Now ain the twelfth month
(that is, the month
Adar
), on bthe thirteenth
1day
cwhen
the king's
command
and edict
2were about to be executed
, on the day
when
the enemies
of the Jews
hoped
to gain
the mastery
over
them, it was turned
to the contrary so that the Jews
themselves
gained
the mastery
over
those who hated
them.
aThe Jews assembled
in their cities
throughout all
the provinces
of King
Ahasuerus
to lay
hands
on those who sought
their harm
; and no
one
could stand
before
them, bfor the dread
of them had fallen
on all
the peoples
.
Even all the princes
of the provinces
, athe satraps
, the governors
and those who were doing
the king's
business
1assisted
the Jews
, because
the dread
of Mordecai
had fallen
on them.
Indeed, Mordecai
was great
in the king's
house
, and his fame
spread
throughout all
the provinces
; for the man
Mordecai
abecame
greater
and greater
.
Thus athe Jews struck
all
their enemies
with 1the sword
, killing
and destroying
; and they did
what
they pleased
to those who hated
them.
At the citadel in Susa
the Jews
killed
and destroyed
five
hundred
men
,
and Parshandatha, Dalphon
, Aspatha
,
Parmashta, Arisai
, Aridai
and Vaizatha
,
athe ten sons
of Haman
the son
of Hammedatha
, the Jews'
enemy
; but bthey did not lay
their hands
on the plunder
.
On that day the number
of those who were killed
at the citadel
in Susa
1was reported
to the king
.
The king said
to Queen
Esther
, "The Jews
have killed
and destroyed
five
hundred
men
and the ten
sons
of Haman
at the citadel
in Susa
. What
then have they done
in the rest
of the king's
provinces
! aNow what
is your petition
? It shall even be granted
you. And what
is your further
request
? It shall also be done
."
Then said Esther
, "If
it pleases
the king
, alet tomorrow
also
be granted
to the Jews
who
are in Susa
to do
according to the edict
of today
; and let Haman's
ten
sons
be hanged
on the gallows
."
So the king commanded
that it should be done
so
; and an edict
was issued
in Susa
, and Haman's
ten
sons
were hanged
.
The Jews who
were in Susa
assembled
also
on the fourteenth
day
of the month
Adar
and killed
athree
hundred
men
in Susa
, but bthey did not lay
their hands
on the plunder
.
Now athe rest of the Jews
who
were in the king's
provinces
bassembled
, to defend
their lives
and 1rid
themselves
of their enemies
, and kill
75,000
of those who hated
them; but they did not lay
their hands
on the plunder
.
This was done on athe thirteenth day
of the month
Adar
, and bon the fourteenth
1day they rested
and made
it a day
of feasting
and rejoicing
.
But the Jews who
were in Susa
aassembled
on the thirteenth
and bthe fourteenth
1of the same month, and they rested
on the fifteenth
1day and made
it a day
of feasting
and rejoicing
.
Therefore the Jews
of the rural
areas
, who live
in athe rural
towns
, make
the fourteenth
day
of the month
Adar
a 1 bholiday
for rejoicing
and feasting
and csending
portions
of food to one
another
.
Then Mordecai recorded
these
events
, and he sent
letters
to all
the Jews
who
were in all
the provinces
of King
Ahasuerus
, both near
and far
,
obliging them to celebrate
the fourteenth
day
of the month
Adar
, and the fifteenth
day
1of the same month, annually
,
because on those days the Jews
1rid
themselves
of their enemies
, and it was a month
which
was aturned
for them from sorrow
into gladness
and from mourning
into a 2holiday
; that they should make
them days
of feasting
and rejoicing
and bsending
portions
of food to one
another
and gifts
to the poor
.
Thus the Jews undertook
what
they had started
to do
, and what
Mordecai
had written
to them.
For Haman the son
of Hammedatha
, the Agagite
, the adversary
of all
the Jews
, had schemed
against
the Jews
to destroy
them and ahad cast
Pur
, that is the lot
, to disturb
them and destroy
them.
But awhen it came 1to the king's
attention
, he commanded
by letter
bthat his wicked
scheme
which
he had 2devised
against
the Jews
, cshould return
on his own head
and that he and his sons
should be hanged
on the 3gallows
.
Therefore they called
these
days
Purim
after
the name
of Pur
. 1And abecause
of the instructions
in this
letter
, both what
they had seen
in this
regard
and what
had happened
to them,
the Jews established
and 1made
a custom
for themselves and for their 2descendants
and for aall
those who allied
themselves with them, so that 3they would not fail
bto celebrate
these
two
days
according to their 4regulation
and according to their appointed
time
annually
.
So these days
were to be remembered
and celebrated
throughout every
generation
, every
family
, every
province
and every
city
; and these
days
of Purim
were not to 1fail
from among
the Jews
, or their memory
2fade
from their 3descendants
.
Then Queen Esther
, adaughter
of Abihail
, with Mordecai
the Jew
, wrote
with full
authority
to confirm
bthis
second
letter
about Purim
.
He sent letters
to all
the Jews
, ato the 127
provinces
of the kingdom
of Ahasuerus
, namely, words
of peace
and truth
,
to establish these
days
of Purim
at their appointed
times
, just
as Mordecai
the Jew
and Queen
Esther
had established
for them, and just
as they had established
for themselves
and for their 1descendants
with 2instructions
afor their times
of fasting
and their lamentations
.
The command of Esther
established
these
1customs
for aPurim
, and it was written
in the book
.