Haman Impaled

7 So the king and Haman went to Queen Esther’s banquet,^{(A) 2} and as they were drinking wine^(B) on the second day, the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what is your petition? It will be given you. What is your request? Even up to half the kingdom,^(C) it will be granted.^(D)”

³ Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor^(E) with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. ⁴ For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated.^(F) If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.^[a]”

⁵ King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?”

⁶ Esther said, “An adversary and enemy! This vile Haman!”

Then Haman was terrified before the king and queen. ⁷ The king got up in a rage,^(G) left his wine and went out into the palace garden.^(H) But Haman, realizing that the king had already decided his fate,^(I) stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life.

⁸ Just as the king returned from the palace garden to the banquet hall, Haman was falling on the couch^(J) where Esther was reclining.^(K)

The king exclaimed, “Will he even molest the queen while she is with me in the house?”^(L)

As soon as the word left the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.^{(M) 9} Then Harbona,^(N) one of the eunuchs attending the king, said, “A pole reaching to a height of fifty cubits^[b](O) stands by Haman’s house. He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up to help the king.”

The king said, “Impale him on it!”^{(P) 10} So they impaled^(Q) Haman^(R) on the pole^(S) he had set up for Mordecai.^(T) Then the king’s fury subsided.^(U)

The King’s Edict in Behalf of the Jews

8 That same day King Xerxes gave Queen Esther the estate of Haman,^(V) the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. ² The king took off his signet ring,^(W) which he had reclaimed from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed him over Haman’s estate.^(X)

³ Esther again pleaded with the king, falling at his feet and weeping. She begged him to put an end to the evil plan of Haman the Agagite,^(Y) which he had devised against the Jews. ⁴ Then the king extended the gold scepter^(Z) to Esther and she arose and stood before him.

⁵ “If it pleases the king,” she said, “and if he regards me with favor^(AA) and thinks it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let an order be written overruling the dispatches that Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, devised and wrote to destroy the Jews in all the king’s provinces. ⁶ For how can I bear to see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear to see the destruction of my family?”^(AB)

⁷ King Xerxes replied to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Because Haman attacked the Jews, I have given his estate to Esther, and they have impaled^(AC) him on the pole he set up. ⁸ Now write another decree^(AD) in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to you, and seal^(AE) it with the king’s signet ring^(AF)—for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.”^(AG)

⁹ At once the royal secretaries were summoned—on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. They wrote out all Mordecai’s orders to the Jews, and to the satraps, governors and nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush.^[c](AH) These orders were written in the script of each province and the language of each people and also to the Jews in their own script and language.^{(AI) 10} Mordecai wrote in the name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king’s signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode fast horses especially bred for the king.

¹¹ The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children,^[d] and to plunder^(AJ) the property of their enemies. ¹² The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.^{(AK) 13} 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 the Jews would be ready on that day^(AL) to avenge themselves on their enemies.

¹⁴ The couriers, riding the royal horses, went out, spurred on by the king’s command, and the edict was issued in the citadel of Susa.^(AM)

The Triumph of the Jews

¹⁵ When Mordecai^(AN) left the king’s presence, he was wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold^(AO) and a purple robe of fine linen.^(AP) And the city of Susa held a joyous celebration.^{(AQ) 16} For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy,^(AR) gladness and honor.^{(AS) 17} In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy^(AT) and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear^(AU) of the Jews had seized them.^(AV)

1 A prophecy:^(A) The word^(B) of the Lord to Israel through Malachi.^[a]

Israel Doubts God’s Love

² “I have loved^(C) you,” says the Lord.

“But you ask,^(D) ‘How have you loved us?’

“Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob,^{(E) 3} but Esau I have hated,^(F) and I have turned his hill country into a wasteland^(G) and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.^(H)”

⁴ Edom^(I) may say, “Though we have been crushed, we will rebuild^(J) the ruins.”

But this is what the Lord Almighty says: “They may build, but I will demolish.^(K) They will be called the Wicked Land, a people always under the wrath of the Lord.^{(L) 5} You will see it with your own eyes and say, ‘Great^(M) is the Lord—even beyond the borders of Israel!’^(N)

Breaking Covenant Through Blemished Sacrifices

⁶ “A son honors his father,^(O) and a slave his master.^(P) If I am a father, where is the honor due me? If I am a master, where is the respect^(Q) due me?” says the Lord Almighty.^(R)

“It is you priests who show contempt for my name.

