Study Desk

It was in the first month of the twelfth year of King Xerxes' rule—the month of Nisan. Pur (that is, the lot) was thrown before Haman to choose a day and a month. So the twelfth month, the month of Adar, was chosen.

So the king took his signet ring off and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jewish people.

A copy of the order was given out as a law in every state so all the people would be ready for that day.

So Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the city square in front of the king's gate.

So Mordecai went away and did everything Esther had told him to do.

When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, he was pleased. He held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand, so Esther went forward and touched the end of it.

Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so we may do what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared for them.

Then Haman's wife, Zeresh, and all his friends said, "Have a seventy-five foot platform built, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and be happy." Haman liked this suggestion, so he ordered the platform to be built.

That same night the king could not sleep. So he gave an order for the daily court record to be brought in and read to him.

So Haman came in. And the king asked him, "What should be done for a man whom the king wants very much to honor?" And Haman thought to himself, "Whom would the king want to honor more than me?"

So he answered the king, "This is what you could do for the man you want very much to honor.

So Haman took the robe and the horse, and he put the robe on Mordecai. Then he led him on horseback through the city streets, announcing before Mordecai: "This is what is done for the man whom the king wants to honor!"

So the king and Haman went in to eat with Queen Esther.

The king was very angry, so he got up, left his wine, and went out into the palace garden. But Haman stayed inside to beg Queen Esther to save his life. He could see that the king had already decided to kill him.

So they hanged Haman on the platform he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king was not so angry anymore.

The king held out the gold scepter to Esther. So Esther got up and stood in front of him.

A copy of the king's order was to be sent out as a law in every state. It was to be made known to the people of every nation living in the kingdom so the Jewish people would be ready on that set day to strike back at their enemies.

The order the king had commanded was to be done on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. That was the day the enemies of the Jewish people had hoped to defeat them, but that was changed. So the Jewish people themselves defeated those who hated them.

So the king ordered that it be done. A law was given in Susa, and the bodies of the ten sons of Haman were hanged.

So the Jewish people agreed to do what Mordecai had written to them, and they agreed to hold the celebration every year.