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Esther 9
Legacy Standard Bible

The Jews Strike Down 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 word and law had reached the point for them to be done, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain power over them, it was turned around so that the Jews themselves gained power over those who hated them. 2 (D)The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to send forth their hand against those who sought their calamity; and no one could stand before them, (E)for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3 Even all the princes of the provinces, (F)the satraps, the governors, and those who were doing the king’s work [b]advanced the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and the report about him went throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai (G)became greater and greater. 5 Thus (H)the Jews struck all their enemies with [c]the sword, killing and causing them to perish; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6 And at the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and caused to perish 500 men, 7 and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, 10 (I)the 10 sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ adversary; but (J)they did not send forth their hand for the plunder.

11 On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa came to the king. 12 So the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and caused to perish 500 men and the 10 sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. Now in the rest of the king’s provinces, what have they done? (K)So what is [d]your petition? It shall even be given to you. And what is [e]your further request? It shall also be done.” 13 Then Esther said, “If it is good to the king, (L)let tomorrow also be given to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the law for today; and let Haman’s 10 sons be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king said that it should be done so; and a law was given in Susa, and Haman’s 10 sons were hanged. 15 And the Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed (M)300 men in Susa, but (N)they did not send forth their hand for the plunder.

16 Now (O)the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces (P)assembled, to make a stand for their lives and obtain rest for themselves from their enemies, and to kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not send forth their hand for the plunder. 17 This was done on (Q)the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and (R)on the fourteenth [f]day they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

18 But the Jews who were in Susa (S)assembled on the thirteenth and (T)the fourteenth [g]of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth [h]day and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in (U)the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a [i](V)holiday for gladness and feasting and (W)sending portions of food to one another.

The Feast of Purim Is Established

20 Then Mordecai wrote down these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 to establish among them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day [j]of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews obtained rest for themselves from their enemies, and it was a month which was (X)turned around for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a [k]holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness and (Y)sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 Thus the Jews fully accepted 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 devised against the Jews to cause them to perish and (Z)had cast Pur, that is the lot, to throw them into confusion and cause them to perish. 25 But (AA)when it came before the king, he said by letter (AB)that his evil scheme, which he had [l]devised against the Jews, (AC)should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the [m]gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore, (AD)because of the words in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had reached them, 27 the Jews established and accepted a custom for themselves and for their seed and for (AE)all those who joined themselves to them, so that [n](AF)celebrating these two days according to what was written down and according to their fixed time from year to year would not pass away. 28 So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; thus these days of Purim were not to pass away from among the Jews, nor their memory come to an end from their seed.

29 Then Queen Esther, (AG)daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to establish (AH)this second letter about Purim. 30 And 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 seed with words concerning (AJ)their times of fasting and their crying out. 32 And the declaration of Esther established these words concerning (AK)Purim, and it was written in the book.

Footnotes

  1. Esther 9:1 Lit day in it
  2. Esther 9:3 Lit lifted up
  3. Esther 9:5 Lit stroke of sword
  4. Esther 9:12 Or that which you are asking for
  5. Esther 9:12 Or that which you further seek, cf. 9:2
  6. Esther 9:17 Lit in it
  7. Esther 9:18 Lit in it
  8. Esther 9:18 Lit in it
  9. Esther 9:19 Lit rejoicing and feasting and a good day and sending
  10. Esther 9:21 Lit in it
  11. Esther 9:22 Lit good day
  12. Esther 9:25 Lit schemed
  13. Esther 9:25 Lit tree, cf. Deut 21:22-23
  14. Esther 9:27 Lit to be celebrators
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Esther 9
International Standard Version

The Jewish People Defeat Their Enemies

9 On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, when the king’s order and edict was about to be carried out, on the day when the enemies of the Jewish people expected to prevail over them, things were turned around so that the Jewish people themselves prevailed over those who hated them.

2 The Jewish people assembled in their towns throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to strike out against those who intended to harm them, and no one could oppose them because all the people had come to fear the Jews.[a] 3 All the provincial officials, the regional authorities,[b] the governors, and those doing the king’s work supported the Jewish people because the fear of Mordecai had come over[c] them. 4 Indeed, Mordecai was a powerful[d] official in the palace and his fame spread throughout the provinces. Indeed, the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful.[e]

5 The Jewish people struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and they did with their enemies as they pleased. 6 In Susa the capital the Jewish people killed and destroyed 500 people. 7 They killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Hammedatha’s son Haman, the enemy of the Jewish people, but they did not lay their hands on the spoils.