“But you ask,^(S) ‘How have we shown contempt for your name?’

⁷ “By offering defiled food^(T) on my altar.

“But you ask,^(U) ‘How have we defiled you?’

“By saying that the Lord’s table^(V) is contemptible. ⁸ When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is that not wrong? When you sacrifice lame or diseased animals,^(W) is that not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased^(X) with you? Would he accept you?” says the Lord Almighty.^(Y)

⁹ “Now plead with God to be gracious to us. With such offerings^(Z) from your hands, will he accept^(AA) you?”—says the Lord Almighty.

¹⁰ “Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors,^(AB) so that you would not light useless fires on my altar! I am not pleased^(AC) with you,” says the Lord Almighty, “and I will accept^(AD) no offering^(AE) from your hands. ¹¹ My name will be great^(AF) among the nations,^(AG) from where the sun rises to where it sets.^(AH) In every place incense^(AI) and pure offerings^(AJ) will be brought to me, because my name will be great among the nations,” says the Lord Almighty.

¹² “But you profane it by saying, ‘The Lord’s table^(AK) is defiled,’ and, ‘Its food^(AL) is contemptible.’ ¹³ And you say, ‘What a burden!’^(AM) and you sniff at it contemptuously,^(AN)” says the Lord Almighty.

“When you bring injured, lame or diseased animals and offer them as sacrifices,^(AO) should I accept them from your hands?”^(AP) says the Lord. ¹⁴ “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal^(AQ) to the Lord. For I am a great king,^(AR)” says the Lord Almighty,^(AS) “and my name is to be feared^(AT) among the nations.^(AU)

Additional Warning to the Priests

2 “And now, you priests, this warning is for you.^{(AV) 2} If you do not listen,^(AW) and if you do not resolve to honor^(AX) my name,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will send a curse^(AY) on you, and I will curse your blessings.^(AZ) Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not resolved to honor me.

³ “Because of you I will rebuke your descendants^[b]; I will smear on your faces the dung^(BA) from your festival sacrifices, and you will be carried off with it.^{(BB) 4} And you will know that I have sent you this warning so that my covenant with Levi^(BC) may continue,” says the Lord Almighty. ⁵ “My covenant was with him, a covenant^(BD) of life and peace,^(BE) and I gave them to him; this called for reverence^(BF) and he revered me and stood in awe of my name. ⁶ True instruction^(BG) was in his mouth and nothing false was found on his lips. He walked^(BH) with me in peace^(BI) and uprightness,^(BJ) and turned many from sin.^(BK)

⁷ “For the lips of a priest^(BL) ought to preserve knowledge, because he is the messenger^(BM) of the Lord Almighty and people seek instruction from his mouth.^{(BN) 8} But you have turned from the way^(BO) and by your teaching have caused many to stumble;^(BP) you have violated the covenant^(BQ) with Levi,”^(BR) says the Lord Almighty. ⁹ “So I have caused you to be despised^(BS) and humiliated^(BT) before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality^(BU) in matters of the law.”^(BV)

Breaking Covenant Through Divorce

¹⁰ Do we not all have one Father^[c]?^(BW) Did not one God create us?^(BX) Why do we profane the covenant^(BY) of our ancestors by being unfaithful^(BZ) to one another?

¹¹ Judah has been unfaithful. A detestable^(CA) thing has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem: Judah has desecrated the sanctuary the Lord loves^(CB) by marrying^(CC) women who worship a foreign god.^{(CD) 12} As for the man who does this, whoever he may be, may the Lord remove^(CE) him from the tents of Jacob^[d](CF)—even though he brings an offering^(CG) to the Lord Almighty.

