²⁰ And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

²¹ And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:

²² Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?

²³ But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?

²⁴ Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.

²⁵ And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.

²⁶ And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

¹² Whom I have sent again: thou therefore receive him, that is, mine own bowels:

¹³ Whom I would have retained with me, that in thy stead he might have ministered unto me in the bonds of the gospel:

¹⁴ But without thy mind would I do nothing; that thy benefit should not be as it were of necessity, but willingly.

¹⁵ For perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever;

¹⁶ Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, specially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord?

¹⁷ If thou count me therefore a partner, receive him as myself.

¹⁸ If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought, put that on mine account;

¹⁹ I Paul have written it with mine own hand, I will repay it: albeit I do not say to thee how thou owest unto me even thine own self besides.

²⁰ Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord.

²¹ Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.

²² But withal prepare me also a lodging: for I trust that through your prayers I shall be given unto you.

²³ There salute thee Epaphras, my fellowprisoner in Christ Jesus;

²⁴ Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellowlabourers.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

¹⁵ He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

¹⁶ Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

¹⁷ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸ A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

¹⁹ He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

²⁰ He that hath a froward heart findeth no good: and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

²¹ He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy.

²² A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

²³ A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

²⁴ Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

²⁵ A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

²⁶ Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

²⁷ He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

²⁸ Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

9 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)

² The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.

³ And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

⁴ 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 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 And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.

⁷ And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

⁸ And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

⁹ And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,

¹⁰ The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.

¹¹ On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.

¹² 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: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

¹³ Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

¹⁴ And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.

¹⁵ For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.

¹⁶ But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,

¹⁷ On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

¹⁸ 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 feasting and gladness.

¹⁹ 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 feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

²⁰ And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,

²¹ To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

²² As the days wherein the Jews rested 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 feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

²³ And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

²⁴ Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all 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 But when Esther 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 Wherefore 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 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 every year;

²⁸ 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 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.

³⁰ And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,

³¹ 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 matters of the fastings and their cry.

³² And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

10 And the king Ahasuerus laid a tribute upon the land, and upon the isles of the sea.

² And all the acts of his power and of his might, and the declaration of the greatness of Mordecai, whereunto the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia?

³ For Mordecai the Jew was next unto king Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews, and accepted of the multitude of his brethren, seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed.