Esther 8:8

New King James Version

You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Write in the king’s name whatever pleases you concerning the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. A document written in the king’s name and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked.”

Hebrew Names Version
Write you also to the Yehudim, as it pleases 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.

King James Version
Write 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.

English Standard Version
But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked."

New Century Version
Now, in the king's name, write another order to the Jewish people as it seems best to you. Then seal the order with the king's signet ring, because no letter written in the king's name and sealed with his signet ring can be canceled."

New English Translation
Now you write in the king's name whatever in your opinion is appropriate concerning the Jews and seal it with the king's signet ring. Any decree that is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring cannot be rescinded.

Amplified Bible
"Also, concerning the Jews, write as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring—for a decree which is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked."

New American Standard Bible
"Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked."

World English Bible
Write you also to the Jews, as it pleases 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.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Write yee also for the Iewes, as it liketh you in the Kinges name, and seale it with the Kings ring (for the writings written in the Kings name, and sealed with the Kings ring, may no man reuoke)

Legacy Standard Bible
Now you write to the Jews, according to what is good in your eyes, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a written decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be turned back."

Berean Standard Bible
Now you may write in the king's name as you please regarding the Jews, and seal it with the royal signet ring. For a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the royal signet ring cannot be revoked."

Contemporary English Version
I now give you permission to make a law that will save the lives of your people. You may use my ring to seal the law, so that it can never be changed."

Complete Jewish Bible
You should issue a decree in the king's name for whatever you want concerning the Jews, and seal it with the king's signet ring; because a decree written in the king's name and sealed with the king's ring can't be rescinded by anyone."

Darby Translation
Write ye then for the Jews as seems good to you, in the king's name, and seal [it] with the king's ring. For a writing that is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, cannot be reversed.

Easy-to-Read Version
Now write another command by the authority of the king. Write it to help the Jews in a way that seems best to you. Then seal the order with the king's special ring. No official letter written by the authority of the king and sealed with the king's ring can be canceled."

George Lamsa Translation
And write also concerning the Jews as it please you, in the kings name, and seal it with the kings ring; for the writing which is written in the kings name and sealed with the kings ring may not be reversed.

Good News Translation
But a proclamation issued in the king's name and stamped with the royal seal cannot be revoked. You may, however, write to the Jews whatever you like; and you may write it in my name and stamp it with the royal seal."

Lexham English Bible
Write as you see fit concerning the Jews in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree that is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring cannot be revoked."

Literal Translation
And you write to the Jews according to the good in your eyes, 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, there is no taking back.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Wryte ye now therfore for the Iewes, as it liketh you in the kynges name, and seale it with ye kynges rynge (for the wrytinges that were wrytten in ye kynges name, and sealed with the kynges rynge, durst no man dysanulle.)

American Standard Version
Write ye also to the Jews, as it pleaseth 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.

Bible in Basic English
So now send a letter about the Jews, writing whatever seems good to you, in the king's name, and stamping it with the king's ring: for a writing signed in the king's name and stamped with the king's ring may not be changed.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Write ye also for the Iewes as it lyketh you, in the kinges name, and seale it with the kinges ring: For the writinges that were written in the kinges name, and sealed with the kinges ring, durst no man disanul.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Write ye also concerning 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.'

King James Version (1611)
Write ye also for the Iewes, as it liketh you, in the Kings name, and seale it with the Kings ring: for the writing which is written in the Kings name, and sealed with the Kings ring, may no man reuerse.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Write ye also in my name, as it seems good to you, and seal it with my ring: for whatever orders are written at the command of the king, and sealed with my ring, it is not lawful to gainsay them.

English Revised Version
Write ye also to 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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor write ye to Jewis, as it plesith to you, `bi the name of the kyng, and aseele ye the lettris with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durste ayenseie the pistlis, that weren sente in the kyngis name, and weren aseelid with his ryng.

