You have been faithful, but we have been wicked.
34 Our kings, leaders, priests, and ancestors didn't obey your teachings.
They didn't pay attention to your commandments or the warnings that you gave them.
35 When they lived in their own kingdom and enjoyed the many good things that you gave them in a vast, fertile land which was set in front of them, they didn't serve you or turn away from their wicked lives.
36 Look at us now. We're slaves!
In the land you gave our ancestors, they could eat its produce and enjoy its good things.
But now we're slaves!
37 The many products from our land go to the kings you put over us.
This is because of our sins.
These kings have control over our bodies, and they do as they please with our livestock.
We are in agony.a An Agreement in Writing 38 "We are making a binding agreement and putting it in writing because of all this. Our leaders, Levites, and priests are putting their seals on the document."
10 b1 The following people sealed the agreement: Governor Nehemiah (son of Hacaliah), Zedekiah, 2 Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah, 3 Pashhur, Amariah, Malchiah, 4 Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch, 5 Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah, 6 Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch, 7 Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin, 8 Maaziah, Bilgai, and Shemaiah. These were the priests.
9 These were the Levites: Jeshua (son of Azaniah), Binnui (of the sons of Henadad), Kadmiel, 10 and their relatives Shebaniah, Hodiah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan, 11 Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah, 12 Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah, 13 Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.
14 These were the leaders of the people: Parosh, Pahath Moab, Elam, Zattu, Bani, 15 Bunni, Azgad, Bebai, 16 Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin, 17 Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur, 18 Hodiah, Hashum, Bezai, 19 Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai, 20 Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir, 21 Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua, 22 Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah, 23 Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub, 24 Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek, 25 Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah, 26 Ahiah, Hanan, Anan, 27 Malluch, Harim, and Baanah.
28 The rest of the people took an oath. These people included the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, singers, temple servants, and all who had separated themselves from the inhabitants of the land for the sake of Elohim's Teachings. Their wives, sons, daughters, and everyone who is capable of understanding also took an oath. 29 They joined their relatives, the nobles, in binding themselves with a curse and an oath to follow Elohim's teachings given by Moses, Elohim's servant. They also bound themselves to follow all the commandments, rules, and regulations of Yahweh our Adonay .
30 We will not allow our daughters to marry the inhabitants of the land or allow their daughters to marry our sons. 31 If the inhabitants of the land bring merchandise or grain to sell on the day of worship, we won't buy anything from them on the day of worship or any other holy day. During the seventh year, we won't plant the fields or collect any debts.
32 Also, we take upon ourselves the obligation to give an eighth of an ounce of silver every year for worship in our Elohim's temple: 33 for rows of the bread of the presence, and for the daily grain offerings and daily burnt offerings, on the weekly days of worship, and on the New Moon Festivals, and at the appointed annual festivals, for the holy gifts and offerings for sin that make peace with God for Israel, and for all the other work in the temple of our Elohim.
34 We priests, Levites, and laypeople have drawn lots to decide the order in which the heads of our families should bring wood to our Elohim's temple to burn on the altar of Yahweh our Elohim at appointed times every year according to the directions in the Teachings. 35 We have drawn lots to decide who should bring the first produce harvested and the first fruit from every tree each year to Yahweh's temple. 36 Following the directions in the Teachings, we have drawn lots to decide who should bring the firstborn of our sons, our cattle, and our flocks to the priests serving in our Elohim's temple. 37 Also, we have drawn lots to decide who should bring the best of our coarse flour, contributions, fruit from every tree, new wine, and olive oil to the priests, to the storerooms. We will bring for the Levites one-tenth of the produce from our fields, because the Levites are the ones who collect one-tenth of the produce from all our farm communities. 38 A priest-one of Aaron's descendants-should be with the Levites when they collect the tenth. Then the Levites should bring one-tenth of these tenths to our Elohim's temple, into the rooms of the storehouses there. 39 The Israelites and the Levites should bring into the storerooms their contributions of grain, new wine, and olive oil. They should bring these products to the place where the utensils of the holy place are and where the priests who serve and the gatekeepers and the singers are. We won't neglect our Elohim's temple.
New Residents for Jerusalem 11 1 The leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people drew lots to bring one out of every ten to live in Jerusalem, the holy city. The remaining nine-tenths were supposed to live in the other cities. 2 The people blessed everyone who willingly offered to live in Jerusalem.
3 These were the officials of the province who settled in Jerusalem. Some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants, and descendants of Solomon's servants settled in the cities of Judah. They lived on their own property in their own cities.
