Esther 1:8

1:8 There were no restrictions on the drinking, ¹  for the king had instructed all of his supervisors ²  that they should do as everyone so desired. ³ 

Esther 1:11

1:11 to bring Queen Vashti into the king’s presence wearing her royal high turban. He wanted to show the people and the officials her beauty, for she was very attractive. ⁴ 

Esther 1:13

1:13 The king then inquired of the wise men who were discerners of the times – for it was the royal custom to confer with all those who were proficient in laws and legalities. ⁵ 

Esther 1:20

1:20 And let the king’s decision which he will enact be disseminated ⁶  throughout all his kingdom, vast though it is. ⁷  Then all the women will give honor to their husbands, from the most prominent to the lowly.”

Esther 2:10

2:10 Now Esther had not disclosed her people or her lineage, ⁸  for Mordecai had instructed her not to do so. ⁹ 

Esther 4:2

4:2 But he went no further than the king’s gate, for no one was permitted to enter the king’s gate clothed in sackcloth.

Esther 8:6

8:6 For how can I watch the calamity that will befall my people, and how can I watch the destruction of my relatives?” ¹⁰ 

Esther 9:3

9:3 All the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors and those who performed the king’s business were assisting the Jews, for the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them.

Esther 9:24

9:24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised plans against the Jews to destroy them. He had cast pur (that is, the lot) in order to afflict and destroy them.

Esther 10:3

10:3 Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Ahasuerus. He was the highest-ranking ¹¹  Jew, and he was admired by his numerous relatives. ¹²  He worked enthusiastically ¹³  for the good of his people and was an advocate for the welfare of ¹⁴  all his descendants. ¹⁵ 

[1:8]  ¹ tn Heb “the drinking was according to law; there was no one compelling.”

[1:8]  ² tn Heb “every chief of his house”; KJV “all the officers of his house”; NLT “his staff.”

[1:8]  ³ tn Heb “according to the desire of man and man.”

[1:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “was good of appearance”; KJV “was fair to look on”; NAB “was lovely to behold.”

[1:13]  ⁷ tn Heb “judgment” (so KJV); NASB, NIV “justice”; NRSV “custom.”

[1:20]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “heard”; KJV, NAB, NLT “published”; NIV, NRSV “proclaimed.”

[1:20]  ¹¹ tc The phrase “vast though it is” is not included in the LXX, although it is retained by almost all English versions.

[2:10]  ¹³ tn Cf. v. 20, where the same phrase occurs but with the word order reversed.

[2:10]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “that she not tell” (NRSV similar); NASB “that she should not make them known.”

[8:6]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “my kindred” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV); NAB “my race”; NIV “my family”; NLT “my people and my family.”

[10:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “great among the Jews” (so KJV, NASB); NIV “preeminent among the Jews”; NRSV “powerful among the Jews.”

[10:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “brothers”; NASB “kinsmen”; NIV “fellow Jews.”

[10:3]  ²¹ tn Heb “he was seeking”; NAB “as the promoter of his people’s welfare.”

[10:3]  ²² tn Heb “he was speaking peace to”; NRSV “and interceded for the welfare of.”

[10:3]  ²³ sn A number of additions to the Book of Esther appear in the apocryphal (or deuterocanonical) writings. These additions supply further information about various scenes described in the canonical book and are interesting in their own right. However, they were never a part of the Hebrew Bible. The placement of this additional material in certain Greek manuscripts of the Book of Esther may be described as follows. At the beginning of Esther there is an account (= chapter 11) of a dream in which Mordecai is warned by God of a coming danger for the Jews. In this account two great dragons, representing Mordecai and Haman, prepare for conflict. But God responds to the prayers of his people, and the crisis is resolved. This account is followed by another one (= chapter 12) in which Mordecai is rewarded for disclosing a plot against the king’s life. After Esth 3:13 there is a copy of a letter from King Artaxerxes authorizing annihilation of the Jews (= chapter 13). After Esth 4:17 the account continues with a prayer of Mordecai (= part of chapter 13), followed by a prayer of Esther (= chapter 14), and an account which provides details about Esther’s appeal to the king in behalf of her people (= chapter 15). After Esth 8:12 there is a copy of a letter from King Artaxerxes in which he denounces Haman and his plot and authorizes his subjects to assist the Jews (= chapter 16). At the end of the book, following Esth 10:3, there is an addition which provides an interpretation to Mordecai’s dream, followed by a brief ascription of genuineness to the entire book (= chapter 11).