Now King Ahasuerus imposed a tax on the land and the ^acoastlands of the sea. 2 And every accomplishment of his authority and power, and the full account of the greatness of Mordecai ^awith which the king honored him, are they not written in ^bthe Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was ^asecond only to King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews and in favor with his many kinsmen, ^bone who sought the good of his people and one who spoke for the welfare of his entire ¹nation.