Mordecai

9And Harbonah, one of the chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king, standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.

Harbonah was one of the king's servants who worked close to him. He said, "There is also a tall wooden pole standing at Haman's house. It is fifty cubits high. Haman built it to hang Mordecai on. And Mordecai is the one who warned the king and saved him." The king said, "Hang Haman on it!"

10So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.

So they hanged Haman on the pole he had built for Mordecai. Then the king was not angry anymore.

1On that day did the king Ahasuerus give the house of Haman the Jews’ enemy unto Esther the queen. And Mordecai came before the king; for Esther had told what he was unto her.

That same day, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther everything Haman owned. Haman had been the enemy of the Jews. Then Mordecai came in to see the king. Esther had told the king that Mordecai was her cousin.

2And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it unto Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

The king took off his special ring. He had taken that ring back from Haman. He gave it to Mordecai. Esther put Mordecai in charge of all Haman's things.

3And Esther spake yet again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him with tears to put away the mischief of Haman the Agagite, and his device that he had devised against the Jews.

Esther spoke to the king again. She fell down at his feet and cried. She begged him to stop the cruel plan of Haman the Agagite. Haman had made that plan to hurt the Jews.

4Then the king held out the golden sceptre toward Esther. So Esther arose, and stood before the king,

The king held out his gold staff toward Esther. So Esther got up and stood in front of the king.

5And said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and the thing seem right before the king, and I be pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to reverse the letters devised by Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews which are in all the king’s provinces:

She said, "If it makes the king happy, and if he likes me, and if this seems right to him, please write a new order. Cancel the letters that Haman wrote. Haman was the son of Hammedatha the Agagite. His letters said to kill the Jews in every part of your kingdom.

6For how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

How could I stand to watch this trouble come to my people? How could I stand to watch my own family be killed?"

7Then the king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and him they have hanged upon the gallows, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, "Look, I gave Haman's things to Esther. And Haman was hanged, because he tried to hurt the Jews.

8Write ye also for the Jews, as it liketh you, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring: for the writing which is written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, may no man reverse.

Now you may write whatever you want about the Jews. Write it in my name. Seal it with my ring. No one can cancel an order written in the king's name and sealed with his ring."

9Then were the king’s scribes called at that time in the third month, that is, the month Sivan, on the three and twentieth day thereof; and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and to the lieutenants, and the deputies and rulers of the provinces which are from India unto Ethiopia, an hundred twenty and seven provinces, unto every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people after their language, and to the Jews according to their writing, and according to their language.

So the king's writers were called right away. It was the twenty-third day of the third month, called Sivan. They wrote down everything Mordecai told them. The letters went to the Jews and to all the leaders and rulers of the provinces. There were 127 provinces, from India all the way to Ethiopia. Each province got a letter in its own writing. Each group of people got one in their own language. The Jews got one in their writing and their language too.

10And he wrote in the king Ahasuerus’ name, and sealed it with the king’s ring, and sent letters by posts on horseback, and riders on mules, camels, and young dromedaries:

Mordecai wrote in King Ahasuerus's name and sealed it with the king's ring. He sent the letters out with riders on fast horses from the king's own stables.

11Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey,

The letters said the Jews in every city could gather together and protect themselves. They could destroy any army from any people or province that came to attack them. This included their women and children. They could also take their enemies' things.

12Upon one day in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, namely, upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

This was to happen on one single day everywhere in the king's kingdom. That day was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar.

13The copy of the writing for a commandment to be given in every province was published unto all people, and that the Jews should be ready against that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

A copy of the order was to be sent to every province. It was read out loud to everyone. That way the Jews would be ready on that day to fight back against their enemies.

14So the posts that rode upon mules and camels went out, being hastened and pressed on by the king’s commandment. And the decree was given at Shushan the palace.

The riders hurried out on the king's fast horses. The king told them to go quickly. The order was also read out in the palace at Shushan.

15And Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, and with a great crown of gold, and with a garment of fine linen and purple: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

Mordecai left the king wearing royal clothes of blue and white. He wore a big gold crown and a purple robe of fine cloth. The whole city of Shushan cheered and was happy.

16The Jews had light, and gladness, and joy, and honour.

For the Jews it was a bright and happy time. They were full of joy, and people honored them.

17And in every province, and in every city, whithersoever the king’s commandment and his decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a good day. And many of the people of the land became Jews; for the fear of the Jews fell upon them.

The king's order reached every province and every city. Everywhere it came, the Jews were happy and glad. They had big meals and a day of celebrating. Many other people in the land joined the Jews, because they were now afraid of them.

1Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)

The day came at last. It was the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. That was the day the king's order was to be carried out. The enemies of the Jews had hoped to beat them that day. But the opposite happened. The Jews beat the ones who hated them.

2The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.

The Jews came together in their cities all over the king's lands. They stood ready to fight the people who wanted to hurt them. No one could stand up to them. Everyone was afraid of them.

3And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

All the leaders of the provinces helped the Jews. So did the governors and the king's other officers. They helped because they were afraid of Mordecai.

4For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

Mordecai was now very important in the king's palace. People all over the king's lands heard about him. He kept growing stronger and stronger.

20And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,

Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. He sent letters to all the Jews in all the king's lands, near and far.

21To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

The letters told them to keep two days every year. Those days were the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar.

22As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

Those were the days when the Jews got peace from their enemies. That was the month when their sadness turned into joy. Their crying turned into a holiday. Mordecai told them to make these days happy, with big meals. They should send food to one another and give gifts to poor people.

23And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

The Jews agreed to keep doing what they had started. They did what Mordecai had written to them.

24Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;

They did this because of what Haman had done. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, and the enemy of all the Jews. He had made a plan to wipe them all out. He had thrown the Pur, which means the lot, to pick the day.

25But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

But when the king learned about it, he sent out letters. He ordered that Haman's evil plan should fall back on Haman himself. He said Haman and his sons should be hung on the tall wooden pole.

26Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,

So they called these days Purim, named after the word Pur. They did this because of everything written in that letter. They also did it because of all they had seen and lived through.

27The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

So the Jews made a promise for themselves and their children. Anyone who joined them would keep it too. They would never fail to keep these two days every single year. They would keep them at the right time, just as it was written.

28And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

These days were to be remembered and kept by every family. Every province and every city would keep them, in every time to come. The days of Purim should never stop among the Jews. Their children should never forget them.

29Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.

Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote a letter. Mordecai the Jew wrote it with her. They used their full power to make this second Purim letter official.

30And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,

Mordecai sent the letters to all the Jews. They went to all 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus. The letters had kind and honest words in them.

31To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.

The letters made the days of Purim official at their set time. Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had set those days. The Jews had also promised for themselves and their children to keep times of going without food and crying out to God.

32And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

So Esther's order made these Purim rules official. And the rules were written down in a book.

1And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.

King Ahasuerus made everyone in his kingdom pay taxes. Even the lands far across the sea had to pay.

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?

The king did many strong and mighty things. He also made Mordecai a very great man. All of this was written down in the record 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.

Mordecai the Jew was second in power to King Ahasuerus. He was a leader among the Jews. His own people loved him and looked up to him. He worked for the good of his people. He spoke words of peace to them all.