PDF Esther 4-8

17-EST.usfm

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 \v 22 When the matter was made known to Mordecai, he told Queen Esther, and Esther spoke to the king in the name of Mordecai.
-\v 23 The report was investigated and confirmed, and both the men were hanged from a gallows. This account was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.
+\v 23 The report was investigated and confirmed, and both the men were hanged from a gallows. This account was written, in the presence of the king, in the book of the events of his reign.
 
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 \v 12 Then the king's scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree containing all that Haman had commanded was written to the king's provincial governors, those who were over all the provinces, to the governors of all the various peoples, and to the officials of all the people, to every province in their own writing, and to every people in their own language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with his ring.
-\v 13 Documents were delivered by the hand of couriers to all the king's provinces, to annihilate, kill, and destroy all Jews, from young to old, children and women, in one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of Adar)—and to plunder their possessions.
+\v 13 Letters were delivered by the hand of couriers to all the king's provinces, to annihilate, kill, and destroy all Jews, from young to old, children and women, in one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of Adar)—and to plunder their possessions.
 
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 \v 14 A copy of the letter was made law in every province. In every province it was made known to all the people that they should prepare for this day.
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 \v 9 So Hathak went and told Esther what Mordecai had said.
-\v 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathak and told him to go back to Mordecai.
+\v 10 Then Esther spoke to Hathak and ordered him to go back to Mordecai.
 \v 11 She said, "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner courtyard without being summoned, there is only one law: That he must be put to death—except for anyone to whom the king holds out the golden scepter so that he may live. I have not been called to come to the king these thirty days."
 \v 12 So Hathak reported Esther's words to Mordecai.
 
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-\v 13 Mordecai sent back this message: "You must not think that in the king's palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews.
+\v 13 Mordecai sent back this message to Esther: "You must not think that in the king's palace, you will escape any more than all the other Jews.
 \v 14 If you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will rise up for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. Who knows whether you have come to this royal position for such a time as this?"
 
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 \v 15 Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai,
 \v 16 "Go, gather together all the Jews who live in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My young girls and I will fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I perish, I perish."
-\v 17 Mordecai went and did all that Esther told him to do.
+\v 17 Mordecai went and did all that Esther had ordered him to do.
 
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 \v 1 After three days, Esther put on her royal clothes and went to stand in the courtyard of the king's palace, in front of the king's house. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance to the house.
-\v 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she received approval in his eyes. He held out to her the golden scepter in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
+\v 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the courtyard, she received favor in his eyes. He held out to her the golden scepter in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
 
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 \v 3 Then the king said to her, "What do you want, Queen Esther? What is your request? Up to half of my kingdom, it will be given to you."
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 \v 7 Esther answered, "My petition and my request is this,
-\v 8 if I have found favor in the eyes of the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to honor my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for you tomorrow and I will answer the king's question."
+\v 8 if I have found favor in the eyes of the king and if it pleases the king to grant my petition and to honor my request, let the king and Haman come to the feast that I will prepare for them tomorrow and I will answer the king's question."
 
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-\v 1 That night the king could not sleep. He commanded servants to bring the records of the events of his reign, and they were being read aloud to the king.
+\v 1 That night the king could not sleep. He commanded servants to bring the book of the records of the events of his reign, and they were being read aloud to the king.
 \v 2 It was found recorded there that Mordecai had told about Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's officials who guarded the entrance, who had tried to harm King Ahasuerus.
 \v 3 The king asked, "What was done to give honor or recognition to Mordecai for doing this?" Then the king's young men who served him said, "Nothing was done for him."
 
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 \v 7 Haman said to the king, "For the man whom the king takes pleasure in honoring,
 \v 8 let royal robes be brought, robes that the king has worn, and a horse that the king has ridden and on whose head is the royal crest.
-\v 9 Then let the robes and the horse be given to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them dress the man whom the king takes pleasure in honoring, and let them lead him on the horse through the city streets. Let them proclaim before him, 'This is what is done to the one whom the king takes pleasure in honoring!'"
+\v 9 Then let the robes and the horse be given to one of the king's most noble officials. Let them clothe the man whom the king takes pleasure in honoring, and let them lead him on the horse through the city streets. Let them proclaim before him, 'This is what is done to the one whom the king takes pleasure in honoring!'"
 
