Ch 1-3 edits/corrections

17-EST.usfm

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-\v 1 King Ahasuerus ruled a very big empire which had 127 provinces. It extended from India in the east to Ethiopia in the west.
+\v 1 King Ahasuerus ruled a very large empire that had 127 provinces. It extended from India in the east to Ethiopia in the west.
 \v 2 He ruled the empire while he lived in the most strongly fortified part of the city of Susa.
 
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-\v 3 During the third year after he had become king, he invited all his administrators and other officials to a feast. He invited the armies of Persia and Media to come to the feast. He also invited the governors and other leaders of the provinces.
-\v 4 The celebration lasted for 180 days. During that time the king showed to the guests all his wealth and other things that made his kingdom great.
+\v 3 During the third year after he had become king, he invited all of his administrators and other officials to a feast. He invited the armies of Persia and Media to come to the feast. He also invited the governors and other leaders of the provinces.
+\v 4 The celebration lasted for 180 days. During that time, the king showed to the guests all of his wealth and other things that made his kingdom great.
 
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 \v 7 The guests drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it. The king was generous with the wine, and they had much to drink.
-\v 8 There was a lot of wine, because the king wanted the guests to drink as much as they wanted, but the rule was, "No one is forced to drink."
+\v 8 There was much wine because the king wanted the guests to drink as much as they wanted, but the rule was, "No one is forced to drink."
 
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 \v 9 Queen Vashti invited the women to a feast in another place in the palace.
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-\v 10 On the seventh day of those banquets, when King Ahasuerus was partially drunk from drinking wine, he spoke with Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas (these were the seven servants who filled his personal needs and wishes).
+\v 10 On the seventh day of those banquets, when King Ahasuerus was partially drunk from drinking wine, he spoke with Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Karkas—these were the seven servants who filled his personal needs and wishes.
 \v 11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her royal crown. He wanted his guests to see how beautiful she was.
 
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 \v 13 So the king talked with the men who were known to be wise, who understood the things that happened in their lives and the laws about these things.
-\v 14 Now the ones close to him were Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memukan, seven princes of Persia and Media. They held the highest positions in his kingdom, and the king paid attention to them when they spoke.
+\v 14 Now the ones close to him were Karshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memukan—seven princes of Persia and Media. They held the highest positions in his kingdom, and the king paid attention to them when they spoke.
 \v 15 The king said to them, "Queen Vashti has refused to obey me when I sent my servants to tell her to come here. What do our laws say that we should do to someone who acts like that?"
 
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 \v 2 So his personal servants said to him, "Your Majesty, you should send some men to search for beautiful young virgin girls for the king.
 
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-\v 3 After they find some, you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep your wives here in Susa. They are to be cared for by Hegai (the king's eunuch) who is who protects and cares for these women, he can arrange for their cosmetics.
+\v 3 After they find some, you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep your wives here in Susa. They are to be cared for by Hegai the king's eunuch, who protects and cares for these women. He can arrange for their cosmetics.
 \v 4 Then the young girl who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti." The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
 
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-\v 5 At that time there was a Jew living in the city of Susa, whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair who was the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, and he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
+\v 5 At that time there was a Jew living in the city of Susa, whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair who was the son of Shimei son of Kish, and he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
 \v 6 Many years before that, Nebuchadnezzar, who had been king of Babylonia, had taken Mordecai and brought him from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was at the same time that he took away King Jehoiachin from Judah, along with many others.
 
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 \v 7 Mordecai was caring for his cousin, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. She had a beautiful face and a lovely figure, and she was called Esther. After her father and mother died, Mordecai took care of Esther as though she were his own daughter.
 
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-\v 8 After the king commanded that they search for some beautiful women, servants brought Esther and many other young women to the king's palace in Susa, and put them under the care of Hegai.
-\v 9 Hegai was pleased with Esther. He immediately arranged for her to have the cosmetics she wanted, and he arranged for special food to be given to her. He assigned servant girls from the king's palace and arranged for her to stay in the best rooms in the women's part of the palace.
+\v 8 After the king commanded that they search for some beautiful women, servants brought Esther and many other young women to the king's palace in Susa and put them under the care of Hegai.
+\v 9 Hegai was pleased with Esther. He immediately arranged for her to have the cosmetics she wanted, and he arranged for special food to be given to her. He assigned to her servant girls from the king's palace and arranged for her to stay in the best rooms in the women's part of the palace.
 
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 \v 10 Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, or anything about her relatives, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
-\v 11 Every day Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He stood in the courtyard hoping to find out what was happening to Esther.
+\v 11 Every day, Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He stood in the courtyard hoping to find out what was happening to Esther.
 
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 \v 13 When one of these women was summoned to go to the king, she was allowed to have whatever she wished to take with her from the house of the women, when she went to the king's palace.
 
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-\v 14 In the evening, she would go to the king, and the next morning she would return to the second house of the women, and to the protection of Shaashgaz, the king's official in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again, except when the king wanted her and called her by name.
+\v 14 In the evening she would go to the king, and the next morning she would return to the second house of the women and to the protection of Shaashgaz, the king's official in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again, except when the king wanted her and called her by name.
 
