Esther 9
King James Version
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.
Esther 9
New King James Version
The Jews Destroy Their Tormentors
9 Now (A)in the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day, (B)the time came for the king’s command and his decree to be executed. On the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, the opposite occurred, in that the Jews themselves (C)overpowered those who hated them. 2 The Jews (D)gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who (E)sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, (F)because fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai (G)became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.
6 And in (H)Shushan[a] the [b]citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha— 10 (I)the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; (J)but they did not lay a hand on the [c]plunder.
11 On that day the number of those who were killed in [d]Shushan the [e]citadel [f]was brought to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the citadel, and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now (K)what is your petition? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your further request? It shall be done.”
13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow (L)according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons (M)be hanged on the gallows.”
14 So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
15 And the Jews who were in [g]Shushan (N)gathered together again on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men at Shushan; (O)but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.
16 The remainder of the Jews in the king’s provinces (P)gathered together and protected their lives, had rest from their enemies, and killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies; (Q)but they did not lay a hand on the plunder. 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth of [h]the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
The Feast of Purim
18 But the Jews who were at [i]Shushan assembled together (R)on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of [j]the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar (S)with gladness and feasting, (T)as a holiday, and for (U)sending presents to one another.
20 And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of (V)sending presents to one another and gifts to the (W)poor. 23 So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, 24 because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, (X)had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; 25 but (Y)when [k]Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that [l]this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should (Z)return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 So they called these days Purim, after the name [m]Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of (AA)this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would (AB)join them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, (AC)the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this (AD)second letter about Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to (AE)the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their (AF)fasting and lamenting. 32 So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.
Footnotes
- Esther 9:6 Or Susa
- Esther 9:6 palace
- Esther 9:10 spoil
- Esther 9:11 Or Susa
- Esther 9:11 palace
- Esther 9:11 Lit. came
- Esther 9:15 Or Susa
- Esther 9:17 Lit. it
- Esther 9:18 Or Susa
- Esther 9:18 Lit. it
- Esther 9:25 Lit. she or it
- Esther 9:25 Lit. his
- Esther 9:26 Lit. Lot
Esther 9
Louis Segond
9 Au douzième mois, qui est le mois d'Adar, le treizième jour du mois, jour où devaient s'exécuter l'ordre et l'édit du roi, et où les ennemis des Juifs avaient espéré dominer sur eux, ce fut le contraire qui arriva, et les Juifs dominèrent sur leurs ennemis.
2 Les Juifs se rassemblèrent dans leurs villes, dans toutes les provinces du roi Assuérus, pour mettre la main sur ceux qui cherchaient leur perte; et personne ne put leur résister, car la crainte qu'on avait d'eux s'était emparée de tous les peuples.
3 Et tous les chefs des provinces, les satrapes, les gouverneurs, les fonctionnaires du roi, soutinrent les Juifs, à cause de l'effroi que leur inspirait Mardochée.
4 Car Mardochée était puissant dans la maison du roi, et sa renommée se répandait dans toutes les provinces, parce qu'il devenait de plus en plus puissant.
5 Les Juifs frappèrent à coups d'épée tous leurs ennemis, ils les tuèrent et les firent périr; ils traitèrent comme il leur plut ceux qui leur étaient hostiles.
6 Dans Suse, la capitale, les Juifs tuèrent et firent périr cinq cents hommes,
7 et ils égorgèrent Parschandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9 Parmaschtha, Arizaï, Aridaï et Vajezatha,
10 les dix fils d'Haman, fils d'Hammedatha, l'ennemi des Juifs. Mais ils ne mirent pas la main au pillage.
11 Ce jour-là, le nombre de ceux qui avaient été tués dans Suse, la capitale, parvint à la connaissance du roi.
12 Et le roi dit à la reine Esther: Les Juifs ont tué et fait périr dans Suse, la capitale, cinq cents hommes et les dix fils d'Haman; qu'auront-ils fait dans le reste des provinces du roi? Quelle est ta demande? Elle te sera accordée. Que désires-tu encore? Tu l'obtiendras.
13 Esther répondit: Si le roi le trouve bon, qu'il soit permis aux Juifs qui sont à Suse d'agir encore demain selon le décret d'aujourd'hui, et que l'on pende au bois les dix fils d'Haman.
14 Et le roi ordonna de faire ainsi. L'édit fut publié dans Suse. On pendit les dix fils d'Haman;
15 et les Juifs qui se trouvaient à Suse se rassemblèrent de nouveau le quatorzième jour du mois d'Adar et tuèrent dans Suse trois cents hommes. Mais ils ne mirent pas la main au pillage.