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 \v 1 So the king and Haman went to feast with Queen Esther.
-\v 2 On this second day, while they were serving wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It will be granted to you. What is your request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be granted."
+\v 2 On this second day, during the banquet of wine, the king said to Esther, "What is your petition, Queen Esther? It will be granted to you. What is your request? Up to half of the kingdom, and it will be granted."
 
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 \v 3 Then Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor in your eyes, king, and if it pleases you, let my life be given to me—this is my petition, and I request this also for my people.
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 \v 5 Then King Ahasuerus said to Esther the queen, "Who is he? Where is this person to be found who has filled his heart to do such a thing?"
 
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-\v 6 Esther said, "The hostile man, that enemy, is this evil Haman!" Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
+\v 6 Esther said, "The adversary, that enemy, is this evil Haman!" Then Haman was terrified before the king and the queen.
 \v 7 The king got up in a rage from the wine-drinking at the feast and went into the palace garden, but Haman stayed to beg for his life from Queen Esther. He saw that disaster was being decided against him by the king.
 
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-\v 8 Then the king returned from the palace garden into the room where the wine had been served. Haman had just fallen on the couch where Esther was. The king said, "Will he assault the queen in my presence in my own house?" As soon as this sentence came out of the king's mouth, the servants covered Haman's face.
+\v 8 Then the king returned from the palace garden into the room where the banquet of wine had been. Haman had just fallen on the couch where Esther was. The king said, "Will he assault the queen in my presence in my own house?" As soon as this sentence came out of the king's mouth, the servants covered Haman's face.
 
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 \v 9 Then Harbona, one of the officials who served the king, said, "A gallows fifty cubits tall stands beside Haman's house. He set it up for Mordecai, the one who spoke up to protect the king." The king said, "Hang him on it."
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 \v 4 Then the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, she arose and stood before the king.
 
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-\v 5 She said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in your eyes, if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in your eyes, let a decree be written to revoke the letters written by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the letters that he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.
+\v 5 She said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his eyes, if the thing seems proper before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let a decree be written to revoke the letters written by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the letters that he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the king's provinces.
 \v 6 For how could I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How could I endure watching the destruction of my relatives?"
 
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 \v 9 Then the king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month. A decree was written containing all that Mordecai was commanding concerning the Jews. It was written to the provincial governors, the governors and officials of the provinces that were located from India to Cush, 127 provinces, to every province written in their own writing, and to every people in their language, and to the Jews in their writing and language.
 
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-\v 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. He sent the documents by couriers riding on the fast horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud.
+\v 10 Mordecai wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. He sent the letters by couriers riding on horses, warhorses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud.
 \v 11 The king gave to the Jews who were in every city permission to gather together and to make a stand to protect their lives: To annihiliate, to kill, and to destroy any armed force from any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, or to plunder their possessions.
 \v 12 This was to be in effect in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.
 
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-\v 13 A copy of the decree was to be issued as a law and publicly displayed to all the peoples. The Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies.
+\v 13 A copy of the decree was to be issued as a law in every province and publicly displayed to all the peoples. The Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies.
 \v 14 So the couriers rode on the royal horses that were used in the king's service. They went without delay. The king's decree was also issued from the palace in Susa.
 
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 \v 15 Then Mordecai left the king's presence wearing royal clothes of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced.
 \v 16 The Jews had light and gladness, and joy and honor.
-\v 17 In every province and in every city, wherever the king's decree reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. Many from among the variety of peoples of the land became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
+\v 17 In every province and in every city, wherever the king's word and his decree reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. Many from among the variety of peoples of the land became Jews, because the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
 
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 \v 1 Then King Ahasuerus imposed a tax on the land and on the coastlands along the sea.
-\v 2 All the achievements of his power and might, together with the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia.
+\v 2 All the achievements of his power and might, together with the full account of the greatness of Mordecai to which the king had raised him, they are written in the book of the events of the reigns of the kings of Media and Persia.
 
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 \v 3 Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus. He was great among the Jews and popular with his many Jewish brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and he spoke for the peace of all his people.