King James Version

Esther 7:4

For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not countervail the king’s damage.

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Hebrew

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כִּ֤יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙nimkarnvsellמָכַרverb, niphal, perfect, 1st person, common, plural — “sell”, a completed actionH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).אֲנִ֣יanimineאֲנִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “mine”H589II, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, [idiom] which, [idiom] who.וְעַמִּ֔יveamiand peopleעַםconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and people”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.לְהַשְׁמִ֖ידlehashmidto destoryשָׁמַדpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct — “to destory”, the to-form of the verbH8045to desolatedestory(-uction), bring to nought, overthrow, perish, pluck down, [idiom] utterly.לַהֲר֣וֹגlaharogto destroyהָרַגpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to destroy”, the to-form of the verbH2026to smite with deadly intentdestroy, out of hand, kill, murder(-er), put to (death), make (slaughter), slay(-er), [idiom] surely.וּלְאַבֵּ֑דuleabedand to destroyאָבַדconjunction, preposition, verb, piel, infinitive construct — “and to destroy”, the to-form of the verbH6properly, to wander away, i.e. lose oneself; by implication to perish (causative, destroy)break, destroy(-uction), [phrase] not escape, fail, lose, (cause to, make) perish, spend, [idiom] and surely, take, be undone, [idiom] utterly, be void of, have no way to flee.וְ֠אִלּוּveilvand but ifאִלּוּconjunction, conjunction — “and but if”H432nay, i.e. (softened) ifbut if, yea though.לַעֲבָדִ֨יםlaavadimto servantעֶבֶדpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “to servant”, the ordinary formH5650a servant[idiom] bondage, bondman, (bond-) servant, (man-) servant.וְלִשְׁפָח֤וֹתvelishfachotand to maidשִׁפְחָהconjunction, preposition, noun, common, feminine, plural, absolute — “and to maid”, the ordinary formH8198a female slave (as a member of the household)(bond-, hand-) maid(-en, -servant), wench, bondwoman, womanservant.נִמְכַּ֨רְנוּ֙nimkarnvsellמָכַרverb, niphal, perfect, 1st person, common, plural — “sell”, a completed actionH4376to sell, literally (as merchandise, a daughter in marriage, into slavery), or figuratively (to surrender)[idiom] at all, sell (away, -er, self).הֶחֱרַ֔שְׁתִּיhecherashtibe deafחָרַשׁverb, hiphil, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “be deaf”, a completed actionH2790to scratch, i.e. (by implication) to engrave, plough; hence (from the use of tools) to fabricate (of any material); figuratively, to devise (in a bad sense); hence (from the idea of secrecy) to be silent, to let alone; hence (by implication) to be deaf (as an accompaniment of dumbness)[idiom] altogether, cease, conceal, be deaf, devise, ear, graven, imagine, leave off speaking, hold peace, plow(-er, man), be quiet, rest, practise secretly, keep silence, be silent, speak not a word, be still, hold tongue, worker.כִּ֣יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אֵ֥יןeynelseאַיִןparticle, negative — “else”H369a non-entity; generally used as a negative particleelse, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare H370 (אַיִן).הַצָּ֛רhatsarthe narrowצַרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the narrow”, the ordinary formH6862narrow; (as a noun) a tight place (usually figuratively, i.e. trouble); also a pebble ; (transitive) an opponent (as crowding)adversary, afflicted(-tion), anguish, close, distress, enemy, flint, foe, narrow, small, sorrow, strait, tribulation, trouble.שֹׁוֶ֖הshovehbe likeשָׁוָהverb, qal, participle, absolute — “be like”, a verb used as a describing wordH7737properly, to level, i.e. equalize; figuratively, to resemble; by implication, to adjust (i.e. counterbalance, be suitable, compose, place, yield, etc.)avail, behave, bring forth, compare, countervail, (be, make) equal, lay, be (make, a-) like, make plain, profit, reckon.בְּנֵ֥זֶקbenezeqin damageנֵזֶקpreposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “in damage”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5143lossdamage.הַמֶּֽלֶךְhamelekhthe kingמֶלֶךְdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the king”, the ordinary formH4428a kingking, royal.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, for the adversary is not worthy that the king be endamaged.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s damage.

Young’s Literal Translation

for we have been sold, I and my people, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy; and if for men-servants and for maid-servants we had been sold I had kept silent — but the adversity is not equal to the loss of the king.'

World English Bible

For we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for male and female slaves, I would have held my peace, although the adversary could not have compensated for the king’s loss.”

Darby Translation

for we are sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the adversary could not compensate the king's damage.

Douay-Rheims

For we are given up, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. And would God we were sold for bondmen and bondwomen: the evil might be borne with, and I would have mourned in silence: but now we have an enemy, whose cruelty redoundeth upon the king.

American Standard Version (1901)

Young’s Literal Translation

World English Bible

Darby Translation

Douay-Rheims

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

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