The King Honors Mordecai

1 On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring ^othe book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king. 2 And it was found written how ^pMordecai had told about ^qBigthana¹ and ^rTeresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, and who had sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 3 And the king said, “What honor or distinction has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?” The king’s young men who attended him said, “Nothing has been done for him.” 4 And the king said, “Who is in the court?” Now Haman had just entered ^sthe outer court of the king’s palace to speak to the king about having Mordecai hanged on ^tthe gallows² that he had prepared for him. 5 And the king’s young men told him, “Haman is there, standing in the court.” And the king said, “Let him come in.” 6 So Haman came in, and the king said to him, “What should be done to the man ^uwhom the king delights to honor?” And Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?” 7 And Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 let royal robes be brought, which the king has worn, ^vand the horse that the king has ridden, and on whose head ^wa royal crown³ is set. 9 And let the robes and the horse be handed over to one of the king’s most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king delights to honor, and let them lead him on the horse through the square of the city, ^xproclaiming before him: ‘Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.’” 10 Then the king said to Haman, “Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits ^yat the king’s gate. Leave out nothing that you have mentioned.” 11 So Haman took the robes and the horse, and he dressed Mordecai and led him through the square of the city, proclaiming before him, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor.”

12 Then Mordecai returned to the king’s gate. But Haman hurried to his house, mourning ^zand with his head covered. 13 And Haman told ^ahis wife Zeresh and all his friends everything that had happened to him. Then his wise men and his wife Zeresh said to him, “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall, is of the Jewish people, you will not overcome him but will surely fall before him.”

Esther Reveals Haman’s Plot

14 While they were yet talking with him, the king’s eunuchs arrived and hurried to bring Haman ^bto the feast that Esther had prepared.

1 So the king and Haman went in to feast with Queen Esther. 2 And on the second day, as they were drinking wine after the feast, the king again said to Esther, ^c“What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? ^dEven to the half of my kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” 3 Then Queen Esther answered, ^e“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. 4 ^fFor we have been sold, I and my people, ^gto be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated. If we had been sold merely as slaves, men and women, I would have been silent, for our affliction is not to be compared with the loss to the king.” 5 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther, “Who is he, and where is he, who has dared⁴ to do this?” 6 And Esther said, ^h“A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!” Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.

Haman Is Hanged

7 And the king arose in his wrath from the wine-drinking and went into ⁱthe 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. 8 And the king returned from ⁱthe palace garden to the place where they were drinking wine, as Haman was falling on ^jthe 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. 9 Then ^kHarbona, one of the eunuchs in attendance on the king, said, “Moreover, ^lthe gallows⁵ that Haman has prepared for Mordecai, ^mwhose word saved the king, is standing at Haman’s house, fifty cubits⁶ high.” And the king said, “Hang him on that.” 10 ⁿSo they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. ^oThen the wrath of the king abated.

Esther Saves the Jews

1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, ^hthe enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told ^pwhat he was to her. 2 ^qAnd 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.

3 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 ^rthe Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 ^sWhen the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, Esther rose and stood before the king. 5 And she said, “If it please the king, ^tand if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke ^uthe letters devised by Haman ^rthe Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear ^vto see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, ^wI have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows,⁷ because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, ^xand seal it with the king’s ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s ring ^ycannot be revoked.”

9 ^zThe king’s scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to ^athe satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces ^bfrom India to Ethiopia, ^b127 provinces, ^cto each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 ^dAnd he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus ^eand sealed it with the king’s signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on ^fswift horses that were used in the king’s service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city ^gto gather and defend their lives, ^hto destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, ⁱand to plunder their goods, 12 ^jon one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 13 ^kA copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their ^fswift horses that were used in the king’s service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king’s command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel.

15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king ^lin royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown⁸ and ^ma robe of fine linen and purple, ⁿand the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had ^olight and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and ^pa holiday. ^qAnd many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, ^rfor fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

1 ^sNow in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, ^ton the thirteenth day of the same, ^uwhen the king’s command and edict were about to be carried out, ^jon the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 ^vThe Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, ^wfor the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and ^xthe satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew ^ymore and more powerful. 5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 ^zthe ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, ^athe enemy of the Jews, ^bbut they laid no hand on the plunder.

11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 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! ^cNow what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed ^dtomorrow also to do according to this day’s edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.”⁹ 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.

16 ^eNow the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces also ^fgathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 17 This was ^gon the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered ^gon the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested ^hon the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in ⁱthe rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as ^ja holiday, and ^kas a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.

The Feast of Purim Inaugurated

20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into ^ja holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, ^lthe enemy of all the Jews, ^mhad plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and ⁿhad cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing ^othat his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews ^pshould return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term ⁿPur. Therefore, because of all that was written in ^qthis letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and ^rall who joined them, that without fail they would keep ^sthese two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, ^tthe daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming ^uthis second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, ^vto the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 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 ^wtheir fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of ^xPurim, and it was recorded in writing.

The Greatness of Mordecai

1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on ^ythe coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, ^zto which the king advanced him, are they not written in ^athe Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was ^bsecond in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he ^csought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil¹ of ^sthe Sons of Korah.

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

1 ^sOn a Sabbath,¹ while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples ^tplucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, ^u“Why are you doing ^vwhat is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered them, ^w“Have you not read ^xwhat David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate ^ythe bread of the Presence, ^ywhich is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, ^z“The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

A Man with a Withered Hand

6 On another Sabbath, ^ahe entered the synagogue ^band was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered. 7 And the scribes and the Pharisees ^cwatched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, ^dso that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But ^ehe knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, ^fis it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And ^gafter looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And ^hhe did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with ⁱfury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

The Twelve Apostles

12 In these days ^jhe went out to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. 13 And when day came, ^khe called his disciples ^land ^mchose from them twelve, whom he named ⁿapostles: 14 Simon, ^owhom he named Peter, and ^pAndrew his brother, and ^pJames and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, 15 and ^qMatthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called ^rthe Zealot, 16 and ^sJudas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Jesus Ministers to a Great Multitude

17 And ^the came down with them and stood on a level place, with ^ua great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the seacoast of ^vTyre and Sidon, 18 who came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. ^wAnd those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. 19 And all the crowd ^xsought to touch him, for ^ypower came out from him and healed them all.

The Beatitudes

20 And ^zhe lifted up his eyes on his disciples, ^aand said:

“Blessed are you who are poor, for ^byours is the kingdom of God.

21 ^c“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

^d“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

22 “Blessed are you when ^epeople hate you and when they ^fexclude you and revile you and ^gspurn your name as evil, ^hon account of the Son of Man! 23 ⁱRejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for ^jso their fathers did to the prophets.

Jesus Pronounces Woes

24 ^k“But woe to you who are rich, ^lfor you ^mhave received your consolation.

25 “Woe to you who are full now, for ⁿyou shall be hungry.

“Woe to ^oyou who laugh now, ^ofor you shall mourn and weep.

26 “Woe to you, ^pwhen all people speak well of you, for ^qso their fathers did to ^rthe false prophets.

Love Your Enemies

27 “But I say to you who hear, ^sLove your enemies, ^tdo good to those who hate you, 28 ^ubless those who curse you, ^spray for those who abuse you. 29 ^vTo one who ^wstrikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic² either. 30 ^xGive to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And ^yas you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.