2 In those days King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in Susa. 3 In the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces, and they enjoyed the banquet in his presence. 4 He displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for 180 days. 5 When these days were completed, the king gave another banquet that lasted seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least. This took place in the court of the garden of the king's palace. 6 There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of red, blue and white, and marble, mother of pearl and precious stones. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful according to the king's opulence. 8 The king had given orders that no one was to be forced to drink. Each official of his household had been ordered to provide according to the desires of each person.

9 At the same time queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women of the palace belonging to King Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11 to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful. 12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command that had been delivered by the eunuchs. This made the king very angry and his wrath burned in him. 13 Then the king consulted with the wise men who understood the times, because it was the custom of the king to speak to those who knew the law and what was just. 14 Their names were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who had access to the king's presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom. 15 The king said to them, "According to law, what should be done with Queen Vashti for not obeying the command I delivered to her by the eunuchs?" 16 In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, "Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the peoples in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus." 17 "For the queen's conduct will become known to all the women and cause them to look with contempt on their husbands. They will say, 'King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she refused.'" 18 "After the ladies of Persia and Media hear of the queen's conduct, they will speak in the same way to all the king's princes, and this will result in much contempt and anger." 19 "If it pleases the king, let a royal edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so that it cannot be repealed, that Vashti may no longer come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to another who is more worthy than she." 20 "When the king's edict is heard throughout all his great kingdom, then all women will give honor to their husbands, great and small." 21 These words pleased the king and the princes, and the king did as Memucan had proposed. 22 He sent letters to all the provinces of his kingdom, according to the language of each province, saying, "Every man shall be the master in his own house."

Esther 2 - RWB Paraphrase (23 V)
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Ahasuerus Chooses a Queen
1 After the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's attendants said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king." 3 "Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women, and let cosmetics be given to them." 4 "Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti." This idea pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. 6 He had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with other captives including Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, who later became known as Esther. She was his uncle's daughter. She had no father or mother, so Mordecai raised her as his own daughter. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face.

8 The king's decree was heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa. Esther was also taken to the king's palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 Now the young lady pleased Hegai and she found favor with him. He quickly provided her with her cosmetics and food, gave her seven choice maids from the king's palace and moved her with her maids to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not let anyone know who her people were or that she was related to Mordecai, for he had instructed her that she should tell no one. 11 Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was faring.

12 After each young lady's six months with oil of myrrh and six more months of spices and cosmetics, Esther, along with the other young ladies, waited her turn to go in to King Ahasuerus. 13 When she went in to him, she was allowed to take into the king's palace anything she desired from the harem. 14 In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless he took delight in her and she was summoned by name. 15 When Esther's turn came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the women, advised her to take. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her.

16 She was taken to the royal palace of King Ahasuerus in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 Then the king gave a great banquet in honor of Esther, and invited all his princes and servants. He made it a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts according to his bounty.

19 When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. 20 Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, just as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther did what Mordecai told her as she had while under his care. 21 It was during those days as Mordecai sat at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's officials who guarded the door, became angry and made plans to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 When Mordecai learned of the plot he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordicai's name. 23 Now when the plot had been investigated and found to be so, Bigthan and Teresh were both hanged on a gallows, and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence.

Esther 3 - RWB Paraphrase (15 V)
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Haman Is Promoted By Ahasuerus And His Authority Is Established
1 After this King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, advancing him and establishing his authority over all the other princes. 2 All the king's servants at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, because the king had commanded this. But Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage. 3 Then the king's servants said to Mordecai, "Why are you not following the king's command?" 4 Even though they spoke daily to him about this, he would not listen. So they told Haman to see whether Mordecai's reason would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai neither bowed down nor paid homage to him, he was filled with rage. 6 But he did not lay hands on him, for he had been told of Mordecai's people. He decided to find a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

7 In the first month, that is Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, the lot was cast before Haman from day to day and from month to month, until the twelfth month, that is Adar, was determined by him to be the right month. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king's laws, so it is not in the king's interest to let them live." 9 "If it is pleases the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry out the king's business, placing it into the king's treasuries to be paid out." 10 The king took his signet ring from his hand gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and enemy of the Jews. 11 The king said to him, "The silver is yours, and the people also. Do with them as you think best."

12 The king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman dictated it to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, written out in the script of each province, so that each people could see that it had been written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his signet ring. 13 Couriers carried the letters to all the king's provinces. Each letter directed the annihilation of all Jews in one day on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. Both young and old, women and children were to be destroyed. Their possessions might be seized as plunder. 14 A copy of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and published so that all the peoples should be ready for this day. 15 The couriers went out at the king's command which was issued at the citadel in Susa, and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in confusion.

Esther 4 - RWB Paraphrase (17 V)
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Mordecai Asks Esther to Plead with the King
1 When Mordecai learned what Haman had done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city wailing loudly and bitterly. 2 He went as far as the king's gate, but no one could enter there clothed in sackcloth.

3 In each and every province as the king's command was delivered, there was great mourning among the Jews. They fasted and wept with wailing. And many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4 When Esther's maidens and her eunuchs told her of all this, she was in great anguish. She sent garments for Mordecai to put on in place of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.

