Esther 9
1FOR in the twelfth month, on the thirteenth of the month Adar, the letters of the king having arrived,
2they who assaulted the Jews on that day were destroyed. For none withstood them and the terror of them continued;
3for the great lords and petty princes, and the king’s secretaries, honoured the Jews; for the dread of Mordecai fell upon them,
4for the decree of the king had caused his name to be known throughout the whole kingdom.
6Now in the city Susa, the Jews slew five hundred men,
7including Pharsanes and Delphon, and Phasga
8and Pharadatha, and Barea and Sarbaka,
9and Marmasima and Ruphaias, and Arsaius and Zabuthaias,
10the ten sons of Haman of Amadathu the Bugaian, the enemy of the Jews, and rifled them.
11On that very day, when a return was made to the king of the number slain at Susa,
12the king said to Esther, The Jews have slain in the city Susa five hundred men, how then, thinkest thou, have they behaved in the rest of the kingdom! What therefore dost thou request farther, and it shall be granted thee?
13Thereupon Esther said to the king, Let the Jews be allowed to use to-morrow in like manner, that they may hang up the ten sons of Haman.
14Accordingly he granted them leave to do so, and ordered the bodies of the ten sons of Haman, to be thrown out to the Jews to be hanged up.
15So the Jews at Susa assembled on the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men, but took no spoil.
16Now the rest of the Jews who were in the kingdom, assembled and assisted each other, and had rest from their enemies, for they slew fifteen thousand of them on the thirteenth of the month Adar, but took no spoil.
17And having rested on the fourteenth of the month, they kept it as a day of rest with joy and gladness.
18But the Jews of Susa having assembled on the fourteenth and then rested, kept the fifteenth with joy and gladness.
19Therefore because the Jews, who were scattered through all the distant provinces, keep the fourteenth of the month Adar, as a holy day, with joy, sending portions to one another,
20Mordecai wrote an account of these matters in a book, and sent it to all the Jews who were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes far and near,
21to set apart as holy days and to keep both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month Adar,
22for in those days the Jews had rest from their enemies: And with regard to the month Adar, in which they had a change from grief to joy and from sorrow to gladness, to keep the whole month as good days of weddings and joy, sending portions to their friends and to the poor.
23And the Jews took this upon them. As Mordecai wrote to them
24how Haman of Amadathu, the Macedonian, warred against them—how he made calculations and cast lots to destroy them,
25and how he went to the king with an intention to hang Mordecai, but all the evils he endeavoured to bring on the Jews, fell upon himself, and he and his sons were hanged;
26therefore these days were called Phrourai, because of the lots, which in their language are called Phrourai [in Hebrew, Purim].
On the account of the things contained in that letter and of all that they suffered in consequence thereof, and all that happened to them, as he instituted,
27so the Jews took upon themselves and their posterity, and upon all that joined them, never to use those days in any other manner.
28Therefore let these days be a lasting memorial from generation to generation, in every city, country and province; and let these days of Phrouri be kept for-ever; and let the memorial of them never perish from among their generations.
29, 30Then queen Esther, the daughter of Aminadab, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote all that they did, and a confirmation of the letter respecting the Phrourai.
31And Mordecai and Esther the queen privately enjoined [a fast], on themselves, having at that time established that counsel against their health.
32Thus did Esther perpetually establish it by command, and it was written to be kept in remembrance.