Esther 9
Expanded Bible
Victory for the Jews
9 The ·order [edict; decree] the king had commanded was to be ·done [executed; carried out] on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month [C March 7], the month of Adar. That was the day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to ·defeat [overpower] them, but ·that was changed [the opposite happened]. So the Jews themselves ·defeated [overpowered] ·those who hated them [their enemies]. 2 The Jews ·met [assembled] in their cities in all the ·empire [L provinces] of King ·Xerxes [L Ahasuerus] in order to ·attack [strike; L lay hands on] those who wanted to ·harm [destroy] them. No one ·was strong enough to fight [L could stand] against them, because ·all the other people living in the empire were afraid of them [L dread of them fell on all the peoples]. 3 All the ·important men [nobles] of the ·states [provinces], the governors, ·captains of the soldiers [high officials], and the king’s officers helped the Jews, because they were afraid of Mordecai. 4 Mordecai was ·very important [L great] in the king’s ·palace [L house]. He was famous in all the ·empire [L provinces], because he was becoming ·a leader of more and more people [more and more powerful/influential].
5 And, with their swords, the Jews ·defeated [L struck] all their enemies, ·killing [slaughtering] and destroying them. And they did ·what they wanted [as they pleased] with those people who hated them. 6 In the ·palace [citadel; fortress; 1:2] at Susa, they ·killed [slaughtered] and destroyed five hundred men. 7 They also killed: Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But the Jews did not ·take [plunder; confiscate] their ·belongings [property; C this shows they attacked out of self-defense, not for material gain; 8:11; Gen. 14:23].
11 On that day the number killed in the ·palace [citadel; fortress; 1:2] at Susa was reported to the king. 12 The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have ·killed [slaughtered] and destroyed five hundred people in the ·palace [citadel; fortress; 1:2] at Susa, as well as Haman’s ten sons. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s ·empire [provinces]! Now what ·else are you asking [L is your petition]? I will do it! What ·else [more] do you want? It will be ·done [granted]!”
13 Esther answered, “If it pleases the king, give the Jews who are in Susa permission to do again tomorrow what the king ·ordered [decreed] for today. And let the bodies of Haman’s ten sons be ·hanged [impaled] on the ·platform [gallows; pole].”
14 So the king ·ordered [decreed] that it be done. A ·law [edict; decree] was given in Susa, and the bodies of the ten sons of Haman were ·hanged [impaled]. 15 The Jews in Susa ·came together [assembled] on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar [C March 8]. They ·killed [slaughtered] three hundred people in Susa, but they did not ·take [plunder; confiscate] their ·belongings [property; 9:10].
16 At that same time, all the Jews in the king’s ·empire [L provinces] also ·met [assembled] to ·protect themselves [defend their lives] and get rid of their enemies. They ·killed [slaughtered] seventy-five thousand of those who hated them, but they did not ·take [plunder; confiscate] their ·belongings [property; 9:10]. 17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar [C March 7]. On the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of joyful ·feasting [banqueting].
The Feast of Purim
18 But the Jews in Susa ·met [assembled] on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of the month of Adar [C and killed their enemies]. Then they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of joyful feasting [banqueting].
19 This is why the Jews who live in the country and small villages celebrate on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar [C March 8]. It is a ·day [holiday] of joyful ·feasting [banqueting] and a day for exchanging ·gifts [gifts of food].
20 Mordecai ·wrote down [recorded] everything that had happened. Then he sent ·letters [dispatches; scrolls] to all the Jews in all the ·empire [provinces] of King ·Xerxes [L Ahasuerus], far and near. 21 He ·told [called on] them to celebrate every year on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 because that was when the Jews got rid of their enemies [C a descendant of Saul (2:5–6) had overcome an Amalekite and descendant of King Agag (3:1), thus completing God’s mandate (Deut. 23:3–6) that Saul failed to accomplish (1 Sam. 15)]. They were also to celebrate it as the month their ·sadness [sorrow] was turned to ·joy [gladness] and their ·crying for the dead [mourning] was turned into ·celebration [a holiday]. He told them to celebrate those days as days of joyful ·feasting [banqueting] and as a time for giving [presents of] food to each other and ·presents [gifts] to the poor [C Purim thus became an annual festival still celebrated by the Jewish people today].
