9
1 Now
in the twelfth
month, which is
the month Adar, on
the thirteenth day
of the month,
when the king’s
commandment and
his decree came
near to be
put in execution,
on the day
that the enemies
of the Jews
hoped to conquer
them, (but it
turned out that
the opposite
happened, that the
Jews conquered those
who hated them),
2 the
Jews gathered
themselves together
in their cities
throughout all the
provinces of the
King Ahasuerus, to
lay hands on
those who wanted
to harm them.
No one could
withstand them,
because the fear
of them had
fallen on all
the people.
3 All
the princes of
the provinces,
the local governors,
the governors, and
those who did
the king’s
business helped
the Jews, because
the fear of
Mordecai had
fallen on them.
4 For
Mordecai was great
in the king’s
house, and his
fame went out
throughout all the
provinces, for the
man Mordecai grew
greater and
greater.
5 The
Jews struck all
their enemies with
the stroke of
the sword, and
with slaughter
and destruction, and
did what
they wanted to
those who hated
them.
6 In
the citadel of
Susa, the Jews
killed and
destroyed five
hundred men.
7 They killed
Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 Poratha,
Adalia, Aridatha,
9 Parmashta,
Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,
10 the
ten sons of
Haman the son
of Hammedatha, the
Jews’ enemy, but
they didn’t lay
their hand on
the plunder.
11 On
that day, the
number of those
who were slain
in the citadel
of Susa was
brought before the
king.
12 The
king said to Esther
the queen, “The
Jews have slain
and destroyed five
hundred men in
the citadel of
Susa, including
the ten sons
of Haman; what
then have they
done in the
rest of the
king’s provinces!
Now what is
your petition? It
shall be granted
you. What is
your further
request? It shall
be done.”
13 Then Esther
said, “If it
pleases the king,
let it be
granted to the
Jews who are
in Susa to
do tomorrow also
according to
today’s decree,
and let Haman’s
ten sons be
hanged on the
gallows.”
14 The
king commanded this
to be done.
A decree was
given out in
Susa; and they
hanged Haman’s ten
sons.
15 The
Jews who were
in Susa gathered
themselves together
on the fourteenth
day also of
the month Adar,
and killed three
hundred men in
Susa; but
they didn’t lay
their hand on
the plunder.
16 The
other Jews who
were in the
king’s provinces
gathered themselves
together, defended their
lives, had rest
from their enemies,
and killed
seventy-five thousand of
those who hated
them; but
they didn’t lay
their hand on
the plunder.
17 This
was done on
the thirteenth day
of the month Adar;
and on the
fourteenth day of
that month they
rested and made
it a day
of feasting and
gladness.
18 But
the Jews who
were in Susa
assembled together
on the thirteenth
and on the
fourteenth days of
the month; and on
the fifteenth day
of that month,
they rested, and
made it a
day of feasting
and gladness.
19 Therefore
the Jews of
the villages, who
live in the
unwalled towns,
make the
fourteenth day of
the month Adar a
day of gladness
and feasting, a
holiday, and a
day of
sending presents of
food to one
another.
20 Mordecai
wrote these things,
and sent letters
to all the
Jews who were
in all the
provinces of the
King Ahasuerus, both
near and far,
21 to enjoin
them that they
should keep the
fourteenth and
fifteenth days of
the month Adar
yearly,
22 as
the days in
which the Jews
had rest from
their enemies, and
the month which
was turned to
them from sorrow
to gladness, and
from mourning into
a holiday; that
they should make
them days of
feasting and
gladness, and of
sending presents
of food to
one another, and
gifts to the needy.
23 The
Jews accepted the
custom that they
had begun, as
Mordecai had
written to them,
24 because
Haman the son
of Hammedatha,
the Agagite, the
enemy of all
the Jews, had
plotted against
the Jews to
destroy them, and
had cast “Pur”,
that is the
lot, to consume
them and to
destroy them;
25 but
when this
became known to
the king,
he commanded by
letters that his
wicked plan, which
he had planned
against the Jews,
should return on
his own head,
and that he
and his sons
should be hanged
on the gallows.
26 Therefore
they called these
days “Purim”,
from the word “Pur.” Therefore because
of all the
words of
this letter, and
of that which
they had seen
concerning this
matter, and that
which had come
to them,
27 the
Jews established
and imposed on
themselves, on
their descendants,
and on all
those who joined
themselves to them,
so that it
should not fail
that they would
keep these two
days according to
what was written
and according to
its appointed time
every year;
28 and
that these days
should be
remembered and
kept throughout
every generation,
every family,
every province,
and every city;
and that these
days of Purim
should not fail
from among the
Jews, nor their
memory perish from
their offspring.
29 Then Esther
the queen, the
daughter of Abihail,
and Mordecai the
Jew wrote with
all authority to
confirm this
second letter of
Purim.
30 He
sent letters to
all the Jews
in the hundred
twenty-seven provinces
of the kingdom
of Ahasuerus with
words of peace
and truth,
31 to
confirm these days
of Purim in
their appointed
times, as Mordecai
the Jew and Esther
the queen had
decreed, and as
they had imposed
upon themselves
and their
descendants in the
matter of the
fastings and
their mourning.
32 The
commandment of Esther
confirmed these
matters of Purim;
and it was
written in the
book.