Esther
Chapter 10
The book of Esther closes with a short note about King Ahasuerus and Mordecai. The king places a tax on his whole empire, and the record of his power and of Mordecai's high rank is said to be written in the royal history books of Media and Persia. Mordecai is described as second in rank to the king, respected by the Jews, and working for their good.
Plain reading written for preteens. Clear and complete, at about a fifth grade reading level.
And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.
1King Ahasuerus placed a tax on the land he ruled, all the way out to the lands across the sea.
"Isles of the sea" means the faraway coasts and islands at the edge of the empire.
2And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
2Everything the king did by his power and strength, and the full account of how he raised Mordecai to greatness, are written down in the history books of the kings of Media and Persia.
3For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.
3Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus. He was highly respected among the Jews, and his own people thought well of him. He worked for the good of his people and spoke words of peace to all of them.
The KJV says Mordecai sought "the wealth" of his people. In 1611 "wealth" meant well-being or good, not just money.
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