4 Some of the descendants of Judah and of Benjamin settled in Jerusalem. The descendants of Judah were Athaiah, who was the son of Uzziah, who was the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Shephatiah, who was the son of Mahalalel, who was the son of Perez; 5 Maaseiah was the son of Baruch, who was the son of Col Hozeh, who was the son of Hazaiah, who was the son of Adaiah, who was the son of Joiarib, who was the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Shiloni. 6 All the descendants of Perez who settled in Jerusalem were 468 outstanding men. 7 These are the descendants of Benjamin: Sallu, who was the son of Meshullam, who was the son of Joed, who was the son of Pedaiah, who was the son of Kolaiah, who was the son of Maaseiah, who was the son of Ithiel, who was the son of Jeshaiah, 8 and after him, Gabbai and Sallai. The number of Benjamin's descendants totaled 928. 9 Joel, son of Zichri, was in charge, and Judah, son of Senuah, was second-in-command over the city.
10 These were the priests: Jedaiah (son of Joiarib), Jachin, 11 Seraiah, who was the son of Hilkiah, who was the son of Meshullam, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Meraioth, who was the son of Ahitub, who was the supervisor of Elohim's temple. 12 From Seraiah's relatives 822 did the work in the temple. Also, Adaiah worked in the temple. He was the son of Jeroham, who was the son of Pelaliah, who was the son of Amzi, who was the son of Zechariah, who was the son of Pashhur, who was the son of Malchiah. 13 Adaiah's relatives, the heads of the families, totaled 242. Amashsai was the son of Azarel, who was the son of Ahzai, who was the son of Meshillemoth, who was the son of Immer. 14 Their relatives, who were warriors, totaled 128. The man in charge of them was Zabdiel, son of Haggedolim.
15 These were the Levites: Shemaiah who was the son of Hasshub, who was the son of Azrikam, who was the son of Hashabiah, who was the son of Bunni. 16 Shabbethai and Jozabad, Levite leaders, who were in charge of the work outside Elohim's temple. 17 Mattaniah was the son of Mica, who was the son of Zabdi, who was the son of Asaph, the leader who led the prayer of thanksgiving. The Levite leader Bakbukiah was the second-in-command among his relatives; and so was Abda who was the son of Shammua, who was the son of Galal, who was the son of Jeduthum. 18 All the Levites in the holy city totaled 284.
19 These were the gatekeepers: Akkub, Talmon, and their relatives who guarded the gates totaled 172.
20 The rest of the Israelites, priests, and Levites lived in all the cities of Judah. Everyone lived on his own inherited property. 21 But the temple servants lived on Mount Ophel with Ziha and Gishpa in charge of them.
22 The man in charge of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi, who was the son of Bani, who was the son of Hashabiah, who was the son of Mattaniah, who was the son of Mica from Asaph's descendants who were the singers in charge of worship in Elohim's temple. 23 They were under orders from the king, orders that determined which duties they should perform day by day. 24 Pethahiah, son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah, Judah's son, was the king's adviser on all matters concerning the people.
25 Many people lived in villages that had fields. Some people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba and its villages, in Dibon and its villages, in Jekabzeel and its villages, 26 in Jeshua, Moladah, and Beth Pelet, 27 in Hazar Shual, in Beersheba and its villages, 28 in Ziklag, and in Meconah and its villages, 29 in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, 30 Zanoah, and Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and its fields, and in Azekah and its villages. So they settled in the land from Beersheba to the Valley of Hinnom.
31 Benjamin's descendants live in the area of Geba, in Michmash, Aija, Bethel and its villages, 32 in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, 33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, 34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, 35 Lod, Ono, and in the valley of the Craftsmen. 36 Some divisions of Levites in Judah were assigned to Benjamin.
The Priest and Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel 12 1 These are the priests and Levites who came back with Zerubbabel (Shealtiel's son) and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and of their relatives at the time of Jeshua. 8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his relatives was in charge of the thanksgiving hymns. 9 Their relatives Bakbukiah and Unno stood across from them in worship.
