Esther 9

1 So on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which as we have said above is called Adar, when all the Jews were designed to be massacred, and their enemies were greedy after their blood, the case being altered, the Jews began to have the upper hand, and to revenge themselves of their adversaries.

And, in the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the word of the king and his edict arrived to be put in execution, —on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it, was changed, so that the Jews themselves should have power over them who hated them,

2 And they gathered themselves together in every city, and town, and place, to lay their hands on their enemies, and their persecutors. And no one durst withstand them, for the fear of their power had gone through every people.

the Jews assembled themselves together in their cities, throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to thrust forth a hand against them who were seeking their hurt, and, no man, stood before them, for the dread of them had fallen upon all the peoples.

3 And the judges of the provinces, and the governors, and lieutenants, and every one in dignity, that presided over every place and work, extolled the Jews for fear of Mardochai:

And, all the rulers of the provinces, and the satraps and the pashas, and the doers of business that pertained to the king, were extolling the Jews, —for the dread of Mordecai, had fallen upon them;

4 For they knew him to be prince of the palace, and to have great power: and the fame of his name increased daily, and was spread abroad through all men’s mouths.

since great was Mordecai, in the house of the king, and, his fame, was going forth throughout all the provinces, —for, the man Mordecai, went on waxing great.

5 So the Jews made a great slaughter of their enemies, and killed them, repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them:

So then the Jews smote all their enemies, with the smiting of the sword and slaughter, and destruction, —and they dealt with them who hated them according to their pleasure.

6 Insomuch that even in Susan they killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Aman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews: whose names are these:

Yea, in Shusan the palace, did the Jews slay and destroy five hundred men.

7 Pharsandatha, and Delphon, and Esphatha,

And Parshandatha and Dalphon, and Aspatha;

8 And Phoratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha;

9 And Phermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Jezatha.

and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha; —

10 And when they had slain them, they would not touch the spoils of their goods.

the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the adversary of the Jews, slew they, —but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.

11 And presently the number of them that were killed in Susan was brought to the king.

On that day, came in the number of the slain into Shusan the palace, before the king.

12 And he said to the queen: The Jews have killed five hundred men in the city of Susan, besides the ten sons of Aman: how many dost thou think they have slain in all the provinces? What askest thou more, and what wilt thou have me to command to be done?

Then said the king unto Esther the queen, In Shusan the palace, have the Jews slain and caused to perish five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman, —in the rest of the provinces of the king, what have they done? What, then, is thy petition, that it may be granted thee? and what is thy request further, that it may he performed?

13 And she answered: If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews, to do tomorrow in Susan as they have done today, and that the ten sons of Aman may be hanged upon gibbets.

Then said Esther, If, unto the king, it seem good, let it be granted, to-morrow also, unto the Jews who are in Shusan, to do according to the edict of to-day, —and that, the ten sons of Haman, be hanged upon the gallows.

14 And the king commanded that it should be so done. And forthwith the edict was hung up in Susan, and the ten sons of Aman were hanged.

And the king commanded it to be done so, and there was given an edict, in Shusan, —and, the ten sons of Haman, they hanged.

15 And on the fourteenth day of the month Adar the Jews gathered themselves together, and they killed in Susan three hundred men: but they took not their substance.

So the Jews who were in Shusan assembled themselves together, on the fourteenth day also, of the month Adar, and slew in Shusan three hundred men, —but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.

16 Moreover through all the provinces which were subject to the king’s dominion the Jews stood for their lives, and slew their enemies and persecutors: insomuch that the number of them that were Billed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and no man took any of their goods.

And, the remainder of the Jews who were in the provinces of the king, assembled themselves together and stood for their life, and then had rest from their enemies, having slain of them that hated them seventy-five thousand, —but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand:

17 Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with them all of the slaughter, and on the fourteenth day they left off. Which they ordained to be kept holy day, so that all times hereafter they should celebrate it with feasting, joy, and banquets.

on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, —and then had rest on the fourteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.

