1 In the second year of the reign of Artaxerxes the great, in the first day of the month Nisan, Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, had a dream; 1b who was a Jew, and dwelt in the city of Susa, a great man, serving in the king’s court; 1c and he was of the captivity, which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon carried from Jerusalem with Jeconiah king of Judea; 1d and this was his dream: Behold, noise and tumult, thunderings and earthquake, and uproar upon the earth: 1e and, behold, two great dragons came forth, both of them ready to fight, and their cry was great. 1f And at their cry all nations were ready to battle, that they might fight against the righteous nation. 1g And, lo, a day of darkness and gloominess, tribulation and anguish, affliction and great uproar upon the earth. 1h And the whole righteous nation was troubled, fearing the evils that should befall them, and were ready to perish. 1i Then they cried unto God, and upon their cry, as it were from a little fountain, there came a great river, even much water. 1k The light and the sun rose up, and the lowly were exalted, and devoured the glorious. 1l Now when Mordecai, who had seen this dream, and what God had determined to do, was awake, he bare it in mind, and until night by all means was desirous to know it. 1m And Mordecai took his rest in the court with Gabatha and Tharra, the two eunuchs of the king, that were keepers of the court. 1n And he heard their communings, and searched out their purposes, and learned that they were about to lay hands upon Artaxerxes the king; and he certified the king of them. 1o Then the king examined the two eunuchs, and after that they had confessed it, they were led to execution. 1p And the king wrote these things for a memorial; Mordecai also wrote concerning these things. 1q So the king commanded Mordecai to serve in the court, and for this he gave him gifts. 1r Howbeit Haman the son of Hammedatha, a Bougean, who was in great honor with the king, sought to molest Mordecai and his people because of the two eunuchs of the king.