Esther 9

1 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the king's order and decree were to be carried out. That day the enemies of the Jews had thought they would crush them, but the exact opposite happened—the Jews crushed their enemies.

And in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the king's command with his law drew near to he put into execution, on the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to have power over them, which had been changed nevertheless, so that the Jews had power over those that hated them,

2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those who wanted to destroy them. Nobody could oppose them, because all the other people were afraid of them.

The Jews assembled together in their cities, throughout all the provinces of king Achashverosh, to stretch out their hand against those that had sought their injury: and no man could keep standing before them; for the dread of them had fallen upon all the nations.

3 All the officials of the provinces, the chief officers, the governors, and the king's officials helped the Jews, because they were afraid of Mordecai.

And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the governors, and the superintendents of the affairs of the king, elevated the Jews; because the dread of Mordecai had fallen upon them.

4 Mordecai had a great deal of power in the royal palace, and his reputation spread throughout the provinces as his power increased.

For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai became greater and greater.

5 The Jews attacked their enemies with swords, killing and destroying them, and they did whatever they wanted to their enemies.

And the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and extermination; and they acted with those that hated them according to their pleasure.

6 In the fortress of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.

And in Shushan the capital the Jews slew and exterminated five hundred men.

7 This included Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

And Poratha, and Adalya, and Aridatha,

9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,

And Parmashtha, and Arissai, and Aridai, and Vayzatha,

10 the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they did not take their possessions.

The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the adversary of the Jews, did they slay; but to the spoil did they not stretch forth their hand.

11 The same day, when the number of those killed in the fortress of Susa was reported to the king,

On that same day came the number of those that were slain in Shushan the capital before the king.

12 he said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in the fortress of Susa, including Haman's ten sons. Imagine what they've done in the rest of the royal provinces! Now what is it you'd like to ask? It will be given to you. What more do you want? It will be granted.”

Then said the king unto Esther the queen, In Shushan the capital have the Jews slain and exterminated five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman: what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request farther? and it shall be done.

13 “If it please Your Majesty,” Esther replied, “allow the Jews in Susa be allowed to do the same tomorrow as they did today, following the decree. Also, let the ten sons of Haman be impaled on poles.”

Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do according to the law of this day, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.

14 The king ordered this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and they impaled the bodies of Haman's ten sons.

And the king ordered that it should be done so; and the law was given out at Shushan; and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.

15 On the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa gathered together again and killed three hundred men there, but again they did not take their possessions.

And the Jews that were in Shushan assembled together also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and slew at Shushan three hundred men; but to the spoil they did not stretch forth their hand.

16 The other Jews in the king's provinces also gathered to defend themselves and get rid of their enemies. They killed 75,000 who hated them, but did not touch their possessions.

And the remaining Jews that were in the king's provinces assembled together, and stood forward for their life, and procured rest from their enemies, and slew of those that hated them seventy and five thousand; but to the spoil did they not stretch forth their hand,

17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and celebration.

On the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and they rested on the fourteenth day thereof, and made it a day of entertainment and joy.

18 However, the Jews in Susa had gathered to fight on the thirteenth and the fourteenth days of the month. So they rested on the fifteenth day, and made that a day of feasting and celebration.

But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof, and rested on the fifteenth thereof, and made it a day of entertainment and joy.

19 To this day rural Jews, living in the villages, observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day of celebration and feasting, a holiday when they send gifts to one another.

Therefore do the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar as one of joy and entertainment, and a feast-day, and of sending portions one to another.

20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces ruled by King Xerxes, near and far,

And Mordecai wrote down these events; and he sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of king Achashverosh, those nigh and those far away,

21 requiring them to celebrate every year the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar

To take it on themselves as a duty, that they should celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same in each and every year,

22 as the time when the Jews rested from their victory over their enemies, and as the month when their sadness was turned into joy and their mourning into a time of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.

Like those days whereon the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was changed unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a feast-day: to make them days of entertainment and joy, and of sending portions one to the other, and gifts to the needy.

23 The Jews agreed to continue what they had already started doing, following what Mordecai had written to them.

And the Jews took upon themselves that which they had begun already to do, and that which Mordecai had written unto them.

24 For Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted to destroy the Jews, and had cast “pur” (meaning a “lot”) to crush and destroy them.

Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to exterminate them, and had cast the Pur, that is, the lot, to destroy them, and to exterminate them.

25 But when it came to the king's attention, he sent out letters ordering that the evil scheme which Haman had planned against the Jews should rebound on him, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.

But when [Esther] came before the king, he ordered by that letter that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head: and they hanged him and his sons on the gallows.

26 (That's why these days are called Purim, from the word Pur.) As a result of all the instructions in Mordecai's letter, and what they'd seen, and what had happened to them,

Therefore did they call these days Purim, after the name of Pur: therefore, because of all the words of this letter, both for that which they had experienced thereby, and for that which had occurred unto them,

27 the Jews committed themselves to adopt the practice that they and their descendants and all who join them should not forget to celebrate these two days as set down, and at the right time every year.

The Jews confirmed it as a duty, and took upon themselves, and upon their seed, and upon all such as join themselves unto them, so that no one should fail therein, that they would celebrate these two days according to their prescription, and at their appointed time, in each and every year.

28 These days were to be remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city, so that these days of Purim would always be observed among the Jews, and they would not be forgotten by their descendants.

And these days are remembered and celebrated throughout each and every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and these days of Purim will not pass away from the midst of the Jews, nor will their memorial cease from their seed.

29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote a letter, along with Mordecai the Jew, giving in her letter full authority to Mordecai's letter about Purim.

Then wrote Esther the queen, the daughter of Abichayil, with Mordecai the Jew, with all due strength, to confirm this letter of Purim the second time.

30 Letters expressing peace and reassurance were also sent all the Jews in the 127 provinces of the empire of King Xerxes.

And he sent letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Achashverosh, word's of peace and truth,

31 They established these days of Purim at their given time as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had ordered, committing themselves and their descendants to the times of fasting and mourning.

To confirm these days of Purim in their times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined on them, and as they had confirmed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their prayers.

32 In this way Esther's decree confirmed these practices regarding Purim, which were entered in the official record.

And the order of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.