(NIV)
Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.
He was
bringing up Hadassah, that is
Esther,
the
daughter of his
uncle,
for she had
neither father nor
mother. The
young woman had a
beautiful figure and was
lovely to
look at, and when her
father and her
mother died,
Mordecai took her as his own
daughter.
(NIV)
When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.
So when the
king’s order and his
edict were
proclaimed, and when
many young women were
gathered in
Susa the
citadel in
custody of
Hegai,
Esther also was
taken into the
king’s palace and put in
custody of
Hegai, who had
charge of the
women.
(NIV)
Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.
Esther had
not made known her
people or
kindred,
for Mordecai had
commanded her
not to make it
known.
(NIV)
Every day he walked to and fro near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
And
every day Mordecai walked in
front of the
court of the
harem to
learn how
Esther was and
what was
happening to her.
(NIV)
When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go to the king, she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favour of everyone who saw her.
When the
turn came for
Esther the
daughter of
Abihail the
uncle of
Mordecai,
who had
taken her as his own
daughter, to
go in to the
king, she
asked for
nothing except what Hegai the
king’s eunuch, who had
charge of the
women,
advised. Now
Esther was
winning favor in the
eyes of
all who
saw her.
(NIV)
She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
And when
Esther was
taken to
King Ahasuerus, into his
royal palace, in the
tenth month, which is the
month of
Tebeth, in the
seventh year of his
reign,
(NIV)
Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favour and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
the
king loved Esther more
than all the
women, and she
won grace and
favor in his
sight more
than all the
virgins, so that he
set the
royal crown on her
head and
made her queen instead of
Vashti.
(NIV)
And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.
Then the
king gave a
great feast for
all his
officials and
servants; it was
Esther’s feast. He also
granted a remission of
taxes to the
provinces and
gave gifts with
royal generosity.
(NIV)
But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.
Esther had not
made known her
kindred or her
people, as
Mordecai had
commanded her, for
Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was
brought up by him.
(NIV)
But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.
And
this came to the
knowledge of
Mordecai,
and he
told it to
Queen Esther, and
Esther told the
king in the
name of
Mordecai.
(NIV)
When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.
When
Esther’s young women and her
eunuchs came and
told her, the
queen was
deeply distressed. She
sent garments to
clothe Mordecai, so that he might
take off his
sackcloth, but he would
not accept them.
(NIV)
Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why.
Then
Esther called for
Hathach, one of the
king’s eunuchs,
who had been
appointed to
attend her, and
ordered him to go to
Mordecai to
learn what this was and why it was.
(NIV)
He also gave him a copy of the text of the edict for their annihilation, which had been published in Susa, to show to Esther and explain it to her, and he told him to instruct her to go into the king’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him for her people.
Mordecai also
gave him a
copy of the
written decree issued in
Susa for their
destruction, that he might
show it to
Esther and
explain it to her and
command her to
go to the
king to beg his
favor and
plead with him on
behalf of her
people.
(NIV)
Hathak went back and reported to Esther what Mordecai had said.
And
Hathach went and
told Esther what
Mordecai had
said.
(NIV)
Then she instructed him to say to Mordecai,
Then
Esther spoke to
Hathach and
commanded him to go to
Mordecai and say,
(NIV)
When Esther’s words were reported to Mordecai,
And they
told Mordecai what
Esther had
said.
(NIV)
he sent back this answer: ‘Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape.
Then
Mordecai told them to
reply to
Esther, “Do not
think to
yourself that in the
king’s palace you will
escape any more than
all the other
Jews.
(NIV)
Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
Then
Esther told them to
reply to
Mordecai,
(NIV)
So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther’s instructions.
Mordecai then
went away and
did everything as
Esther had
ordered him.
(NIV)
On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace, in front of the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance.
On the
third day Esther put on her
royal robes and
stood in the
inner court of the
king’s palace, in
front of the
king’s quarters, while the
king was
sitting on his
royal throne inside the
throne room opposite the
entrance to the
palace.
(NIV)
When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the sceptre.
And when the
king saw Queen Esther standing in the
court,
she
won favor in his
sight,
and
he held out to
Esther the
golden scepter that was in his
hand. Then
Esther approached and
touched the
tip of the
scepter.
(NIV)
Then the king asked, ‘What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be given you.’
And the
king said to her, “
What is it,
Queen Esther?
What is your
request? It shall be
given you,
even to the
half of my
kingdom.”
(NIV)
‘If it pleases the king,’ replied Esther, ‘let the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet I have prepared for him.’
And
Esther said, “
If it
please the
king, let the
king and
Haman come today to a
feast that I have
prepared for the king.”
(NIV)
‘Bring Haman at once,’ the king said, ‘so that we may do what Esther asks.’
So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared.
Then the
king said, “Bring
Haman quickly, so that we may
do as
Esther has
asked.” So the
king and
Haman came to the
feast that
Esther had
prepared.
(NIV)
As they were drinking wine, the king again asked Esther, ‘Now what is your petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.’
