1 N ow came the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, when the king’s law was about to be carried out. It was the day when those who hated the Jews hoped to get the rule over them. But their plan was turned around, and the Jews ruled over those who hated them.

Now in the twelfth month, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of Adar when the king’s command and his edict were about to be executed, on the day that the enemies of the Jews had planned for a massacre of them, it was turned to the contrary and the Jews had rule over those who hated them.

2 T he Jews gathered in their cities in all the parts of the nation of King Ahasuerus to hurt those who wanted to kill them. No one could stand in front of them, for the fear of them had come upon all the people.

The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on such as sought their hurt; and no man could withstand them, for the fear of them had fallen upon all the peoples.

3 T he princes of the nation, the rulers, the leaders, and those who were doing the king’s work all helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had come upon them.

And all the princes of the provinces and the chief rulers and the governors and they who attended to the king’s business helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them.

4 F or Mordecai was great in the king’s house. His name spread through all the nation, for the man Mordecai became greater and greater.

For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace; and his fame went forth throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai became more and more powerful.

5 S o the Jews killed and destroyed with sword all those who hated them. They did as they pleased to those who hated them.

So the Jews smote all their enemies with the sword, slaughtering and destroying them, and did as they chose with those who hated them.

6 I n the city of Susa where the king ruled the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men,

In Shushan, the capital itself, the Jews slew and destroyed 500 men.

7 a nd Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

And they killed Parshandatha,

8 P oratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia,

9 P armashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.

Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai,

10 T hese were the ten sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, who hated the Jews. But they did not touch anything that belonged to them.

And Vaizatha, the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but on the spoil they laid not their hands.

11 O n that day the number of those who were killed in the city of Susa where the king lived was told to the king.

On that day the number of those who were slain in Shushan, the capital, was brought before the king.

12 A nd the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and the ten sons of Haman in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s nation! Now what do you ask of me? It will be done for you. What else do you want? It will be done.”

And the king said to Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed 500 men in Shushan, the capital, and the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! Now what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your request further? It shall be done.

13 E sther said, “If it pleases the king, let the Jews in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to carry out today’s law. Let the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the tower.”

Then said Esther, If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according to this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.

14 S o the king said that this should be done. He made it known in Susa, and the bodies of Haman’s ten sons were hanged.

And the king commanded it to be done; the decree was given in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.

15 T he Jews in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed 300 men in Susa. But they did not touch anything that belonged to them.

And the Jews that were in Shushan gathered together on the fourteenth day also of the month of Adar and slew 300 men in Shushan, but on the spoil they laid not their hands.

16 N ow the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s nation gathered to fight for their lives and get rid of those who hated them. They killed 75, 000 of those who hated them. But they did not touch anything that belonged to them.

And the other Jews who were in the king’s provinces gathered to defend their lives and had relief and rest from their enemies and slew of them that hated them 75, 000; but on the spoil they laid not their hands.

17 T his was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of eating and joy.

This was done on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

18 B ut the Jews in Susa gathered on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of the same month. And they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of eating and joy.

But the Jews who were in Shushan assembled on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and on the fifteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

19 S o the Jews of the villages, who lived in the small towns without walls, made the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a special day of joy and eating and sharing their food with one another. The Special Supper of Purim

Therefore the Jews of the villages, who dwell in the unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting, a holiday, and a day for sending choice portions to one another.

20 M ordecai wrote down these things. And he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the nation of King Ahasuerus, both near and far.

And Mordecai recorded these things, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both near and far,

21 H e told them to remember the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar each year.

To command them to keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and also the fifteenth, yearly,

22 B ecause on those days the Jews got rid of those who hated them. It was a month which was changed from sorrow into joy, from a day of sorrow into a special day. He said that they should make them days of eating and joy and sending food to one another and gifts to the poor.

As the days on which the Jews got rest from their enemies, and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow to gladness and from mourning into a holiday—that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days of sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 S o the Jews agreed to do what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them.

So the Jews undertook to do as they had begun and as Mordecai had written to them—

24 F or Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the one who hated all the Jews, had planned to destroy the Jews. He had drawn names, using Pur, to trouble them and destroy them.

Because Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to crush and consume and destroy them.

25 B ut when the king heard about it, he made it known by letter that his plan against the Jews should bring trouble upon himself. And he had Haman and his sons hanged on the tower.

But when Esther brought the matter before the king, he commanded in writing that Haman’s wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

26 S o they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Because of what was written in this letter, and what they had seen and what had happened to them,

Therefore they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all that was in this letter and what they had faced in this matter and what had happened to them,

27 t he Jews set apart this special time each year for themselves, for their children and their children’s children, and for all who joined them. They would always remember to keep these two days special, as it was written and at the same time every year.

The Jews ordained and took it upon themselves and their descendants and all who joined them that without fail every year they would keep these two days at the appointed time and as it was written,

28 T hese days were to be remembered and kept as a special time for all their children-to-come, in every family, every land, and every city. These days of Purim were not to be forgotten by the Jews. Their children and their children’s children were to remember them forever.

That these days should be remembered (imprinted on their minds) and kept throughout every generation in every family, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never cease from among the Jews, nor the commemoration of them cease among their descendants.

29 T hen Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full power to make this second letter about Purim sure.

Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, gave full power, confirming this second letter about Purim.

30 L etters were sent to all the Jews in the 127 parts of the nation of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth.

And letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth,

31 T hey made sure that these days of Purim would be kept at the right times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had told them. These days were set apart for themselves and for their children and their children’s children, with the times they were to go without food and the times they were to be sad.

To confirm that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had commanded, and as they had ordained for themselves and for their descendants in the matter of their fasts and their lamenting.

32 T he words of Esther made the rules for keeping Purim sure, and it was written in the book.

And the command of Esther confirmed these observances of Purim, and it was written in the book.