1 That day the king gave all the family of Haman, the hater of the Jews, to Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had made clear what he was to her.2 And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther put Mordecai over the family of Haman.3 Then Esther again came before the king, falling down at his feet, and made request to him with weeping, that he would put a stop to the evil purposes of Haman the Agagite and the designs which he had made against the Jews.4 Then the king put out the rod of gold to Esther, and she got up before the king.5 And she said, If it is the king's pleasure and if I have his approval and this thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing to him, then let letters be sent giving orders against those which Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, sent out for the destruction of the Jews in all divisions of the kingdom:6 For how is it possible for me to see the evil which is to overtake my nation? how may I see the destruction of my people?7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, See now, I have given Esther the family of Haman, and he has come to his death by hanging, because he made an attack on the Jews.8 So now send a letter about the Jews, writing whatever seems good to you, in the king's name, and stamping it with the king's ring: for a writing signed in the king's name and stamped with the king's ring may not be changed.9 Then at that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, which is the month Sivan, the king's scribes were sent for; and everything ordered by Mordecai was put in writing and sent to the Jews and the captains and the rulers and the chiefs of all the divisions of the kingdom from India to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven divisions, to every division in the writing commonly used there, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing and their language.10 The letters were sent in the name of King Ahasuerus and stamped with his ring, and they were taken by men on horseback, going on the quick-running horses used for the king's business, the offspring of his best horses:11 In these letters the king gave authority to the Jews in every town to come together and make a fight for their lives, and to send death and destruction on the power of any people in any part of the kingdom attacking them or their children or their women, and to take their goods from them by force,12 On one day in every division of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, that is, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month Adar.13 A copy of the writing, to be made public as an order in every division of the kingdom, was given out to all the peoples, so that the Jews might be ready when that day came to give punishment to their haters.14 So the men went out on the quick-running horses used on the king's business, wasting no time and forced on by the king's order; and the order was given out in Shushan, the king's town.15 And Mordecai went out from before the king, dressed in king-like robes of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold and clothing of purple and the best linen: and all the town of Shushan gave loud cries of joy.16 And the Jews had light and joy and honour.17 And in every part of the kingdom and in every town, wherever the king's letter and his order came, the Jews were glad with great joy, and had a feast and a good day. And a great number of the people of the land became Jews: for the fear of the Jews had come on them.

1 Die illo dedit rex Assuerus Esther regin domum Aman adversarii Judorum, et Mardochus ingressus est ante faciem regis. Confessa est enim ei Esther quod esset patruus suus. 2 Tulitque rex annulum, quem ab Aman recipi jusserat, et tradidit Mardocho. Esther autem constituit Mardochum super domum suam. 3 Nec his contenta, procidit ad pedes regis, flevitque, et locuta ad eum oravit ut malitiam Aman Agagit, et machinationes ejus pessimas quas excogitaverat contra Judos, juberet irritas fieri. 4 At ille ex more sceptrum aureum protendit manu, quo signum clementi monstrabatur : illaque consurgens stetit ante eum, 5 et ait : Si placet regi, et si inveni gratiam in oculis ejus, et deprecatio mea non ei videtur esse contraria, obsecro ut novis epistolis, veteres Aman litter, insidiatoris et hostis Judorum, quibus eos in cunctis regis provinciis perire prceperat, corrigantur. 6 Quomodo enim potero sustinere necem et interfectionem populi mei ? 7 Responditque rex Assuerus Esther regin, et Mardocho Judo : Domum Aman concessi Esther, et ipsum jussi affigi cruci, quia ausus est manum mittere in Judos. 8 Scribite ergo Judis, sicut vobis placet, regis nomine, signantes litteras annulo meo. Hc enim consuetudo erat, ut epistolis, qu ex regis nomine mittebantur et illius annulo signat erant, nemo auderet contradicere. 9 Accitisque scribis et librariis regis (erat autem tempus tertii mensis, qui appellatur Siban) vigesima et tertia die illius script sunt epistol, ut Mardochus voluerat, ad Judos, et ad principes, procuratoresque et judices, qui centum viginti septem provinciis ab India usque ad thiopiam prsidebant : provinci atque provinci, populo et populo juxta linguas et litteras suas, et Judis, prout legere poterant et audire.10 Ipsque epistol, qu regis nomine mittebantur, annulo ipsius obsignat sunt, et miss per veredarios : qui per omnes provincias discurrentes, veteres litteras novis nuntiis prvenirent. 11 Quibus imperavit rex, ut convenirent Judos per singulas civitates, et in unum prciperent congregari ut starent pro animabus suis, et omnes inimicos suos cum conjugibus ac liberis et universis domibus, interficerent atque delerent, et spolia eorum diriperent. 12 Et constituta est per omnes provincias una ultionis dies, id est tertiadecima mensis duodecimi Adar. 13 Summaque epistol hc fuit, ut in omnibus terris ac populis qui regis Assueri subjacebant imperio, notum fieret paratos esse Judos ad capiendam vindictam de hostibus suis. 14 Egressique sunt veredarii celeres nuntia perferentes, et edictum regis pependit in Susan. 15 Mardochus autem de palatio et de conspectu regis egrediens, fulgebat vestibus regiis, hyacinthinis videlicet et riis, coronam auream portans in capite, et amictus serico pallio atque purpureo. Omnisque civitas exultavit atque ltata est. 16 Judis autem nova lux oriri visa est, gaudium, honor, et tripudium. 17 Apud omnes populos, urbes, atque provincias, quocumque regis jussa veniebant, mira exultatio, epul atque convivia, et festus dies : in tantum ut plures alterius gentis et sect eorum religioni et cremoniis jungerentur. Grandis enim cunctos judaici nominis terror invaserat.