Esther Becomes Queen

2 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, he remembered Vashti, ^(A)what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. ² Then the king’s servants who attended him said: “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king; ³ and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to ^[a]Shushan the ^[b]citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of ^[c]Hegai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them. ⁴ Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.”

This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

⁵ In ^[d]Shushan the ^[e]citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of ^(B)Kish, a Benjamite. ^6 (C)Kish^[f] had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with ^[g]Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. ⁷ And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, ^(D)his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

⁸ So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were ^(E)gathered at ^[h]Shushan the ^[i]citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women. ⁹ Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave ^(F)beauty preparations to her, besides ^[j]her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.

^10 (G)Esther had not ^[k]revealed her people or family, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. ¹¹ And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.

¹² Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women. ¹³ Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

¹⁵ Now when the turn came for Esther ^(H)the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther ^(I)obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. ¹⁶ So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. ¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal ^(J)crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then the king ^(K)made a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the ^[l]generosity of a king.

Mordecai Discovers a Plot

¹⁹ When virgins were gathered together a second time, Mordecai sat within the king’s gate. ^20 (L)Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people, just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him.

²¹ In those days, while Mordecai sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, ^[m]Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. ²² So the matter became known to Mordecai, ^(M)who told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. ²³ And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in ^(N)the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.

Haman’s Conspiracy Against the Jews

3 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the ^(O)Agagite, and ^(P)advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him. ² And all the king’s servants who were ^(Q)within the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman, for so the king had commanded concerning him. But Mordecai ^(R)would not bow or pay homage. ³ Then the king’s servants who were within the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress the ^(S)king’s command?” ⁴ Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai’s words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ When Haman saw that Mordecai ^(T)did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was ^(U)filled with wrath. ⁶ But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman ^(V)sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

⁷ In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, ^(W)they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman ^[n]to determine the day and the ^[o]month, ^[p]until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

⁸ Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; ^(X)their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain. ⁹ If it pleases the king, let a decree be written that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the king’s treasuries.”

¹⁰ So the king ^(Y)took ^(Z)his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the ^(AA)enemy of the Jews. ¹¹ And the king said to Haman, “The money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”

^12 (AB)Then the king’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded—to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province ^(AC)according to its script, and to every people in their language. ^(AD)In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king’s signet ring. ¹³ And the letters were ^(AE)sent by couriers into all the king’s provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, ^(AF)in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and ^(AG)to plunder their ^[q]possessions. ^14 (AH)A copy of the document was to be issued as law in every province, being published for all people, that they should be ready for that day. ¹⁵ The couriers went out, hastened by the king’s command; and the decree was proclaimed in ^[r]Shushan the ^[s]citadel. So the king and Haman sat down to drink, but ^(AI)the city of Shushan was ^[t]perplexed.

What Was Heard, Seen, and Touched^(A)

1 That ^(B)which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have ^(C)seen with our eyes, ^(D)which we have looked upon, and ^(E)our hands have handled, concerning the ^(F)Word of life— ^2 (G)the life ^(H)was manifested, and we have seen, ^(I)and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was ^(J)with the Father and was manifested to us— ³ that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is ^(K)with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. ⁴ And these things we write to you ^(L)that ^[a]your joy may be full.

Fellowship with Him and One Another

^5 (M)This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that ^(N)God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ^6 (O)If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷ But if we ^(P)walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and ^(Q)the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

⁸ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we ^(R)confess our sins, He is ^(S)faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to ^(T)cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we ^(U)make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

The Test of Knowing Christ

2 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, ^(A)we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ² And ^(B)He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but ^(C)also for the whole world.

The Test of Knowing Him

³ Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. ⁴ He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a ^(D)liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵ But ^(E)whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God ^[a]is perfected ^(F)in him. By this we know that we are in Him. ^6 (G)He who says he abides in Him ^(H)ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

^7 [b]Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had ^(I)from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard ^[c]from the beginning. ⁸ Again, ^(J)a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, ^(K)because the darkness is passing away, and ^(L)the true light is already shining.

^9 (M)He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. ^10 (N)He who loves his brother abides in the light, and ^(O)there is no cause for stumbling in him. ¹¹ But he who ^(P)hates his brother is in darkness and ^(Q)walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Their Spiritual State

Do Not Love the World

^15 (V)Do not love the world or the things in the world. ^(W)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, ^(X)the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. ¹⁷ And ^(Y)the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Deceptions of the Last Hour

^18 (Z)Little children, ^(AA)it is the last hour; and as you have heard that ^(AB)the^[d] Antichrist is coming, ^(AC)even now many antichrists have come, by which we know ^(AD)that it is the last hour. ^19 (AE)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for ^(AF)if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out ^(AG)that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

²⁰ But ^(AH)you have an anointing ^(AI)from the Holy One, and ^(AJ)you^[e] know all things. ²¹ I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

^22 (AK)Who is a liar but he who denies that ^(AL)Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. ^23 (AM)Whoever denies the Son does not have the ^(AN)Father either; ^(AO)he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

Let Truth Abide in You

²⁴ Therefore let that abide in you ^(AP)which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, ^(AQ)you also will abide in the Son and in the Father. ^25 (AR)And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.

²⁶ These things I have written to you concerning those who try to ^[f]deceive you. ²⁷ But the ^(AS)anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and ^(AT)you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing ^(AU)teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you ^[g]will abide in Him.

The Children of God

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in Him, that ^[h]when He appears, we may have ^(AV)confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. ^29 (AW)If you know that He is righteous, you know that ^(AX)everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.