And as they were
drinking wine after the feast, the
king said to
Esther,
“
What is your
wish? It shall be
granted you. And
what is your
request?
Even to the
half of my
kingdom, it shall be
fulfilled.”
(NIV)
Esther replied, ‘My petition and my request is this:
Then
Esther answered, “My
wish and my
request is:
(NIV)
‘And that’s not all,’ Haman added. ‘I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet she gave. And she has invited me along with the king tomorrow.
Then
Haman said, “
Even Queen Esther let no
one but me
come with the
king to the
feast she
prepared. And
tomorrow also I am
invited by her together with the
king.
(NIV)
While they were still talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried Haman away to the banquet Esther had prepared.
While they were
yet talking with him, the
king’s eunuchs arrived and
hurried to
bring Haman to the
feast that
Esther had
prepared.
(NIV)
So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,
So the
king and
Haman went in to
feast with
Queen Esther.
(NIV)
and as they were drinking wine on the second day, the king again asked, ‘Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.’
And on the
second day, as they were
drinking wine after the feast, the
king again
said to
Esther,
“
What is your
wish,
Queen Esther? It shall be
granted you. And
what is your
request?
Even to the
half of my
kingdom, it shall be
fulfilled.”
(NIV)
Then Queen Esther answered, ‘If I have found favour with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life – this is my petition. And spare my people – this is my request.
Then
Queen Esther answered,
“
If I have
found favor in your
sight, O
king, and
if it
please the
king, let my
life be
granted me for my
wish, and my
people for my
request.
(NIV)
King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, ‘Who is he? Where is he – the man who has dared to do such a thing?’
Then
King Ahasuerus said to
Queen Esther, “
Who is
he, and
where is
he, who has
dared to
do this?”
(NIV)
Esther said, ‘An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!’
Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen.
And
Esther said,
“A
foe and
enemy! This
wicked Haman!” Then
Haman was
terrified before the
king and the
queen.
(NIV)
The king got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace garden. But Haman, realising that the king had already decided his fate, stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.
And the
king arose in his
wrath from the
wine-drinking and went into the
palace garden, but
Haman stayed to
beg for his
life from
Queen Esther, for he
saw that
harm was
determined against him by the
king.
(NIV)
Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banqueting hall, Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was reclining.
The king exclaimed, ‘Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?’
As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.
And the
king returned from the
palace garden to the
place where they were
drinking wine, as
Haman was
falling on the
couch where Esther was. And the
king said, “Will he
even assault the
queen in my presence, in my own
house?” As the
word left the
mouth of the
king, they
covered Haman’s face.
(NIV)
That 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.
On that
day King Ahasuerus gave to
Queen Esther the
house of
Haman,
the
enemy of the
Jews. And
Mordecai came before the
king, for
Esther had
told what he was to her.
(NIV)
The 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.
And the
king took
off his
signet ring, which he had
taken from
Haman, and
gave it to
Mordecai. And
Esther set Mordecai over the
house of
Haman.
(NIV)
Esther 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.
Then
Esther spoke again to the
king. She
fell at his
feet and
wept and
pleaded with him to
avert the
evil plan of
Haman the
Agagite and the
plot that he had
devised against the
Jews.
(NIV)
Then the king extended the gold sceptre to Esther and she arose and stood before him.
When the
king held out the
golden scepter to
Esther,
Esther rose and
stood before the
king.
(NIV)
King 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.
Then
King Ahasuerus said to
Queen Esther and to
Mordecai the
Jew, “
Behold,
I have
given Esther the
house of
Haman, and they have
hanged him on the
gallows,
because he intended to
lay hands on the
Jews.
(NIV)
The king said to Queen Esther, ‘The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in the citadel of Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? It will also be granted.’
And the
king said to
Queen Esther, “In
Susa the
citadel the
Jews have
killed and
destroyed 500 men and also the
ten sons of
Haman.
What then have they
done in the
rest of the
king’s provinces!
Now
what is your
wish? It shall be
granted you. And
what further is your
request? It shall be
fulfilled.”
(NIV)
‘If it pleases the king,’ Esther answered, ‘give the Jews in Susa permission to carry out this day’s edict tomorrow also, and let Haman’s ten sons be impaled on poles.’
And
Esther said, “
If it
please the
king,
let the
Jews who are in
Susa be
allowed tomorrow also to do according to this
day’s edict. And let the
ten sons of
Haman be
hanged on the
gallows.”
(NIV)
So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.
Then
Queen Esther,
the
daughter of
Abihail, and
Mordecai the
Jew gave full written authority,
confirming this
second letter about
Purim.
(NIV)
to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation.
that
these days of
Purim should be
observed at their
appointed seasons, as
Mordecai the
Jew and
Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had
obligated themselves and their
offspring, with
regard to their
fasts and their
lamenting.
(NIV)
Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.
The
command of
Esther confirmed these practices of
Purim, and it was
recorded in
writing.
Copyright information for
NIV,
ESV