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, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his law drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, it was turned to the contrary; for the Jews took dominion over those that 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 themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt; and no one 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 lieutenants and the captains and officers of the king helped the Jews because the fear of Mordecai fell 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 house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces, for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

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.

Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword and slaughter and destruction and did what they would unto those that hated them.

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

And in Shushan, the palace, the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.

7 a nd Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

Then they also slew Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

8 P oratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,

9 P armashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.

Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha,

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.

the ten sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha; the enemy of the Jews, they slew, but on the spoil they did not lay their hand.

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 the same day the number of those that were slain in Shushan, the palace, 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 unto Esther, the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan, the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is thy petition, and it shall be granted thee? What is thy request further, and 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 please the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon 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 so done; and it was given as law at 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 themselves together also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the spoil they did not lay their hand.

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 that were in the king’s provinces also gathered themselves together and stood for their lives and had rest from their enemies and slew of their foes seventy-five thousand, but they did not lay their hands on the spoil,

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.

on the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same they rested and made it a day of banquet 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 that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested and made it a day of banquet 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 that dwelt in the unwalled towns made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and banquet and a good day and of sending portions one to 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 wrote these things and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of 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 establish this among them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and the fifteenth day of the same, 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 in which the Jews had rest from their enemies and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy and from mourning into a good day, that they should make them days of banquet and joy and of sending portions one to 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.

And the Jews accepting this began to do as Mordecai had written unto 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, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them and to 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 she came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he 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 of Pur. Therefore, for all the words of this letter and of that which they had seen concerning this matter and which had come unto 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 upon them and upon their seed and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing and according to their appointed time each year,

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.

and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

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 Esther, the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai, the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of 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 he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with 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 these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai, the Jew, and Esther, the queen, had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the words of the fastings and their cry.

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

And the commandment of Esther confirmed these words of Purim, and it was written in the book.