Esther 9:1-17

Contemporary English Version

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

9 The first law that the king had made was to be followed on the thirteenth day of Adar,^[a] the twelfth month. This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to do away with them. But the Jews turned things around, ² and in the cities of every province they came together to attack their enemies. Everyone was afraid of the Jews, and no one could do anything to oppose them.

³ The leaders of the provinces, the rulers, the governors, and the court officials were afraid of Mordecai and took sides with the Jews. ⁴ Everyone in the provinces knew that the king had promoted him and had given him a lot of power.

⁵ The Jews took their swords and did away with their enemies, without showing any mercy. ^6-10 They killed 500 people in Susa,^[b] but they did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Haman had been one of the worst enemies of the Jews, and ten of his sons were among those who were killed. Their names were Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.

¹¹ Later that day, someone told the king how many people had been killed in Susa.^{[c] 12} Then he told Esther, “Five hundred people, including Haman's ten sons, have been killed in Susa alone. If that many were killed here, what must have happened in the provinces? Is there anything else you want done? Just tell me, and it will be done.”

¹³ Esther answered, “Your Majesty, please let the Jews in Susa fight to defend themselves tomorrow, just as they did today. And order the bodies of Haman's ten sons to be hanged in public.”

¹⁴ King Xerxes did what Esther had requested, and the bodies of Haman's sons were hung in Susa. ¹⁵ Then on the fourteenth day of Adar the Jews of the city got together and killed 300 more people. But they still did not take anything that belonged to their enemies.

^16-17 On the thirteenth day of Adar, the Jews in the provinces had come together to defend themselves. They killed 75,000 of their enemies, but the Jews did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Then on the fourteenth day of the month the Jews celebrated with a feast.