1 King Ahasuerus laid a tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea.
2 All his powerful and mighty deeds, together with a full account of Mordecai's greatness, to which the king had raised him, are they not recorded in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?
3 For Mordecai the Jew ranked second only to King Ahasuerus. He was a great man among the Jews and well regarded by his many fellow Jews, because he worked for the good of his people and spoke up for the welfare of all his descendants.