Esther 8

Esther Saves the Jews

1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the a enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told b how he was related to her. 2 So the king took off c his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.

3 Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. 4 And d the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, 5 and said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the e letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. 6 "For how can I endure to see f the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?" 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Indeed, g I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 "You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, 1 as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring h no one can revoke."

9 i So the king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces j from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province k in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. 10 l And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses 2 bred from swift steeds. 11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to m gather together and protect their lives - to n destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, 12 o on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of 3 Adar. 13 p A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers who rode on royal horses went out, hastened and pressed on by the king's command. And the decree was issued in 4 Shushan the 5 citadel.

15 So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of 6 blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and q the city of 7 Shushan rejoiced and was glad. 16 The Jews had r light and gladness, joy and honor. 17 And in every province and city, wherever the king's command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast s and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land t became Jews, because u fear of the Jews fell upon them.

  1. Cross References
    Esther 7:6
    And Esther said, "The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman!" So Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
  2. Cross References
    Esther 2:7
    And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
    Esther 2:15
    Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.
  3. Cross References
    Esther 3:10
    So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
  4. Cross References
    Esther 4:11
    "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live. Yet I myself have not been called to go in to the king these thirty days."
    Esther 5:2
    So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter.
  5. Cross References
    Esther 3:13
    And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
  6. Cross References
    Nehemiah 2:3
    And said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire?
    Esther 7:4
    "For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have held my tongue, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss."
    Esther 9:1
    Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
  7. Cross References
    Esther 8:1
    On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.
    Proverbs 13:22
    A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, But the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous.
  8. Cross References
    Esther 1:19
    If it pleases the king, let a royal decree go out from him, and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she.
    Daniel 6:8
    "Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter."
    Daniel 6:12
    And they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king's decree: "Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.
    Daniel 6:15
    Then these men approached the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.
  9. Cross References
    Esther 3:12
    Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded - to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring.
  10. Cross References
    Esther 1:1
    Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus (this was the Ahasuerus who reigned over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia).
  11. Cross References
    Esther 1:22
    Then he sent letters to all the king's provinces, to each province in its own script, and to every people in their own language, that each man should be master in his own house, and speak in the language of his own people.
    Esther 3:12
    Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded - to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring.
  12. Cross References
    1 Kings 21:8
    And she wrote letters in Ahab's name, sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and the nobles who were dwelling in the city with Naboth.
    Esther 3:12
    Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded - to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring.
    Esther 3:13
    And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
  13. Cross References
    Esther 9:2
    The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people.
  14. Cross References
    Esther 9:10
    The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews - they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
    Esther 9:15
    And the Jews who were in Shushan gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
    Esther 9:16
    The remainder of the Jews in the king's provinces gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
  15. Cross References
    Esther 3:13
    And the letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
    Esther 9:1
    Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, the time came for the king's command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves overpowered those who hated them.
  16. Cross References
    Esther 3:14
    A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day.
    Esther 3:15
    The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
  17. Cross References
    Esther 3:15
    The couriers went out, hastened by the king's command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed.
    Proverbs 29:2
    When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
  18. Cross References
    Psalms 97:11
    Light is sown for the righteous, And gladness for the upright in heart.
    Psalms 112:4
    Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
  19. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:8
    'Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.'"
    Esther 9:19
    Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar with gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another.
  20. Cross References
    Psalms 18:43
    You have delivered me from the strivings of the people; You have made me the head of the nations; A people I have not known shall serve me.
  21. Cross References
    Genesis 35:5
    And they journeyed, and the terror of God was u...
    Exodus 15:16
    Fear and dread will fall on them; By the greatn...
    Deuteronomy 2:25
    'This day I will begin to put the dread and fea...
    Deuteronomy 11:25
    No man shall be able to stand against you; the ...
    1 Chronicles 14:17
    Then the fame of David went out into all lands,...
    Esther 9:2
    The Jews gathered together in their cities thro...
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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