9
The Jewish people are the winners
1 King Zerk-sees (Xerxes) had made a law that let the Jewish people fight back. The 13th day of the last month of the year was the day that the enemies of the Jews had planned to kill all the Jewish people. That day came, and so the Jews followed King Zerk-sees' new law to fight back. And that is what happened. 2 In every town in Zerk-sees' country where Jewish people lived, groups of men got together to fight anyone that tried to kill them. When they did that, all the people that were not Jewish were frightened of the Jews. They knew they couldn't win. 3 All the leaders, government workers and important people in all the different nations in the big country of Persia were frightened of More-dek-eye (Mordecai). And so they helped the Jewish people too. 4 Everybody knew that More-dek-eye was an important man that worked for the king.
5 And so, on that day, the 13th day of the last month of the year, the Jewish fighting men did what they wanted to do to their enemies. And they used their swords to kill all the people that tried to kill them. 6 Inside the part of Susa that had really strong walls, the Jewish fighters killed 500 men that were trying to kill them.
7-10 Haman was the enemy of Jewish people, so the Jewish fighters killed all of Haman's 10 sons. Their names were Par-shan-datha, Dal-fon (Dalphon), As-patha, Por-atha, Ada-lia, Ari-datha, Par-mashta, Ari-sai, Ari-dai, and Vai-zatha. But the Jews did not take the things that belonged to Haman's sons.
11 On that day, someone told the king how many people died in the strong part of the town, 12 and the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jewish fighters have killed a lot of people in the strong part of Susa and they have killed Haman's 10 sons too. They must have killed a lot of people in the rest of my country. What else do you want me to do? I will make it happen.”
13 Esther said, “My master, you said that my people could kill anyone that came to fight them today, but this is what I want. If you think it is a good idea, let my people kill anyone that fights them inside Susa again tomorrow, and I want your soldiers to put the bodies of Haman's 10 sons up on poles so that everyone can see them.”
14 King Zerk-sees agreed with what Esther said and so he got his men to write a new law. The new law let the Jewish people in Susa kill anyone that tried to kill them the next day. The soldiers put the bodies of Haman's 10 sons up on poles for everyone to look at.
15 And so, on the next day, on the 14th day of the last month in the year, the Jewish fighting men got together in Susa and killed another 300 men that came to fight them. But they did not take the things that belonged to those men.
16-17 This is what happened outside Susa on the 13th day of the last month of the year. Everywhere, the Jewish people got together groups of fighting men to kill anyone that tried to kill them. They killed a big number of people, but they did not take what those people left behind.
The next day, the Jewish fighters had a rest and they did not fight again. They were all very happy and had a big party.
18-19 That is why Jewish people today that live in little communities outside the towns, have a party on the 14th day of the last month of the year. On that day they are all happy, they eat together and give each other presents.
But the Jewish people in Susa killed their enemies on the 13th and the 14th day of the last month of the year. Then on the 15th day they stopped fighting. And so, on the 15th day of that month they all have a party and are really happy.
More-dek-eye made a new time to remember
20 More-dek-eye wrote down everything that happened and then he wrote a letter to all the Jewish people that lived everywhere in King Zerk-sees' country. 21 He told them to have a special party every year on the 14th and 15th days of the last month of the year to remember what happened when people tried to kill them. 22 More-dek-eye wrote that all the Jewish people had to remember how, in the last month of the year they were very sad, but then, after they beat their enemies they were really happy. He wrote that they should have a party at that same time every year. More-dek-eye said that they should give food to one another and give presents to people that have nothing.
23 All the Jewish people agreed with what More-dek-eye wrote in that letter, and they made up their minds to have that party every year.
24-27 They called that party Purim. Haman the Aga-gite, hated the Jews so much he wanted to kill them all on one day.+ But he wanted to know when it would be the right time to do that. He dropped the Pur stones onto the ground and those stones told him the best time. He used Pur stones and that is why the new party was called Purim.
When Queen Esther told King Zerk-sees what Haman wanted to do to her people, Zerk-sees made a new law. That new law said that what Haman wanted to do to all the Jewish people, had to happen to him. And that is why Haman and his sons were put up on poles.
When the Jewish people got More-dek-eye's letter they made up their minds to remember what had happened to their people. From that time they promised to have that party called Purim for 2 days every year. They promised to teach their children and all their families that came later on. And they promised to teach all the other people that became Jews too. More-dek-eye wrote in his letter how they should have that party and he said what days they should have it. The Jewish people promised to do what More-dek-eye said in his letter.
28 They said, “From now on every Jewish person, and every Jewish family living in every town and country should have a Purim party to remember those 2 days. The Jewish people and the families that come from them must have that party every year for ever.”
29 Then Queen Esther and More-dek-eye wrote a second letter to the Jewish people about the Purim party. Esther wrote at the top of her letter, “This letter is written by Queen Esther.” She did this to prove that what More-dek-eye had written in his letter was true.
30-31 This is what they wrote in her letter, “We want all of you to know that from now on, you will have a quiet and safe life in this country.
We have other special days when we stop eating and we cry to remember what happened to our people. Just like we have those special days to remember things, we want you to have a Purim party every year. And have that party on the 14th and 15th days of the last month of that year.”
Then the letters were copied and sent to all the Jews who were living in the 127 different nations in Persia.
32 This is how Esther set up the rules for people to remember Purim and they were all written down in a book.
+ 9:24-27 Esther 3:7