^10 (A)And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus ^(B)and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on ^(C)swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, ¹¹ saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city ^(D)to gather and defend their lives, ^(E)to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, ^(F)and to plunder their goods, ^12 (G)on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.