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-\v 15 Now when the time came for Esther (the daughter of Abihail, who was the uncle of Mordecai) to go in the king, she did not ask for anything from the house of the women to take with her, but only what Hegai, the king's official in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther pleased everyone who saw her.
+\v 15 Now when the time came for Esther (the daughter of Abihail, who was the uncle of Mordecai) to go to the king, she did not ask for anything from the house of the women to take with her except what Hegai, the king's official in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther pleased everyone who saw her.
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 \v 16 Esther was taken up to King Ahasuerus into royal the residence on the tenth month (which is the month of Tebeth), in the seventh year of his reign.
 
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 \v 17 The king loved Esther more than any of the other women whom they brought to him. So he put a crown on her head and declared that Esther would be the queen instead of Vashti.
-\v 18 To celebrate her becoming the queen, he gave a great feast in her honor, that he prepared for all his officials and servants. He granted relief from paying taxes to all the provinces and gave expensive gifts to all with generosity that only a king can give.
+\v 18 To celebrate her becoming the queen, he gave in her honor a great feast that he prepared for all his officials and servants. He granted relief from paying taxes to all the provinces and gave expensive gifts to all with generosity that only a king can give.
 
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-\v 19 Later all those young women were gathered together again. By that time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, where the elders and leaders would hold court and settle disputes for others in the kingdom.
-\v 20 But Esther still did not tell anyone about her family, or about her people, the Jews. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do; she continued to respect him and honor him by doing what he said.
-\v 21 One day when Mordecai was at the king's gate, two of the king's officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who protected the king, standing just outside the king's own rooms. They became angry with the king, and they were planning how they could do him great harm.
+\v 19 Later, all those young women were gathered together again. By that time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, where the elders and leaders would hold court and settle disputes for others in the kingdom.
+\v 20 But Esther still did not tell anyone about her family or about her people, the Jews. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do; she continued to respect him and honor him by doing what he said.
+\v 21 One day, when Mordecai was at the king's gate, two of the king's officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who protected the king, standing just outside the king's own rooms. They became angry with the king, and they were planning how they could do him great harm.
 
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-\v 22 But Mordecai heard about what they were planning, he told Queen Esther. Then she told the king, and she told the king that the information came from Mordecai, calling him by name.
-\v 23 The king investigated it and confirmed. So the king ordered those two men be hanged from a gallows. When that was done, an official wrote a report about it in the book called The History of the King.
+\v 22 When Mordecai heard about what they were planning, he told Queen Esther. Then she told the king, and she told the king that the information came from Mordecai, calling him by name.
+\v 23 The king investigated and confirmed it. So the king ordered those two men be hanged from a gallows. When that was done, an official wrote a report about it in the book called The History of the King.
 
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 \v 3 The other officials saw that, and they asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?"
-\v 4 They spoke with him day after day and he would not do what they said, or answer them. So they reported to Haman to see if he would tolerate Mordecai's actions, for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
+\v 4 They spoke with him day after day, and he would not do what they said or answer them. So they reported to Haman to see if he would tolerate Mordecai's actions, for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
 
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 \v 8 Then Haman went to the king and said to him, "Your Majesty, there is a certain group of people who live in many areas of your empire whose laws are different from ours. They even refuse to obey your laws. You should certainly not let them stay, but instead get rid of them.
-\v 9 If it pleases you, command that they should all be killed. If you do that, I will give 330,000 kilograms of silver to be weighed out and given into the accounts of those who are in of your treasury."
+\v 9 If it pleases you, command that they should all be killed. If you do that, I will give 330,000 kilograms of silver to be weighed out and given into the accounts of those who are in charge of your treasury."
 
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-\v 10 The king liked what Haman said, so, and to confirm what he decided, he gave the ring that had his official seal from his signet ring, and gave it to Haman, the Agagite, the one who hated the Jews.
+\v 10 The king liked what Haman said, so, and to confirm what he decided, he took the ring that had his official seal from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the one who hated the Jews.
 \v 11 The king told Haman, "I am giving the money back to you and your people. Do with it as you please."
 
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-\v 12 Then the king's scribes were called together on the thirteenth day of the first month. On that day, an order was written that had everything Haman commanded. The order was sent out to the king's provincial governors—those who were over all the provinces, to the governors of all the various people who were living in the kingdom, and to the officials of all the people. The order was written in every language and in the writing of those languages so they could be read and understood. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with the his own ring, which he had given to Haman to use.
-\v 13 Couriers in every province in the kingdom spread the decree. The order was to kill every Jew, to kill them all, and to destroy the Jewish people, from young to old, children and women. This was to be done on one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of Adar). When the Jews were dead, the rest of the people would be allowed to take all their possessions.
+\v 12 Then the king's scribes were called together on the thirteenth day of the first month. On that day, an order was written that had everything Haman commanded. The order was sent out to the king's provincial governors—those who were over all the provinces, to the governors of all the various people who were living in the kingdom, and to the officials of all the people. The order was written in every language and in the writing of those languages so they could be read and understood. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with his own ring that he had given to Haman to use.
+\v 13 Couriers in every province in the kingdom spread the decree. The order was to kill every Jew and to destroy the Jewish people, from young to old, including children and women. This was to be done on one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of Adar). When the Jews were dead, the rest of the people would be allowed to take all of their possessions.
 
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