9 *Now ain the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when bthe king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;) 2 The Jews cgathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as dsought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for ethe fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the flieutenants, and the gdeputies, and †officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai hwaxed greater and greater. 5 Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did †what they would unto those that hated them. 6 And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. 7 And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, 8 And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, 9 And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, 10 iThe ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but kon the spoil laid they not their hand.

11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace †was brought before the king. 12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, 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: or lwhat is thy request further? and it shall be done. 13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do mto morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and †let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. 14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons. 15 For the Jews that were in Shushan ngathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but oon the prey they laid not their hand. 16 But the other Jews pthat were in the king’s provinces ngathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but othey laid not their hands on the prey, 17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day †of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together qon the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews rof the villages, that dwelt in the sunwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and ta good day, and of usending portions one to another.

20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, 21 To wstablish this among them, that they should keep the xfourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, 22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into ta good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of usending portions one to another, and ygifts to the poor. 23 And the Jews zundertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; 24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, ahad devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to †consume them, and to destroy them; 25 But †when bEsther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should creturn upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of ||Pur. Therefore for all the words of dthis letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, 27 The Jews wordained, and ztook upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as ejoined themselves unto them, so as it should not †fail, that they would keep fthese two days according to their writing, and according to their 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 the memorial of them †perish from their seed. 29 Then Esther the queen, gthe daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with †all authority, to wconfirm this hsecond letter of Purim. 30 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to ithe hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 To wconfirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had wenjoined them, and as they had wdecreed †for themselves and for their seed, the matters of kthe fastings and their cry. 32 And the decree of Esther wconfirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.