Update Bible Version
You write also to the Jews, as it pleases 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
Write ye also for the Jews, as it pleaseth 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, no man may reverse.

New Living Translation
Now go ahead and send a message to the Jews in the king's name, telling them whatever you want, and seal it with the king's signet ring. But remember that whatever has already been written in the king's name and sealed with his signet ring can never be revoked."

New Life Bible
Now you write whatever pleases you about the Jews, in the king's name, and mark it with the king's special ring. For what is written in the king's name and marked with the king's special ring may not be changed."

New Revised Standard
You may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring; for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ye, therefore, write concerning the Jews as may seem good in your own eyes, in the name of the king, and seal it with the kings signet-ring, - for a writing which hath been written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's signet-ring, none can reverse.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Write ye therefore to the Jews, as it pleaseth you in the king’s name, and seal the letters with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durst gainsay the letters which were sent in the king’s name, and were sealed with his ring.

Revised Standard Version
And you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring; for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked."

Young's Literal Translation
and ye, write ye for the Jews, as [it is] good in your eyes, in the name of the king, and seal with the signet of the king -- for the writing that is written in the name of the king, and sealed with the signet of the king, there is none to turn back.'

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Now you write to the Jews as you see fit, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for a decree which is written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's signet ring may not be revoked."

Contextual Overview

³ Now Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king, ⁵ and said, "If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king's provinces. ⁶ For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?" ⁷ Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. ⁸ You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king's name, and seal it with the king's signet ring; for whatever is written in the king's name and sealed with the king's signet ring no one can revoke." ⁹ So the king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own script, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own script and language. ¹⁰ And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus, sealed it with the king's signet ring, and sent letters by couriers on horseback, riding on royal horses bred from swift steeds. [fn] ¹¹ By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives--to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, ¹² on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. [fn]

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

in the king's name: Esther 3:12, 1 Kings 21:8

may no man reverse: No, not the king himself; and this was the reason that the king was forced not to reverse, but to give a contradictory decree; that if the Jews, pursuant to the first decree, were assaulted, they might legitimately, by virtue of the second, defend themselves, slay their enemies, and even take the spoil. Esther 8:5, Esther 1:19, Daniel 6:8, Daniel 6:12-15, 2 Timothy 2:19, Hebrews 6:17, Hebrews 6:18

Reciprocal: Genesis 41:42 - his ring 2 Chronicles 30:5 - established Esther 3:10 - took Daniel 6:15 - Know Colossians 2:14 - the handwriting

Cross-References

Genesis 8:10
And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark.

Genesis 8:11
Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.

Genesis 8:12
So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.

Song of Solomon 1:15
Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove's eyes.

Song of Solomon 2:14
"O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, In the secret places of the cliff, Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice; For your voice is sweet, And your face is lovely."

Matthew 10:16
Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-17">[xr] "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Write ye also for the Jews as it liketh you,.... Whatever may be thought fit and proper for their safety and security:

in the king's name, and seal it with the king's ring; as the former letters were:

for the writing which is written in the king's name, and sealed with the king's ring, may no man reverse; which is a reason both for the writing and sealing of the present letters in this manner, and why the former could not be reversed; nor does it appear that they were, but that, in virtue of them, the people had power to rise and kill the Jews on the day appointed, if they dared, or were so disposed; and these empowered the Jews to rise in their own defence, and kill all that made any attempts upon them, for which they had the royal authority; and these letters coming after the other, though they did not formally reverse them, which might not be done, yet rendered them ineffectual.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Write ... as it liketh you ... - (See the Esther 1:19 note. Practically, Ahasuerus reversed the “device” of Haman).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Esther 8:8. May no man reverse. — Whatever had passed the royal signet could never be revoked; no succeeding edict could destroy or repeal a preceding one: but one of a similar nature to the Jews against the Persians, as that to the Persians was against the Jews, might be enacted, and thus the Jews be enabled legitimately to defend themselves; and, consequently, placed on an equal footing with their enemies.