Esther 3:14-4:8

New Catholic Bible

Chapter B

A Copy of the Edict.^[a]1 This is the copy of the edict:

“King Ahasuerus the Great writes the following to the governors of the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces extending from India to Ethiopia and to their subordinate officials:² Having been established as the ruler of many nations and master of the entire world, it has always been my policy never to be overwhelmed with the arrogance of power but always to rule with fairness and kindness, so as to ensure for my subjects a life of tranquillity in this kingdom, with the assurance of safe passage for everyone within its borders and the restoration of the peace desired by all.

³ “When I sought the counsel of my advisors as to how this goal might be achieved, Haman, whose sound judgment, unfailing devotion, and steadfast loyalty have enabled him to achieve a rank second only to mine in the kingdom, spoke up.⁴ He informed us that, mingled among all the races of the world, there is one hostile people whose laws are opposed to those of all other nations and who continually act in defiance of royal ordinances, so that the unification of the empire that we envision cannot be accomplished.

⁵ “In the realization that this people stands uniquely alone in its continual hostility to all other nations, observes laws that are at complete variance with ours, and commits the most grievous of crimes, thereby undermining the stability of our government,⁶ we hereby decree that all the persons designated to you in the letters written by Haman, who was appointed to safeguard our interests and who is a second father to us, shall, with their wives and children, be totally destroyed by the swords of their enemies, without any sign of mercy or pardon, on the fourteenth day^[b] of the twelfth month, Adar, of the present year.⁷ In this way, when these people, whose treacherous opposition to us has been of long duration, have descended into the netherworld by a violent death in a single day, our kingdom will once again enjoy perpetual stability and peace.”

(Chapter 3)

¹⁴ A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that they might be ready for that day. ¹⁵ The couriers went quickly by order of the king, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to feast, but the city of Susa was perplexed.

Chapter 4

Mordecai Persuades Esther To Help. ¹ When Mordecai heard all that was going on, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city wailing loudly and sorrowfully. ² But he came to a halt at the entrance to the king’s gate because no one wearing sackcloth was allowed to go in. ³ (Similarly, in every province to which the king’s edict and order reached, the Jews went into great mourning, with fasting, mourning, and weeping. Many put on sackcloth and ashes.)

⁴ When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs went to her and told her about Mordecai, she became deeply troubled. She sent clothes for him to wear in place of the sackcloth, but he refused to do so. ⁵ Esther then called Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs who had been assigned to her service, and ordered him to find out what this action of Mordecai meant and why it was being done.

⁶ So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the public square in front of the king’s gate. ⁷ Mordecai told him everything that had happened as well as the exact amount of silver that Haman had promised to put in the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews.

^8 [c]“Remember the days of your lowly estate,” Mordecai had Hathach say, “when you were brought up in my charge; for Haman, who stands next to the king, has asked for our death.⁹ Invoke the Lord and speak to the king on our behalf; save us from death.”

⁸ Mordecai also gave him a copy of the edict that had been published in Susa, for the annihilation of the Jews, to show and explain to Esther. Hathach was to urge her to go into the king’s presence to plead for mercy and intercede with him for her people.