triumph of the Jews
15When Mordecai left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration. 16For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. 17In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
猶太人獲拯救
1當天，亞哈隨魯王把猶太人的仇敵哈曼的家產賜給以斯帖王后。末底改也來到王面前，因為以斯帖陳明了他們的親屬關係。 2王摘下自己的戒指，就是從哈曼手中取回的，賜給末底改。以斯帖派末底改管理哈曼的家產。
3以斯帖又俯伏在王的腳前，流淚哀求王廢掉亞甲人哈曼加害猶太人的陰謀。 4王向以斯帖伸出金杖，以斯帖就起來站在王面前， 5說：「王若願意，我若得到王的恩寵，王若認為好，並且喜悅我，就請王降旨，廢除亞甲人哈米大他的兒子哈曼陰謀滅絕各省猶太人的諭旨。 6我怎能忍心看我本族的人受害？我怎能忍心看我的親族被殺？」 7亞哈隨魯王對以斯帖王后和猶太人末底改說：「我已把哈曼的家產賜給以斯帖，並把他吊在木架上了，因為他想害猶太人。 8現在，你們盡可奉王的名寫諭旨給猶太人，用王的戒指蓋印，因為奉王的名所寫、用王的戒指蓋印的諭旨是不可廢除的。」
9三月，即西彎月二十三日，王的書記被召來，按照末底改的一切吩咐用各省的文字和各族的語言，包括猶太人的文字和語言寫諭旨，傳給從印度到古實的一百二十七省的猶太人、總督、省長和官員。 10末底改奉亞哈隨魯王的名寫諭旨，用王的戒指蓋印，讓信差騎王室快馬送往各地。 11-12諭旨上說，王准許各城的猶太人在十二月，即亞達月十三日，聚集起來自衛，剷除、殺光、滅盡各族各省攻擊他們的仇敵及其兒女、妻子，奪取仇敵的財物。 13諭旨的抄本頒佈到各省，昭告各族，使猶太人在那天預備好向仇敵報仇。 14信差接到王的命令，急忙騎上王室快馬上路。在書珊城也頒佈了諭旨。
15末底改身穿藍色和白色朝服，頭戴大金冠，披著紫色細麻布外袍，從王那裡出來，書珊城的人都歡呼雀躍。 16猶太人高興歡喜，感到快樂光榮。 17各省各城，凡諭旨所到之處，猶太人都歡喜快樂，設宴慶祝。許多當地人因懼怕猶太人而入了猶太籍。
