Est 9 | EE | STEP | It was the 13th day of the 12th month, the month called Adar. Everyone who really did not like the Jews had hoped to kill them. But because of the king’s new law, the Jews could fight to keep themselves safe.

Esther 9

The Jews kill the people who wanted to kill them

1 It was the 13th day of the 12th month, the month called Adar. Everyone who really did not like the Jews had hoped to kill them. But because of the king’s new law, the Jews could fight to keep themselves safe. 2 The Jews came together in their provinces and cities to fight against the people who wanted to kill them. Nobody could fight against them. Everyone was afraid of them.

3 Also, all the officers in the kingdom helped the Jews because they were afraid of Mordecai. 4 Everyone knew that Mordecai had great authority in the palace. And he became more and more powerful. 5 So the Jews could do what they wanted with their enemies. They could kill them.

6 In the city (Susa), the Jews killed 500 men. 7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha. 10 Those men were the 10 sons of Haman, who wanted to kill the Jews. But the Jews did not take any of the things of the people that they killed.

11 Officers told the king how many people the Jews killed in the city (Susa). 12 Then the king said to Queen Esther, ‘In the city (Susa) the Jews have killed 500 men and the 10 sons of Haman. So I think that they have killed very many of their enemies in the whole kingdom! Now, what do you want? I will do anything that you want.’

13 Esther replied, ‘If it makes the king happy, please let the Jews in Susa do the same tomorrow. Also, please hang the dead bodies of Haman’s sons from the gallows.’

14 The king said that this should happen. He made another law in Susa so that the Jews could fight for themselves again. And the king’s officers hung the dead bodies of Haman’s 10 sons on the gallows. Everyone could see them.

15 On the 14th day of the month called Adar the Jews killed 300 men in Susa. But they did not take the things of the people that they killed. 16 In the provinces, the Jews killed 75,000 of their enemies. The Jews killed all the people who wanted to kill them. But they did not take the things of the people that they killed.

17 They did that on the 13th day of Adar. Then, on the 14th day, the Jews in the provinces rested. They had feasts and they were very happy. 18 But the Jews in Susa killed their enemies on the 13th day and on the 14th day of Adar. On the 15th day they rested. They had feasts and they were very happy on that day. 19 So Jews who live in the provinces have a holiday and a feast on the 14th day of Adar. And they are very happy and they give gifts to each other on that date.

20 Mordecai recorded what had happened. He sent letters to all the Jews who were living in the kingdom of Xerxes. 21 ^{▼▼This verse is empty because in this translation its contents have been moved to form part of verse Est 9:22.} ^{▼▼In this translation, this verse contains text which in some other translations appears in verses Est 9:21-Est 9:22.}22 He told them that they should have a feast and a holiday on the 14th and 15th days of Adar. He told the Jews that they must do that every year. That was because on those dates they had killed all their enemies. In the month Adar, those who were sad became happy. Mordecai told the Jews that they must remember those days. He told them that they should give gifts and special food to each other. And he told them that they should give those things to poor people too.

23 So the Jews did everything that Mordecai had said. And they had a feast every year to remember what had happened. 24 They remembered how Haman from Agag’s family, the enemy of all the Jews, had wanted to kill them. They remembered that he threw pur. He threw it to choose the day when he would kill them. 25 They remembered how Esther went to the king. And they remembered that the king wrote another law. The Jews remembered that the king did not kill the Jews. And they remembered that the king did kill Haman. And they remembered that the Jews killed Haman’s sons. They remembered how the dead bodies of Haman and his sons hung on the gallows.

26 So the Jews called the feast Purim. They did all this because of what was in Mordecai’s letter. And it was because of everything that they had seen. And it was because of everything that had happened to them. ^{▼▼9:26 Purim is the plural word of pur which Haman threw to choose the day to kill the Jews.}

27 The Jews made a rule. The rule was for themselves and for Jews who were born after them. And it was for anyone who became a Jew. The rule was that everyone must have a feast on the 14th and 15th days of Adar every year. This is what Mordecai had said to them. 28 Every Jew and every Jew who was born after that time everywhere must remember the Feast of Purim. ^{▼▼9:28 Even today, Jews have a feast every year to remember everything that happened.}

29 Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai wrote a second letter. In this letter they gave their authority to the Feast of Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews who were living in the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Xerxes. The message told them that all the Jews were safe. 31 But it also told the Jews that they should remember the Feast of Purim. And they should remember the times when they fasted. They had asked God for help at those times.

32 Queen Esther made this law for all the Jews. The men who wrote down the law recorded it. They recorded that the Jews should remember the Feast of Purim.