18 But they that were killing in the city of Susan, were employed in the slaughter on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month: and on the fifteenth day they rested. And therefore they appointed that day to be a holy day of feasting and gladness.

But, the Jews who were in Shusan, assembled themselves together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth day thereof, —and then had rest on the fifteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.

19 But those Jews that dwelt in towns not walled and in villages, appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for banquets and gladness, so as to rejoice on that day, and send one another portions of their banquets and meats.

For this cause, the country Jews, who dwelt in the country towns, were making the fourteenth day of the month Adar one of rejoicing and banqueting, and a day of happiness, —and of sending portions every one to his neighbour.

20 And Mardochai wrote all these things, and sent them comprised in letters to the Jews that abode in all the king’s provinces, both those that lay near and those afar off,

And Mordecai wrote these things, —and sent letters unto all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near, and far off;

21 That they should receive the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always at the return of the year should celebrate them with solemn honour:

to establish for them, that they should continue to observe the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day thereof, —always year by year;

22 Because on those days the Jews revenged themselves of their enemies, and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy, and that these should be days of feasting and gladness, in which they should send one to another portions of meats; and should give gifts to the poor.

according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day, —that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.

23 And the Jews undertook to observe with solemnity all they had begun to do at that time, which Mardochai by letters had commanded to be done.

And the Jews took upon them that which they had begun to do, —and that which Mordecai had written unto them;

24 For Aman, the son of Amadathi of the race of Agag, the enemy and adversary of the Jews, had devised evil against them, to kill them and destroy them: and had cast Phur, that is, the lot.

because, Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews, to cause them to perish, —and had cast Pur, the same, is the Lot, to terrify them, and to destroy them;

25 And afterwards Esther went in to the king, beseeching him that his endeavours might be made void by the king’s letters: and the evil that he had intended against the Jews, might return upon his own head. And so both he and his sons were hanged upon gibbets.

but, by [Esther’s] going in before the king, he commanded by letter, that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews, should return, upon his own head, —and that he and his sons should be hanged upon the gallows.

26 And since that time these days are called Phurim, that is, of lots: because Phur, that is, the lot, was cast into the urn. And all things that were done, are contained in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this book:

For this cause, called they these days Purim, after the name Pur, for this cause, —for all the words of this epistle, —and what they had seen concerning such a matter, and what had reached unto them.

27 And the things that they suffered, and that were afterwards changed, the Jews took upon themselves and their seed, and upon all that had a mind to be joined to their religion, so that it should be lawful for none to pass these days without solemnity: which the writing testifieth, and certain times require, as the years continually succeed one another.

The Jews established and took upon themselves—and upon their seed, and upon all who should join themselves unto them, that it might not pass away, that they would continue to keep these two days, according to the writing concerning them and at their set time, —always year by year.

28 These are the days which shall never be forgot: and which all provinces in the whole world shall celebrate throughout all generations: neither is there any city wherein the days of Phurim, that is, of lots, must not be observed by the Jews, and by their posterity, which is bound to these ceremonies.

And, these days, were to be remembered and to be kept, always from generation to generation, by every family, every province, and every city, —that, these days of Purim, should not pass away, out of the midst of the Jews, and, the memorial of them, not cease from their seed.

29 And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mardochai the Jew, wrote also a second epistle, that with all diligence this day should be established a festival for the time to come.

Then wrote Esther the queen daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew, with all authority, —to confirm this second epistle concerning the Purim;

30 And they sent to all the Jews that were in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of king Assuerus, that they should have peace, and receive truth,

and he sent letters unto all the Jews, throughout the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, —words of peace and stability:

31 And observe the days of lots, and celebrate them with joy in their proper time: as Mardochai and Esther had appointed, and they undertook them to be observed by themselves and by their seed, fasts, and cries, and the days of lots,

to establish these days of the Purim, in their set times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined upon them, and according as they had enjoined upon their own soul, and upon their seed, —the story of the fastings and of their outcry.

32 And all things which are contained in the history of this book, which is called Esther.

And, the command of Esther, confirmed the story of these Purim, —and it was written in a book.