16 Les autres Juifs qui étaient dans les provinces du roi se rassemblèrent et défendirent leur vie; ils se procurèrent du repos en se délivrant de leurs ennemis, et ils tuèrent soixante-quinze mille de ceux qui leur étaient hostiles. Mais ils ne mirent pas la main au pillage.
17 Ces choses arrivèrent le treizième jour du mois d'Adar. Les Juifs se reposèrent le quatorzième, et ils en firent un jour de festin et de joie.
18 Ceux qui se trouvaient à Suse, s'étant rassemblés le treizième jour et le quatorzième jour, se reposèrent le quinzième, et ils en firent un jour de festin et de joie.
19 C'est pourquoi les Juifs de la campagne, qui habitent des villes sans murailles, font du quatorzième jour du mois d'Adar un jour de joie, de festin et de fête, où l'on s'envoie des portions les uns aux autres.
20 Mardochée écrivit ces choses, et il envoya des lettres à tous les Juifs qui étaient dans toutes les provinces du roi Assuérus, auprès et au loin.
21 Il leur prescrivait de célébrer chaque année le quatorzième jour et le quinzième jour du mois d'Adar
22 comme les jours où ils avaient obtenu du repos en se délivrant de leurs ennemis, de célébrer le mois où leur tristesse avait été changée en joie et leur désolation en jour de fête, et de faire de ces jours des jours de festin et de joie où l'on s'envoie des portions les uns aux autres et où l'on distribue des dons aux indigents.
23 Les Juifs s'engagèrent à faire ce qu'ils avaient déjà commencé et ce que Mardochée leur écrivit.
24 Car Haman, fils d'Hammedatha, l'Agaguite, ennemi de tous les Juifs, avait formé le projet de les faire périr, et il avait jeté le pur, c'est-à-dire le sort, afin de les tuer et de les détruire;
25 mais Esther s'étant présentée devant le roi, le roi ordonna par écrit de faire retomber sur la tête d'Haman le méchant projet qu'il avait formé contre les Juifs, et de le pendre au bois, lui et ses fils.
26 C'est pourquoi on appela ces jours Purim, du nom de pur. D'après tout le contenu de cette lettre, d'après ce qu'ils avaient eux-mêmes vu et ce qui leur était arrivé,
27 les Juifs prirent pour eux, pour leur postérité, et pour tous ceux qui s'attacheraient à eux, la résolution et l'engagement irrévocables de célébrer chaque année ces deux jours, selon le mode prescrit et au temps fixé.
28 Ces jours devaient être rappelés et célébrés de génération en génération, dans chaque famille, dans chaque province et dans chaque ville; et ces jours de Purim ne devaient jamais être abolis au milieu des Juifs, ni le souvenir s'en effacer parmi leurs descendants.
29 La reine Esther, fille d'Abichaïl, et le Juif Mardochée écrivirent d'une manière pressante une seconde fois pour confirmer la lettre sur les Purim.
30 On envoya des lettres à tous les Juifs, dans les cent vingt-sept provinces du roi Assuérus. Elles contenaient des paroles de paix et de fidélité,
31 pour prescrire ces jours de Purim au temps fixé, comme le Juif Mardochée et la reine Esther les avaient établis pour eux, et comme ils les avaient établis pour eux-mêmes et pour leur postérité, à l'occasion de leur jeûne et de leurs cris.
32 Ainsi l'ordre d'Esther confirma l'institution des Purim, et cela fut écrit dans le livre.
Esther 9
English Standard Version
The Jews Destroy Their Enemies
9 (A)Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, (B)on the thirteenth day of the same, (C)when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, (D)on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 (E)The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, (F)for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and (G)the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew (H)more and more powerful. 5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 (I)the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, (J)the enemy of the Jews, (K)but they laid no hand on the plunder.
11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! (L)Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed (M)tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.”[a] 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder.
16 (N)Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also (O)gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 17 This was (P)on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered (Q)on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested (R)on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in (S)the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as (T)a holiday, and (U)as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
The Feast of Purim Inaugurated
20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into (V)a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, (W)the enemy of all the Jews, (X)had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and (Y)had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing (Z)that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews (AA)should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term (AB)Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in (AC)this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and (AD)all who joined them, that without fail they would keep (AE)these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, (AF)the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming (AG)this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, (AH)to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to (AI)their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of (AJ)Purim, and it was recorded in writing.
Footnotes
- Esther 9:13 Or wooden beam; also verse 25 (see note on 2:23)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
