1 Now AEsth 8:12in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on BEsth 9:17the thirteenth 1Lit day in itday CEsth 3:13when the king’s command and edict 2Lit drew nearwere 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 AEsth 8:11; 9:15-18The 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, BEsth 8:17for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3 Even all the princes of the provinces, AEzra 8:36the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king’s business 1Lit lifted upassisted 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 A2 Sam 3:1; 1 Chr 11:9became greater and greater. 5 Thus AEsth 3:13the Jews struck all their enemies with 1Lit the stroke ofthe 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 AEsth 5:11the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but BEsth 8:11they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa 1Lit camewas 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! AEsth 5:6; 7:2Now 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, AEsth 8:11; 9:15let 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 AEsth 9:12three hundred men in Susa, but BEsth 9:10they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

16 Now AEsth 9:2the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces BLev 26:7, 8; Esth 8:11assembled, to defend their lives and 1Lit have rest fromrid 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 AEsth 9:1the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and BEsth 9:21on the fourteenth 1Lit in itday they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

18 But the Jews who were in Susa AEsth 8:11; 9:2assembled on the thirteenth and BEsth 9:21the fourteenth 1Lit in itof the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth 1Lit in itday and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in ADeut 3:5; Zech 2:4the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a 1Lit rejoicing and feasting and a good day and sendingBEsth 9:22holiday for rejoicing and feasting and CNeh 8:10sending portions of food to one another.

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 1Lit in itof the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews 1Lit had rest fromrid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was APs 30:11turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a 2Lit good dayholiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and BNeh 8:12sending 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 AEsth 3:7had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25 But AEsth 7:4-10when it came 1Lit before the king, heto the king’s attention, he commanded by letter BEsth 3:6-15that his wicked scheme which he had 2Lit schemeddevised against the Jews, CPs 7:16should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the 3Lit treegallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. 1Lit Therefore because of all the wordsAnd AEsth 9:20because 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 1Lit receivedmade a custom for themselves and for their 2Lit seeddescendants and for AEsth 8:17all those who allied themselves with them, so that 3Lit it should not pass awaythey would not fail BEsth 9:20, 21to celebrate these two days according to their 4Lit writingregulation 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 1Lit pass awayfail from among the Jews, or their memory 2Lit endfade from their 3Lit seeddescendants.

29 Then Queen Esther, AEsth 2:15daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm BEsth 9:20, 21this second letter about Purim. 30 He sent letters to all the Jews, AEsth 1:1to 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 1Lit seeddescendants with 2Lit wordsinstructions AEsth 4:3for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32 The command of Esther established these 1Lit wordscustoms for AEsth 9:26Purim, and it was written in the book.