5 Then Esther summoned Hathach from the king's eunuchs, whom the king had appointed to attend her, and told him to find out from Mordecai how and why Haman had done this. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the city square in front of the king's gate.

7 Mordecai told Hathach all that had happened, and the exact amount of money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. 8 He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict which had been issued in Susa for their destruction, to show Esther, and to order her to go in to the king to implore his favor and to plead with him for her people.

9 Hathach came back to Esther with Mordecai's answer. 10 Then Esther gave her reply for Hathach to deliver to Mordecai: 11 "all the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king's inner court without being invited may expect to be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for thirty days."

12 Esther's words were taken back to Mordecai. 13 Then Mordecai sent Esther this reply: "Do not imagine that because you are in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the Jews." 14 "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows? You may have attained royalty for this purpose."

15 Esther sent her reply back to Mordecai, saying, 16 "Assemble the Jews in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three entire days. I will also fast with my maidens in the same way. Then I will go to the king. It is against the law, and if I perish, I perish." 17 So Mordecai did just as Esther had commanded him.

Esther 5 - RWB Paraphrase (14 V)
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Esther Invites the King to a Banquet
1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace. The king was sitting on his royal throne opposite the entrance to the palace. 2 When he saw Esther standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight, and he extended the golden scepter to her. Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter. 3 The king said to her, "What is troubling you, Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give you up to half of the kingdom." 4 Esther said, "If it pleases the king, come with Haman to the banquet that I have prepared for you."

5 Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly that we may do as Esther desires." And so, the king and Haman came to the banquet Esther had prepared. 6 As they drank their wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition, for it shall be granted to you. And what is your request? You may request up to half of the kingdom." 7 Esther replied, "This is my request:" 8 "if I have found favor in your sight, and if it pleases you to grant my request, may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them tomorrow, and then I will do as the king says."

9 Haman went out that day very pleased with himself. But when he saw Mordecai in the king's gate and that he did not stand up or tremble before him, he was filled with anger toward Mordecai. 10 However, Haman controlled himself, and went to his house where he then sent for his friends and his wife Zeresh.

11 Haman recounted to them the glory of his riches, the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and promoted him above the princes and his other servants. 12 He said, "Even Esther the queen asked no one but me to come with the king to the banquet she had prepared, and tomorrow I have been invited again by her, along with the king." 13 "Yet all of this does not satisfy me whenever I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."

14 Then Zeresh his wife and all his friends said to him, "Have a gallows made fifty cubits high, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go with the king to the banquet and be happy." This advice pleased Haman. So he had the gallows made.

Esther 6 - RWB Paraphrase (14 V)
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The King Has Haman Show a Special Honor for Mordecai
1 That night the king could not sleep. He called for the book of records, the chronicles, and had them read to him. 2 He came across the record of how Mordecai had reported of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who had been doorkeepers, and that they had planned to lay hands on the king. 3 The king said, "What honor has been given to Mordecai for doing this?" His attendants said, "Nothing has been done for him." 4 So the king said, "Who is in the court right now?" It so happened that Haman had just entered the court of the king's palace in order to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had prepared. 5 The king's servants said to him, "Haman is standing in the court." The king said, "Let him come in." 6 So Haman came in and the king said to him, "What shall be done for the man whom the king wants to honor?" And Haman said to himself, "Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?" 7 So Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king desires to honor," 8 "let them take a royal robe which the king has worn, and a horse which the king has ridden, and on whose head the royal crown has been placed." 9 "Let the robe and the horse be handed over to one of the king's most noble princes and let them place the robe and the crown on the man whom the king desires to honor and have him lead this favored man on horseback through the city square, proclaiming before him, 'Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor.'" 10 Then the king said to Haman, "Go quickly with the robe and the horse as you have said. Do this for Mordecai the Jew, who is sitting at the king's gate. Do not neglect to do anything of the things you have said should be done for the man."

11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, and placed the robe on Mordecai. He then led him on horseback through the city square, proclaiming as they went, "Thus it shall be done to the man whom the king desires to honor." 12 Then Mordecai returned to the king's gate. But Haman mourned as he hurried home with his head covered.

13 Haman recounted to Zeresh his wife and all his friends everything that had happened. Then his wise men and Zeresh his wife said to him, "If you have begun to fall before Mordecai, who is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but you will surely fall before him." 14 While they were still talking, the king's eunuchs arrived to bring Haman quickly to the banquet which Esther had prepared.

Esther 7 - RWB Paraphrase (10 V)
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Esther Makes Her Request of King Ahasuerus
1 As the king and Haman drank wine with Esther, 2 the king said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther. It shall be granted to you, even up to half of the kingdom." 3 Then Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor in your sight, O king, and if it pleases the king, my petition is to let my life and the lives of my people be given to me." 4 "We have been sold to be destroyed, annihilated. If we had only been sold as slaves, I would have kept silent, for it would not seem right to trouble the king with such a matter." 5 Then King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, "Who has done this? Where is he? Who would do such a thing?" 6 Esther said, "A wicked foe and an enemy. It is Haman!" Then Haman became terrified in the presence of the king and queen.