10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. 11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan. Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
12 At the time of Joiakim, these were the priests who were the leaders of their families: From Seraiah, Meraiah; from Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 from Ezra, Meshullam; from Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 from Malluchi, Jonathan; from Shebaniah, Joseph; 15 from Harim, Adna; from Meraioth, Helkai; 16 from Iddo, Zechariah; from Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 from Abijah, Zichri; from Miniamin, from Moadiah, Piltai; 18 from Bilgah, Shammua; from Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 19 from Joiarib, Mattenai; from Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 from Sallai, Kallai; from Amok, Eber; 21 from Hilkiah, Hashabiah; from Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 The names of the family heads of the Levites and the priests at the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were recorded until the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The names of the family heads of the Levites were recorded in the Book of Chronicles until the time of Johanan, grandson of Eliashib. 24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua (son of Kadmiel). They and their relatives stood in groups across from one another to sing hymns of praise and thanksgiving antiphonally as David, the man of Elohim, had ordered. 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses by the gates. 26 They lived in the days of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, grandson of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.
Jerusalem's Walls Are Dedicated to God 27 When the wall of Jerusalem was going to be dedicated, they went to wherever the Levites lived and had them come to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with hymns of thanksgiving, with songs and cymbals, and with harps and lyres. 28 So the groups of singers came together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of Netophah, 29 from Beth Gilgal, and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth. The singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30 The priests and the Levites cleansed themselves. Then they cleansed the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on the wall, and I arranged two large choirs to give thanks and march in procession. One choir went to the right on the wall to Dung Gate. 32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them. 33 Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah also followed. 35 So did some priests with trumpets: Zechariah, who was the son of Jonathan, who was the son of Shemaiah, who was the son of Mattaniah, who was the son of Micaiah, who was the son of Zaccur, who was the son of Asaph. 36 Also, these relatives of Zechariah followed: Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani with the musical instruments of David, the man of Elohim. Ezra the scribe led them. 37 At Fountain Gate they went straight up the stairs of the City of David. There the wall rises past David's palace and reaches Water Gate on the east.
38 The other choir went to the left. I followed them with the other half of the people. We walked on the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens, as far as Broad Wall, 39 then past Ephraim Gate, over Old Gate and Fish Gate, and by the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as Sheep Gate. The choir stopped at Guard's Gate. 40 So both choirs stood in Elohim's temple, as did I and the half of the leaders who were with me. 41 Likewise, these priests stood in God's temple: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with trumpets, 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchiah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.
43 That day they offered many sacrifices and rejoiced because Elohim had given them reason to rejoice. The women and children rejoiced as well. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.
44 On that day men were put in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, the first produce harvested, and a tenth of the people's money. They stored in those rooms the gifts designated by Moses' Teachings for the priests and Levites from the fields around the cities. The people of Judah were pleased with the ministry of the priests and Levites. 45 They were doing what their Elohim required, what needed to be done for cleansing. The singers and the gatekeepers did what David and his son Solomon had ordered them to do. 46 Long ago in the time of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers to lead in singing the songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to Elohim . 47 At the time of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all the Israelites were giving gifts for the daily support of the singers and the gatekeepers. They set aside holy gifts for the daily support of the Levites, and the Levites set aside holy gifts for support of Aaron's descendants.
13 1 On that day the Book of Moses was read while the people were listening. They heard the passage that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into Elohim's assembly. 2 (After all, they didn't welcome the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. But our Elohim turned the curse into a blessing.) 3 After the people heard this Teaching, they separated the non-Israelites from the Israelites.
4 Even before this, the priest Eliashib, who was related to Tobiah and had been put in charge of the storerooms of our Elohim's temple, 5 had provided a large room for Tobiah. Previously, this room had been used to store grain offerings, incense, utensils, a tenth of all the grain harvested, new wine, and olive oil. These things belonged by law to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers. The contributions for the priests had also been stored there.
Nehemiah Evicts Tobiah from the Temple 6 While all of this was taking place, I wasn't in Jerusalem. In the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes' reign in Babylon, I returned to the king. Later, I asked the king for permission to return. 7 I went to Jerusalem and discovered the evil thing Eliashib had done by providing Tobiah with a room in Elohim's temple. 8 I was furious. So I threw all of Tobiah's household goods out of the room. 9 Then I told them to cleanse the rooms, and I put back in there the utensils from Elohim's temple, the offerings, and the incense.
Nehemiah Ensures That the Levites Receive Their Portion of the Offerings 10 I learned that the Levites had not been given their portions. So each of the Levites and singers, who conducted the worship in the temple, had left for their own fields. 11 I reprimanded the leaders. "Why is Elohim's temple being neglected?" I asked. So I brought the Levites back together and put them back in their places of service. 12 Then all Judah brought a tenth of all the grain harvested, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms. 13 I appointed the following men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite, and I appointed Hanan, son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah to help them. Since they could be trusted, I made them responsible for distributing the portions to their relatives.
