for we have been sold,I and my people,to be destroyed,to be killedand to be annihilated.Now ifwe had only been soldas slaves,men and women,I would have remainedsilent,for the troublewould not be commensuratewith the annoyanceto the king."
"Nowour fleshis like the fleshof our brothers,our childrenlike their children.Yet behold,we are forcingour sonsand our daughtersto be slaves,and someof our daughtersare forcedinto bondage[already], and we are helplessbecause our fieldsand vineyardsbelong to others."
Letterswere sentby couriersto allthe king'sprovincesto destroy,to killand to annihilateallthe Jews,bothyoungand old,womenand children,in oneday,the thirteenth[day] of the twelfthmonth,whichis the monthAdar,and to seizetheir possessionsas plunder.
"Ifit is pleasingto the king,let it be decreedthat they be destroyed,and I will paytenthousandtalentsof silverinto the handsof those who carryon the [king's] business,to putinto the king's treasuries."
Then KingAhasuerusaskedQueenEsther,"Whois he, and whereis he, whowould presumeto dothus?"
Esthersaid,"A foeand an enemyis thiswickedHaman!"Then Hamanbecame terrifiedbeforethe kingand queen.
In them the kinggrantedthe Jewswhowere in eachand everycity[the right] to assembleand to defendtheir lives,to destroy,to killand to annihilatethe entirearmyof any peopleor provincewhich might attackthem, includingchildrenand women,and to plundertheir spoil,
"For howcanI endureto seethe calamitywhichwill befallmy people,and howcanI endureto seethe destructionof my kindred?"
But when it cameto the king'sattention,he commandedby letterthat his wickedschemewhichhe had devisedagainstthe Jews,should returnon his own headand that he and his sonsshould be hangedon the gallows.
and overthem threecommissioners(of whomDanielwas one),that thesesatrapsmight be accountableto them, and that the kingmight not sufferloss.
and soldthe sonsof Judahand Jerusalemto the Greeksin orderto removethem farfrom their territory,
Thussaysthe LORD,"For threetransgressionsof Israeland for fourI will not revokeits [punishment], Becausethey sellthe righteousfor moneyAnd the needyfor a pair of sandals.
"But ifthat slavesaysin his heart,'My masterwill be a long timein coming,'and beginsto beatthe slaves,[both] menand women,and to eatand drinkand get drunk;
"The LORDwill bringyou backto Egyptin ships,by the wayabout whichI spoketo you, 'You will neverseeit again!'And thereyou will offeryourselves for saleto your enemiesas maleand femaleslaves,but therewill be nobuyer."
"Nowtherefore, you are cursed,and you shall neverceasebeing slaves,both hewersof woodand drawersof waterfor the houseof my God."
"Staywith me; do not be afraid,for he whoseeksmy lifeseeksyour life,for you are safewith me."