23 So the Jews agreed to do what Mordecai had written to them, and ·they agreed to hold the celebration every year [L to continue what they had begun]. 24 Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, was the enemy of all the Jews. He had ·made [devised] an evil ·plan [plot] against the Jews to destroy them, and he had thrown the Pur (that is, the lot [C dice-like objects]) to choose a day to ·ruin [crush; afflict] and destroy them. 25 But when the king learned of the evil ·plan [plot], he sent out written ·orders [edicts; decrees] that the evil ·plans [plot] Haman had made against the Jews would ·be used against him [L fall/return on his own head]. And those ·orders [edicts; decrees] said that Haman and his sons should be ·hanged [impaled] on the ·platform [gallows; pole]. 26 So these days were called Purim, which comes from the word “Pur” (the lot [C dice-like objects]). Because of everything written in this ·letter [dispatch] and what they had seen and what happened to them, 27 the Jews set up this ·custom [tradition]. They and their descendants and all those who join them are ·always [L without fail] to ·celebrate [observe; keep] these two days every year. They should do it ·in the right way [L as it is written] and at the time Mordecai had ·ordered [decreed]. 28 These two days should be remembered and ·celebrated [observed; kept] ·from now on [L through every generation] in every family, in every ·state [province], and in every city. These days of Purim should ·always [L not fail to] be ·celebrated [observed; kept] ·by [among] the Jews, and their memory never fade among their descendants.
29 So Queen Esther daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second ·letter [dispatch] about Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent ·letters [dispatches; scrolls] to all the Jews in the one hundred twenty-seven ·states [provinces] of the kingdom of ·Xerxes [L Ahasuerus], writing them ·a message [L words] of peace and ·truth [or security; assurance]. 31 He wrote to ·set up [establish] these days of Purim at the ·chosen [proper; appointed] times. Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had sent out the ·order [edict; decree] for the Jews, just as they had ·set up [established] for themselves and their descendants instruction concerning fasting and ·loud weeping [lamentations]. 32 Esther’s ·letter [command] ·set up [established] the rules for Purim, and they were written down in the records.
Esther 9
New American Standard Bible
The Jews Destroy Their Enemies
9 Now (A)in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on (B)the thirteenth [a]day, (C)when the king’s command and edict were to be put into effect, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it turned out to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 (D)The Jews assembled in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to [b]attack those who sought [c]to harm them; and no one could stand against them, (E)because the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3 Even all the officials of the provinces, (F)the satraps, the governors, and those who were doing the king’s business were supporting the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and the news about him spread throughout the provinces; for the man Mordecai (G)became greater and greater. 5 So (H)the Jews struck all their enemies with [d]the sword, killing and destroying; and they did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and eliminated five hundred men, 7 and they killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, 10 (I)the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but (J)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa [e]was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and eliminated five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! (K)Now what is your request? It shall also be granted you. And what is your further wish? It shall also be done.” 13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, (L)let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the wooden gallows.” 14 So the king commanded that it was to be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed (M)three hundred men in Susa, but (N)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.
16 Now (O)the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces (P)assembled, to defend their lives and [f]rid themselves of their enemies, and to kill seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17 This was done on (Q)the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and (R)on the fourteenth [g]day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
18 But the Jews who were in Susa (S)assembled on the thirteenth and (T)the fourteenth [h]of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth [i]day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in (U)the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a [j](V)holiday for rejoicing and feasting and (W)sending portions of food to one another.
The Feast of Purim Instituted
20 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day [k]of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews [l]rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was (X)turned for them from grief into joy, and from mourning into a [m]holiday; that they were to make them days of feasting and rejoicing, and (Y)sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to eliminate them, and (Z)had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and eliminate them. 25 But (AA)when it came [n]to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter (AB)that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews (AC)was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons were to be hanged on the wooden gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of [o]Pur. [p]And (AD)because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and [q]made a custom for themselves, their [r]descendants, and for (AE)all those who allied themselves with them, so that [s]they would not fail (AF)to celebrate these two days according to their [t]regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and these days of Purim were not to [u]be neglected by the Jews, or their memory [v]fade from their [w]descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, (AG)daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm (AH)this second letter about Purim. 30 He sent letters to all the Jews, (AI)to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31 to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their [x]descendants, with [y]instructions (AJ)for their times of fasting and their mourning. 32 The command of Esther established these [z]customs for (AK)Purim, and it was written in the book.
Footnotes
- Esther 9:1 Lit day in it
- Esther 9:2 Lit put out a hand against
- Esther 9:2 Lit their harm
- Esther 9:5 Lit the stroke of the
- Esther 9:11 Lit came before
- Esther 9:16 Lit have rest from
- Esther 9:17 Lit in it
- Esther 9:18 Lit in it
- Esther 9:18 Lit in it
- Esther 9:19 Lit rejoicing and feasting and a good day and sending
- Esther 9:21 Lit in it
- Esther 9:22 Lit had rest from
- Esther 9:22 Lit good day
- Esther 9:25 Lit before the king, he
- Esther 9:26 Akkadian for lot
- Esther 9:26 Lit Therefore because of all the words
- Esther 9:27 Lit received
- Esther 9:27 Lit seed
- Esther 9:27 Lit it would not pass away
- Esther 9:27 Lit writing
- Esther 9:28 Lit pass from the midst of
- Esther 9:28 Lit end
- Esther 9:28 Lit seed
- Esther 9:31 Lit seed
- Esther 9:31 Lit words
- Esther 9:32 Lit words
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