11 On that day the number of those slain in Susa the capital was reported to the king. 12 The king told Queen Esther, “In Susa the capital the Jewish people have killed and destroyed 500 people, including Haman’s ten sons. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what’s your petition? It will be given to you. What’s your further request? It will be done.”

13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it also be granted to the Jewish people in Susa to do tomorrow what the edict allowed them to do today,[f] and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged[g] on poles.”

14 The king said, “Let this be done.” So an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged[h] on poles. 15 The Jewish people in Susa assembled again on that day, the fourteenth of Adar, and they killed 300 people in Susa, but they did not lay their hands on the spoils.

The Festival of Purim is Celebrated

16 The rest of the Jewish people in the king’s provinces assembled to defend[i] themselves, and they gained relief from their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them. But they did not lay their hands on the spoils. 17 They did this on the thirteenth day of Adar and rested on the fourteenth day, making it a day of feasting and joy. 18 The Jewish people in Susa assembled on the thirteenth day and again on the fourteenth, and then rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and joy. 19 Therefore the Jewish people in the rural areas who live in unwalled towns make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for joy and feasting, and people send presents[j] to one another.

Official Instructions for Celebrating Purim

20 Mordecai wrote these instructions and sent letters to all the Jewish people in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 establishing that they should celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar every year, 22 as the days on which the Jewish people enjoyed relief[k] from their enemies. It was a month when things turned around for them, from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a holiday. They were to celebrate these days as days of feasting and joy, and they were to send presents[l] to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jewish people made a tradition[m] out of what they had begun to do and of what Mordecai had written to them, 24 since Hammedatha’s son Haman, the enemy of the Jewish people, had plotted against the Jewish people to destroy them, and he had cast the pur (that is, the lot) to determine when[n] to confuse and destroy them.

25 But when Esther came before the king, he ordered through a letter that the evil plot that Haman[o] had devised against the Jewish people be rescinded,[p] and that he and his sons be hanged on poles. 26 Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur. Because of all that was written in this letter, because of what they experienced in this matter, and because of what happened to them, 27 the Jewish people established this celebration, making it a tradition[q] for themselves, for their descendants, and for all who joined with them[r] that they should not fail to observe these two days each year, based on the written instructions, and at the prescribed time. 28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by each family in every province and town. These days of Purim should not be neglected by[s] the Jewish people, and that they should not be forgotten by their descendants.

Queen Esther Confirms the Instructions for Purim

29 Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters containing wishes for peace and stability were sent to all the Jewish people, to the 127 provinces of Ahasuerus’ kingdom, 31 establishing these days of Purim at the prescribed time, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established, and just as the Jewish people[t] had established for themselves and for their descendants. The letter included instructions for their fasting[u] and lamentations. 32 The order of Esther established these instructions for Purim, and it was officially recorded.[v]

Footnotes

  1. Esther 9:2 Lit. them
  2. Esther 9:3 Lit. satraps; Persian government officials similar in authority to a governor
  3. Esther 9:3 Lit. fallen on
  4. Esther 9:4 Or great
  5. Esther 9:4 Or greater and greater
  6. Esther 9:13 Lit. according to today’s edict
  7. Esther 9:13 Or impaled
  8. Esther 9:14 Or impaled
  9. Esther 9:16 Lit. stand; or their lives
  10. Esther 9:19 Or portions of food
  11. Esther 9:22 Or the Jews rested
  12. Esther 9:22 Or portions of food
  13. Esther 9:23 Lit. the Jews accepted
  14. Esther 9:24 The Heb. lacks to determine when
  15. Esther 9:25 Lit. he
  16. Esther 9:25 Lit. be turned back on his own head
  17. Esther 9:27 Lit. people accepted it
  18. Esther 9:27 I.e. those who became Jews
  19. Esther 9:28 Lit. should not pass by
  20. Esther 9:31 Lit. they
  21. Esther 9:31 Lit. descendants, instructions for their fasting
  22. Esther 9:32 Lit. recorded in a record
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