¹³ Another thing you do: You flood the Lord’s altar with tears.^(CH) You weep and wail^(CI) because he no longer looks with favor^(CJ) on your offerings or accepts them with pleasure from your hands.^{(CK) 14} You ask,^(CL) “Why?” It is because the Lord is the witness^(CM) between you and the wife of your youth.^(CN) You have been unfaithful to her, though she is your partner, the wife of your marriage covenant.^(CO)

¹⁵ Has not the one God made you?^(CP) You belong to him in body and spirit. And what does the one God seek? Godly offspring.^[e](CQ) So be on your guard,^(CR) and do not be unfaithful^(CS) to the wife of your youth.

¹⁶ “The man who hates and divorces his wife,^(CT)” says the Lord, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,”^[f](CU) says the Lord Almighty.

So be on your guard,^(CV) and do not be unfaithful.

Breaking Covenant Through Injustice

¹⁷ You have wearied^(CW) the Lord with your words.

“How have we wearied him?” you ask.^(CX)

By saying, “All who do evil are good in the eyes of the Lord, and he is pleased^(CY) with them” or “Where is the God of justice?^(CZ)”

Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon’s Fall

19 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude^(A) in heaven shouting:

³ And again they shouted:

⁴ The twenty-four elders^(J) and the four living creatures^(K) fell down^(L) and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

⁵ Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude,^(P) like the roar of rushing waters^(Q) and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts^(Y) of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me,^(Z) “Write this:^(AA) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”^(AB) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”^(AC)

¹⁰ At this I fell at his feet to worship him.^(AD) But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God!^(AE) For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”^(AF)

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

¹¹ I saw heaven standing open^(AG) and there before me was a white horse, whose rider^(AH) is called Faithful and True.^(AI) With justice he judges and wages war.^{(AJ) 12} His eyes are like blazing fire,^(AK) and on his head are many crowns.^(AL) He has a name written on him^(AM) that no one knows but he himself.^{(AN) 13} He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood,^(AO) and his name is the Word of God.^{(AP) 14} The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen,^(AQ) white^(AR) and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword^(AS) with which to strike down^(AT) the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[a](AU) He treads the winepress^(AV) of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:^(AW)

¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds^(AY) flying in midair,^(AZ) “Come,^(BA) gather together for the great supper of God,^{(BB) 18} so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people,^(BC) free and slave,^(BD) great and small.”^(BE)

¹⁹ Then I saw the beast^(BF) and the kings of the earth^(BG) and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse^(BH) and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet^(BI) who had performed the signs^(BJ) on its behalf.^(BK) With these signs he had deluded^(BL) those who had received the mark of the beast^(BM) and worshiped its image.^(BN) The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake^(BO) of burning sulfur.^{(BP) 21} The rest were killed with the sword^(BQ) coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse,^(BR) and all the birds^(BS) gorged themselves on their flesh.

The Thousand Years

20 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven,^(BT) having the key^(BU) to the Abyss^(BV) and holding in his hand a great chain. ² He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan,^(BW) and bound him for a thousand years.^{(BX) 3} He threw him into the Abyss,^(BY) and locked and sealed^(BZ) it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations^(CA) anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

⁴ I saw thrones^(CB) on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge.^(CC) And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded^(CD) because of their testimony about Jesus^(CE) and because of the word of God.^(CF) They^[b] had not worshiped the beast^(CG) or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands.^(CH) They came to life and reigned^(CI) with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection.^{(CJ) 6} Blessed^(CK) and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death^(CL) has no power over them, but they will be priests^(CM) of God and of Christ and will reign with him^(CN) for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

⁷ When the thousand years are over,^(CO) Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations^(CP) in the four corners of the earth^(CQ)—Gog and Magog^(CR)—and to gather them for battle.^(CS) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.^{(CT) 9} They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded^(CU) the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.^(CV) But fire came down from heaven^(CW) and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them,^(CX) was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur,^(CY) where the beast^(CZ) and the false prophet^(DA) had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.^(DB)

The Judgment of the Dead

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne^(DC) and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence,^(DD) and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(DE) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(DF) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(DG) The dead were judged^(DH) according to what they had done^(DI) as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades^(DJ) gave up the dead^(DK) that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.^{(DL) 14} Then death^(DM) and Hades^(DN) were thrown into the lake of fire.^(DO) The lake of fire is the second death.^{(DP) 15} Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life^(DQ) was thrown into the lake of fire.