14 Nehemiah prayed, "Remember me for what I have done, my Elohim, and don't wipe out the good things that I have done for your temple and for the worship that is held there."
Nehemiah Ensures That No Work Is Done on the Day of Worship 15 In those days I saw people in Judah stomping grapes in the winepresses on the day of worship. I saw them bringing in loads of wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of load. They piled the loads on donkeys and brought them into Jerusalem on the day of worship. I warned them about selling food on that day. 16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of goods. They were selling them on the day of worship to the people of Judah, even in Jerusalem. 17 I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and asked them, "What is this evil thing you're doing? How dare you treat the day of worship as unholy! 18 Isn't this what your ancestors did, with the results that our Elohim brought all these evils on us and on this city? Now you're making him even more angry with Israel by treating the day of worship as unholy."
19 Before the day of worship, when the gates of Jerusalem were cleared of traffic, I ordered the doors to be shut and not to be reopened until after the day of worship. I stationed some of my men by the gates to make sure that no loads could be brought in on the day of worship. 20 Once or twice merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 I warned them. "Why are you spending the night in front of the wall?" I asked them. "If you do it again, I'll arrest you." After that, they no longer came on the day of worship. 22 Then I told the Levites to cleanse themselves and guard the gates to keep the day of worship holy.
Nehemiah prayed, "Remember me also for this, my Elohim, and spare me, since you are very kind."
Nehemiah Dissolves Marriages to Foreigners 23 In those days I saw some Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or one of the other languages, but they couldn't understand the language of Judah well enough to speak it. 25 So I reprimanded those Jews, cursed them, beat some of them, and pulled out their hair. I made them swear by Elohim: "We won't allow our daughters to marry their sons, and we won't allow their daughters to marry us or our sons." 26 I said, "Wasn't it because of marriages like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? There wasn't a king like him among all nations. Elohim loved him, and Elohim made him king of all Israel. But his non-Israelite wives led him to sin. 27 Should we follow your example, commit such a serious crime against our Elohim , and be unfaithful to him by marrying non-Israelite women?"
28 Even one of Joiada's sons was a son-in-law of Sanballat from Beth Horon. (Joiada was the son of the chief priest Eliashib.) I chased Joiada's son away from me.
29 Nehemiah prayed, "Remember them, my God, because they have contaminated the priestly office and the promisea you made to the priests and Levites."
30 So I cleansed them from everything that was foreign. I assigned duties to the priests and Levites. Each one had his own assignment. 31 I also arranged for delivering wood at regular times and for bringing the first produce to be harvested.
Nehemiah prayed, "Remember me, my God, for my benefit."
a 1:5 Or "covenant."
a 1:11 A cupbearer was a trusted official who ensured that the king's drink was not poisoned.
a 3:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls, Syriac, Latin, Egyptian "Zaccai's son."
b 4:1 Nehemiah 4:1-23 in English Bibles is Nehemiah 3:33-4:17 in the Hebrew Bible.
a 4:12 Hebrew meaning of this verse uncertain.
a 7:65 The Urim and Thummim were used by the chief priest to determine God's answer to questions.
b 7:68 Some Hebrew manuscripts omit "They had. . . mules." In those manuscripts verses 69-73 are numbered as 68-72.
a 9:8 Or "covenant."
a 9:37 Nehemiah 9:38 in English Bibles is Nehemiah 10:1 in the Hebrew Bible.
b 10:1 Nehemiah 10:1-39 in the English Bible is Nehemiah 10:2-40 in the Hebrew Bible.
a 13:29 Or "covenant."
Introduction to ESTHER.
The book of Esther never directly mentions God. Its story, though, shows God working behind the scenes arranging events to save his people from danger.
The scene is Susa, the capital of Persia, during the reign of Xerxes I (486-465 BC). Several decades have passed since a small group of Jews returned to Judea from Babylon and rebuilt their temple. Most of the former captives, however, have not returned. They have prospered in their new home, and they have no plans to leave. One of these expatriate Jews is Mordecai, an adviser to the king. Another is his beautiful cousin and adopted daughter, Esther.
As the story begins, the king is in crisis. Vashti, his queen, has publicly disobeyed him! She will have to be replaced. He decides to gather the most beautiful virgins in the realm, put them through a year of spa treatments, and choose one as his queen. The lovely Esther joins the group.
It has been over a century since Nebuchadnezzar captured Mordecai's greatgrandfather and forcibly brought him to Babylon. By now, Mordecai and Esther have completely assimilated to Persian culture. Nobody suspects they are Jewish, and Mordecai orders Esther to keep their background a secret. The king falls madly in love with Esther and makes her his queen. And then the plot thickens.
