¹¹ saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city ^(A)to gather and defend their lives, ^(B)to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, ^(C)and to plunder their goods,

¹³ Letters were sent ^(A)by couriers to all the king's provinces with instruction ^(B)to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old, women and children, ^(C)in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, ^(D)and to plunder their goods.

¹⁰ so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for ^(A)they will make their fires of the weapons. ^(B)They will seize the spoil of those who despoiled them, and plunder those who plundered them, declares the Lord God.

^2 (A)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, ^(B)for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. ³ All the officials of the provinces and ^(C)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 ^(D)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 (E)the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, ^(F)the enemy of the Jews, ^(G)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! ^(H)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 ^(I)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 (J)Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also ^(K)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.