7 The king was angry and got up from his wine and went out into the palace garden. Haman stayed to beg Queen Esther for his life. He could tell that the king was determined to do him harm. 8 When the king returned from the palace garden to where they had been drinking wine, Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was. He was pleading for his life. Then the king said, "Will he even assault the queen with me in the house?" As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. 9 Then Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who were before the king said, "Behold, Haman has built a gallows at his house. It is fifty cubits high. He planned to hang Mordecai on it. He was coming to the king this morning for permission to do this!" And the king said, "Hang Haman on it."

10 So Haman was hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's anger subsided.

Esther 8 - RWB Paraphrase (17 V)
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Esther Asks the King to Reverse Haman's Edict Against the Jews
1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Esther. Mordecai came before the king and Esther made known his relationship to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring which he had taken from Haman and gave it to Mordecai. Then Esther gave Mordecai charge of what had been Haman's property.

3 Esther went once more to speak to the king. She fell at his feet weeping. She was coming to implore him to avert the evil scheme Haman the Agagite had devised to kill the Jews throughout the kingdom. 4 Seeing Esther, the king extended his scepter to her. So Esther stood up before him. 5 She said, "If it pleases the king and if I have found favor in his sight, let letters be written to revoke the letters written by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which authorized the destruction of the Jews in all the king's provinces." 6 "I cannot endure seeing the destruction that Haman has planned for my people."

7 So King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai, "Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and they have hanged him on his gallows because he stretched out his hand against the Jews." 8 "Write to the Jews whatever you wish, as a decree written in the name of the king and sealed with my signet ring. This decree may not be revoked."

9 So the king's scribes were called on the twenty third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. Mordecai dictated the letter to Jews, the satraps, the governors and the princes of the 127 provinces extending from India to Ethiopia. Each letter was written in the language of that province, as well as to the Jews in their language. 10 It was signed with the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with his signet ring. The letters were sent by couriers on horses from the royal stable. 11 In each letter the king granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and defend themselves. They could also annihilate those who wished to destroy them, including their women and children, and plunder their spoil. 12 This could be done on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 13 A copy of the law was published in every province so that the Jews would be ready to avenge themselves of their enemies.

14 Impelled by the king's command, the couriers carried this edict quickly on the royal steeds throughout the kingdom. The same decree was given out in the Shushan palace.

15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king wearing royal robes of blue and white, with a large crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted for joy. 16 For the Jews there was now hope and gladness, joy and honor. 17 In every city and province when the king's decree arrived, it was a holiday of feasting and gladness for the Jews. As a result dread fell on many of the peoples who now wished to become Jews.

Esther 9 - RWB Paraphrase (32 V)
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Mordecai and Esther Establish Feast Days to Commemorate Their Deliverance
1 On the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, when the king's command was about to be executed by the enemies of the Jews who hoped to gain the mastery over them, the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them.

2 The Jews assembled in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus in order to lay hands on those who sought their harm. No one was able to stand before them, for the dread of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 The princes of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those doing the king's business assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces as he became greater and greater. 5 So the Jews destroyed all their enemies with the sword, doing what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 At the palace in Susa the Jews destroyed five hundred men, 7 and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews' enemy, but did not take any plunder.

11 The number of those killed at the citadel in Susa was reported to the king. 12 He said to Queen Esther, "The Jews have destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. Imagine what has been done in the rest of the provinces! Do you have any further request? It shall also be done." 13 Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to continue according to today's edict, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows." 14 So the king commanded that it should be as Esther asked, and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman's ten sons were hanged. 15 The Jews in Susa assembled again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa, but they did not take their plunder.

16 Now the rest of the Jews in the king's provinces assembled to defend their lives and rid themselves of their enemies. They killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they did not take any of the plunder. 17 This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 18 But the Jews in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 This is why the Jews of the rural areas and towns make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a holiday for rejoicing, feasting and sharing food with one another.

20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 making it a rule for them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year, 22 because it was on those days that the Jews had rid themselves of their enemies. It was a month in which their sorrow was turned to gladness and a day for feasting and rejoicing, and to send portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 Thus the Jews undertook what Mordecai had written to them.

24 Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, or lot, to destroy them. 25 But when it came to the king's attention, he commanded by letter that Haman's wicked scheme be returned on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in Mordecai's letter and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established a custom for themselves, their descendants and all those who allied themselves with them, that they should always celebrate these two feast days every year. 28 These days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, in every family, province and city. These days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, with full authority wrote to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30 Mordecai sent letters of peace and truth to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, 31 to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them and their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and Lamentations. 32 The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book.

Esther 10 - RWB Paraphrase (3 V)
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Final Words Concerning Ahasuerus and Mordecai
1 King Ahasuerus laid a tribute on the land on the coastlands. 2 And all of his accomplishments, his authority and strength, as well as the full account of the Mordecai's greatness, are written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia. 3 Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus. He was great among the Jews and in favor with his kinsmen as one who sought the good of his people and spoke for the welfare of his whole nation.

Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10