Chapter 9

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

1 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.

2 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.

3 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.

4 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.

5 Thus athe Jews struck all their enemies with 1the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them.

6 At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men,

7 and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha,

10 athe ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but bthey did not lay their hands on the plunder.

11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa 1was reported to the king.

12 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.”

13 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.”

14 So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged.

15 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.

16 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.

17 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.

18 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.

19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in athe rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a 1bholiday for rejoicing and feasting and csending portions of food to one another.

The Feast of Purim Instituted

20 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,

21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day 1of the same month, annually,

22 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.

23 Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them.

24 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.

25 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.

26 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,

27 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.

28 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.

29 Then Queen Esther, adaughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm bthis second letter about Purim.

30 He sent letters to all the Jews, ato the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth,

31 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.

32 The command of Esther established these 1customs for aPurim, and it was written in the book.