Est 9 | NASB1995 | STEP | Now in the twelfth month ( that is, the month Adar ), on the thirteenth day when the king’s command and edict were 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.

Esther 9

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

1 Now ^ain the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on ^bthe thirteenth ^{▼▼ Lit day in it}day ^dwhen the king’s command and edict ^{▼▼ Lit drew near}were 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 ^fThe 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, ^gfor the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3 Even all the princes of the provinces, ^hthe satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king’s business ^{▼▼ Lit lifted up}assisted 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 ^jbecame greater and greater. 5 Thus ^kthe Jews struck all their enemies with ^{▼▼ Lit the stroke of}the 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 ^mthe ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but ⁿthey did not lay their hands on the plunder.

11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa ^{▼▼ Lit came}was 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! ^pNow 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, ^qlet 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 ^rthree hundred men in Susa, but ^sthey did not lay their hands on the plunder.

16 Now ^tthe rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces ^uassembled, to defend their lives and ^{▼▼ Lit have rest from}rid 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 ^wthe thirteenth day of the month Adar, and ^xon the fourteenth ^{▼▼ Lit in it}day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

18 But the Jews who were in Susa ^zassembled on the thirteenth and ^aathe fourteenth ^{▼▼ Lit in it}of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth ^{▼▼ Lit in it}day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in ^adthe rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a ^{▼▼ Lit rejoicing and feasting and a good day and sending
,} ^afholiday for rejoicing and feasting and ^agsending 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 ^{▼▼ Lit in it}of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews ^{▼▼ Lit had rest from}rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was ^ajturned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a ^{▼▼ Lit good day}holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and ^alsending 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 ^amhad cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25 But ^anwhen it came ^{▼▼ Lit before the king, he}to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter ^apthat his wicked scheme which he had ^{▼▼ Lit schemed}devised against the Jews, ^arshould return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the ^{▼▼ Lit tree}gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. ^{▼▼ Lit Therefore because of all the words}And ^aubecause 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 ^{▼▼ Lit received}made a custom for themselves and for their ^{▼▼ Lit seed}descendants and for ^axall those who allied themselves with them, so that ^{▼▼ Lit it should not pass away}they would not fail ^azto celebrate these two days according to their ^{▼▼ Lit writing}regulation 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 ^{▼▼ Lit pass away}fail from among the Jews, or their memory ^{▼▼ Lit end}fade from their ^{▼▼ Lit seed}descendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, ^bedaughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm ^bfthis second letter about Purim. 30 He sent letters to all the Jews, ^bgto 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 ^{▼▼ Lit seed}descendants with ^{▼▼ Lit words}instructions ^bjfor their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32 The command of Esther established these ^{▼▼ Lit words}customs for ^blPurim, and it was written in the book.