1 That day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told him how Mordecai was related to her. 2 The king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's house.

3 Esther spoke again before the king. She fell at his feet, wept, and pleaded with him to avert the evil of Haman the Agagite and the scheme he had devised against the Jews. 4 The king held out the gold scepter to Esther, and Esther rose and stood before the king. 5 She said, “If it pleases the king, if I have found favor before him, if the matter seems right to the king, and if I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king's provinces. 6 For how can I bear to see the disaster that will come upon my people? And how can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”

7 King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “I have given Esther Haman's house, and they have hanged him on the stake because he laid hands on the Jews. 8 Now you may write concerning the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring. For a document written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring cannot be revoked.” 9 The king's scribes were summoned at that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. Everything Mordecai commanded was written to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the officials of the provinces from India to Cush—127 provinces—to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. 10 He wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. He sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding royal steeds born of mares. 11 The king granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and defend their lives, to destroy, kill, and annihilate any force of a people or province that attacked them, including children and women, and to plunder their goods, 12 on a single day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus—the thirteenth of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. 13 A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province and made public to all the peoples, so that the Jews would be ready for that day to avenge themselves on their enemies. 14 The couriers mounted on royal steeds went out urgently and in haste at the king's command, and the decree was issued in the citadel of Susa.

15 Mordecai went out from the king's presence in royal robes of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a cloak of fine linen and purple. The city of Susa shouted for joy and rejoiced. 16 For the Jews there was light, gladness, joy, and honor. 17 In every province and every city, wherever the king's command and decree reached, there was gladness and joy for the Jews, feasting and a holiday. Many from the peoples of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.