Mordecai Elevated and a New Decree Permits Jewish Defense
Esther 8:1-17
1On that day King Ahasuerus gave the house of Haman, the vexer of the Jews, to Queen Esther, and Mordecai came before the king because Esther had told him what had happened to her.2The king removed the ring that had passed from Haman and gave it to Mordecai, and Esther placed Mordecai in charge of the house of Haman.3Esther spoke again before the king; she fell at his feet, wept, and pleaded with him to remove the distress caused by Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews.4The king extended the golden scepter to Esther, so Esther rose and stood before the king.5She said, "If it pleases the king and if I have found favor before him, and if the matter succeeds before the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let a document be written to revoke the plot of Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote in order to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king."6For how could I bear to see the distress that would come upon my people, and how could I bear to see the destruction of my relatives?7King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Behold, I have given the house of Haman to Esther, and they have hanged him on the tree because he stretched out his hand against the Jews."8You may write concerning the Jews whatever seems good to you in the name of the king and seal it with the king's ring, because any writing written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.9The king's secretaries were summoned at that time, in the third month (the month of Sivan), on the twenty-third day, and a letter was written according to everything Mordecai commanded to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the officials of the provinces from India to Cush—127 provinces—province by province in its own script and to every people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and language.10He wrote it in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's ring, and he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding swift horses that were the offspring of royal mares.11These letters authorized the Jews in every city to assemble and to defend their lives, to destroy, kill, and annihilate every armed force of any people or province that might attack them, including children and women, and to plunder their goods.12This was to take place on a single day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.13A copy of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to all peoples so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.14The couriers riding the swift horses went out urgently and speedily with the king's command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.15Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, with a large golden crown and a purple robe of fine linen, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.16For the Jews there was light, joy, gladness, and honor.17In every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and edict arrived, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasts and holidays; and many of the peoples of the land professed themselves Jews because the dread of the Jews had fallen upon them.