The book of Esther includes romance, intrigue, an evil villain, suspense, and comedy. Powerful kings are upstaged by weak women. A conniving plotter falls into his own trap. Intended victims of ethnic cleansing fight back and end up running the greatest kingdom in the world. The book of Esther was included in the Bible for more than its terrific plot, though. It assured the many Jews of the Diaspora-that is, those who lived outside Israel-that God cared for them wherever they were. God's covenant with his chosen people is permanent and universal.
ESTHER.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.
Queen Vashti Disobeys King Xerxes 1 1 In the days of Xerxes the following events took place. This was the same Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Sudan. 2 At the time when King Xerxes sat on the royal throne in the fortress of Susa, 3 he held a banquet in the third year of his reign. The banquet was for all his officials and advisers, that is, the military officers of the Persians and Medes, the nobles and officials of the provinces who had access to him. 4 He showed them the enormous wealth of his kingdom and the costly splendor of his greatness for many days, 180 to be exact. 5 When those days were over, the king held a banquet lasting seven days. This banquet was held in the enclosed garden of the king's palace for all people in the fortress of Susa, whatever their rank.
6 The garden had white and violet linen curtains. These curtains were attached to silver rods and marble pillars by cords made of white and purple fine linen. Gold and silver couches were on a mosaic pavement of purple rock, white marble, pearl-like stone, and black marble. 7 People drank from golden cups. No two cups were alike. The king also provided plenty of royal wine out of his royal generosity. 8 The drinking followed this rule: Drink as you please. (The king had ordered all the waiters in his palace to let everyone do as he pleased.) 9 Queen Vashti also held a banquet for the women at the royal palace of King Xerxes.
10 On the seventh day when the king was drunk on wine, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served under King Xerxes, 11 to bring Queen Vashti in front of the king, wearing her royal crown. He wanted to show the people, especially the officials, her beauty, because she was very attractive. 12 But Queen Vashti refused the king's command that the eunuchs delivered to her. As a result, the king became very angry, and his rage burned inside him.
13 Now, the king usually asked for advice from all the experts in royal decrees and decisions, 14 from those closest to him-Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. These seven officials of the Persians and Medes had access to the king and held the highest rank in the kingdom. The king asked these wise men who knew the times,a 15 "According to the royal decrees, what must we do with Queen Vashti since she did not obey King Xerxes' command, which the eunuchs delivered?"
16 Then Memucan spoke up in the presence of the king and the officials, "Queen Vashti has done wrong, not only against the king but also against all the officials and all the people in every province of King Xerxes. 17 The news of what the queen has done will spread to all women, and they will despise their husbands. They will say, 'King Xerxes ordered Queen Vashti to be brought to him, but she would not come.' 18 Today the wives of the officials in Persia and Media who have heard what the queen did will talk back to all the king's officials. There will be contempt and short tempers. 19 If it pleases you, Your Majesty, issue a royal decree. It should be recorded in the decrees of the Persians and Medes, never to be repealed, that Vashti may never again appear in front of King Xerxes. Furthermore, Your Majesty, you should give her royal position to another woman who is more worthy than she. 20 When you issue your decree, your whole kingdom, great as it is, will hear it. Then all the wives will honor their husbands, regardless of their status."
21 The king and his officials approved of this, and so the king did as Memucan suggested. 22 He sent official documents to all the king's provinces, to each province in its own script and to the people in each province in their own language: "Let every husband be the ruler in his own house and speak with authority."a Esther Becomes Queen 2 1 Later, when King Xerxes got over his raging anger, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decided against her.
2 So the king's personal staff said to him, "Search for attractive young virgins for the king. 3 And appoint scouts in all the provinces of your kingdom to gather all the attractive young virgins and bring them to the fortress of Susa, to the women's quarters. There, in the care of the king's eunuch Hegai, the guardian of the women, they will have their beauty treatment. 4 Then the young woman who pleases you, Your Majesty, will become queen instead of Vashti."
The king liked the suggestion, and so he did just that.
5 In the fortress of Susa there was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, the grandson of Shimei, and the greatgrandson of Kish. 6 (Kish had been taken captive from Jerusalem together with the others who had gone into exile along with Judah's King Jehoiakin,b whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away.) 7 Mordecai had raised Hadassah, also known as Esther, his uncle's daughter, because she was an orphan. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.
8 When the king's announcement and decree were heard, many young women were gathered together and brought to the fortress of Susa. They were placed in the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king's palace and placed in the care of Hegai, the guardian of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him and won his affection. So he immediately provided her with the beauty treatment, a daily supply of food, and seven suitable female servants from the king's palace. Then he moved her and her servants to the best place in the women's quarters.
10 Esther did not reveal her nationality or her family background, because Mordecai had ordered her not to. 11 Every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the courtyard of the women's quarters to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.
12 Each young woman had her turn to go to King Xerxes after she had completed the required 12-month treatment for women. The time of beauty treatment was spent as follows: six months using oil of myrrh and six months using perfumes and other treatments for women.
13 After that, the young woman would go to the king. Anything she wanted to take with her from the women's quarters to the king's palace was given to her. 14 She would go in the evening and come back in the morning to the other quarters for women. There she would be in the care of the king's eunuch Shaashgaz, the guardian of the concubines.a She never went to the king again unless the king desired her and requested her by name.
15 (Esther was the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai's uncle. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.) When Esther's turn came to go to the king, she asked only for what the king's eunuch Hegai, the guardian of the women, advised. Everyone who saw Esther liked her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Xerxes in his royal palace in the month of Tebeth, the tenth month, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 Now, the king loved Esther more than all the other women and favored her over all the other virgins. So he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king held a great banquet for Esther. He invited all his officials and his advisers. He also declared that day a holiday in the provinces, and he handed out gifts from his royal generosity.
Mordecai Saves the King's Life 19 When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. 20 Esther still had not revealed her family background or nationality, as Mordecai had ordered her. Esther always did whatever Mordecai told her, as she did when she was a child.
21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs who guarded the entrance, became angry and planned to kill King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about it and informed Queen Esther. Then Esther told the king, on behalf of Mordecai. 23 When the report was investigated and found to be true, the dead bodies of Bigthan and Teresh were hung on a pole. The matter was written up in the king's presence in his official record of daily events.
Haman's Plot 3 1 Later, King Xerxes promoted Haman. (Haman was the son of Hammedatha and was from Agag.) He gave Haman a position higher in authority than all the other officials who were with him. 2 All the king's advisers were at the king's gate, kneeling and bowing to Haman with their faces touching the ground, because the king had commanded it. But Mordecai would not kneel and bow to him.
3 Then the king's advisers at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why do you ignore the king's command?" 4 Although they asked him day after day, he paid no attention to them. So they informed Haman to see if Mordecai's actions would be tolerated, since Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not kneel and bow to him, Haman was infuriated. 6 Because the king's advisers had informed him about Mordecai's nationality, he thought it beneath himself to kill only Mordecai. So Haman planned to wipe out Mordecai's people-all the Jews in the entire kingdom of Xerxes.
7 In Xerxes' twelfth year as king, Pur (which means the lot) was thrown in front of Haman for every day of every month, from Nisan, the first month, until Adar, the twelfth month.
8 Now, Haman told King Xerxes, "Your Majesty, there is a certain nationality scattered among-but separate from-the nationalities in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws differ from those of all other nationalities. They do not obey your decrees. So it is not in your interest to tolerate them, Your Majesty. 9 If you approve, have the orders for their destruction be written. For this I will pay 750,000 pounds of silver to your treasurers to be put in your treasury."
10 At that, the king removed his signet ring and gave it to Haman, the enemy of the Jews. (Haman was the son of Hammedatha and was from Agag.) 11 The king told Haman, "You can keep your silver and do with the people whatever you like."
Haman Prepares to Kill the Jews 12 On the thirteenth day of the first month the king's scribes were summoned. All Haman's orders were written to the king's satraps, the governors of every province, and the officials of every people. They wrote to each province in its own script and to the people in each province in their own language. The orders were signed in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with the king's ring. 13 Messengers were sent with official documents to all the king's provinces. The people were ordered to wipe out, kill, and destroy all the Jews-young and old, women and children-on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. Their possessions were also to be seized. 14 A copy of the document was made public in a decree to every province. All the people were to be ready for this day.
15 The messengers hurried out as the king told them. The decree was also issued at the fortress of Susa. So the king and Haman sat down to drink a toast, but the city of Susa was in turmoil.
4 1 When Mordecai found out about everything that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went into the middle of the city and cried loudly and bitterly. 2 He even went right up to the king's gate. (No one could enter it wearing sackcloth.) 3 In every province touched by the king's command and decree, the Jews went into mourning, fasting, weeping, and wailing. Many put on sackcloth and ashes.