Tobit rewarded for his piety

After I was taken captive to Assyria and came to Nineveh, all my relatives and fellow Jews there were eating Gentile food.

Tobit is harassed for his pious acts

During the time of Shalmaneser, I gave away a lot of money to my relatives, my fellow Jews.

Tobit declared to them that God had shown mercy on him and opened his eyes. Then Tobit approached Sarah, his son Tobias’ wife, and he blessed her, saying, “May you come in good health, my daughter; may your God who has brought you to us be praised. May your father be blessed, may my son Tobias be blessed, and may you be blessed, my daughter. Come into your house in good health, in blessing and joy. Come in, my daughter!” On this day joy came to all the Jews who were in Nineveh.

So he planned to wipe out all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Artaxerxes.

The king removed his royal ring from his finger and handed it to Haman to put a seal on the orders he would write against the Jews.

Fast runners carried the order throughout Artaxerxes’ kingdom. The order commanded people to wipe out all the Jews on a single day of the twelfth month, the month called Adar, and to seize their property.

Addition B

Artaxerxes’ decree

The following is a copy of the letter: The Great King Artaxerxes writes as follows to the governors of the one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia, and to the district governors subject to them: I rule over many nations and have conquered the whole world. Nevertheless, I am not carelessly driven by power; rather, I have always conducted my affairs with moderation and gentleness. I am committed to providing a calm and stable environment for my subjects, and to restore the peace that all people desire. In this way, the kingdom will be at peace and safe for travel throughout its borders. I have, therefore, asked my advisors how this might be accomplished. Haman stands out among us for his moderation. He has demonstrated goodwill and firm loyalty in equal measure, and has attained the second-highest honor in the kingdom. He pointed out to us that there is a certain hostile group scattered among all the peoples of the world. These people are at odds with every nation because of their peculiar laws. They constantly ignore the king’s decrees, so that the government, although well managed by us, is never secure. We see that this nation stands alone in its constant hostility toward everyone. They follow a strange manner of life because of their law code, and they don’t think well of our actions. They carry out the worst evils so that the kingdom is not at peace. We have therefore commanded that this people—pointed out to you in the letters written by Haman, who has been appointed over the government and is like a second father to us—should be destroyed one and all by the swords of their enemies, without pity or restraint. Their wives and children should also be destroyed, all on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, in the current year. In this way, these people who have always been hostile to us, and remain so, will all go straight to the grave in a single day. Then our affairs will be stable and peaceful.

A crisis for the Jews

When Mordecai learned what was going on, he tore his clothes, dressed in mourning clothes, and put ashes on his head. Then he went out into the heart of the city and cried out loudly, “An innocent nation is being destroyed.”

In every region wherever the orders were posted, the Jews gave themselves over to crying and wailing out loud. They clothed themselves in mourning clothes and ashes.

Mordecai told him everything that had happened, how Haman had promised to contribute ten thousand sacks of silver to the royal treasury in exchange for the destruction of the Jews.

He also gave Hathach a copy of the king’s order made public in Susa concerning the Jews’ destruction so that Hathach could show it to Esther. Through him, Mordecai ordered her to go to the king to beg his help for her people: “Remember your more humble days when I raised you. Haman, a leader second to the king, has spoken against us to put us to death. Call on the Lord now and speak to the king about us. Deliver us from death!”

he responded, “Go and tell Esther, ‘Don’t think for one minute that, unlike all the other Jews, you alone will be safe.

If you don’t speak up at this very important time, relief and protection will appear for the Jews from another place, but you and your family will die. Who knows? Maybe it was for a moment like this that you were made queen.’”

“Go, gather all the Jews who are in Susa and tell them to fast from eating for my sake. They aren’t to eat or drink anything for three whole days, and I myself will do the same, along with my female servants. Then, even though it’s against the law, I will go to the king, even if it means my death.”

Esther spoke further to the king. She bowed at his feet and asked him to overturn the evil plot of Haman and whatever evils he planned to do to the Jews.

Esther said, “If the idea seems right to the king, and if I still please him, revoke the written decrees sent out by Haman, ordering the destruction of the Jews living within your kingdom.

Mordecai writes a new law

The king said to Esther, “I’ve given you everything Haman owned: I’ve favored you and impaled him on a pole because he planned to attack the Jews.

Write to the Jews in the king’s name whatever seems best to you and seal the letters with my royal ring. Anything written in the name of the king and sealed with the king’s royal ring can’t be revoked.”

So the royal scribes were summoned on the twenty-third day of the first month (that is, the month of Nisan). They wrote out Mordecai’s orders regarding the Jews for the officials and governors of the provinces from India to Cush, one hundred twenty-seven in all. They wrote in the alphabet of each province and in the language of each people.

Mordecai ordered the Jews to live according to their own laws and to defend themselves. He allowed them to do as they wished to their attackers and opponents

throughout Artaxerxes’ entire kingdom, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (that is, the month of Adar).

Addition E

Artaxerxes’ second decree

Written below is a copy of the letter: The Great King Artaxerxes writes to the governors in the one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to Ethiopia, and to those who are loyal to us. Greetings! Many people who are greatly honored, owing to the immense generosity of their benefactors, become overly ambitious. Not only do they seek to harm our subjects, but they even attempt to scheme against their own benefactors since they are unable to manage their pride. Not only do they fail to exhibit gratitude among people, but encouraged by the boasts of people who know nothing of goodness, they even suppose they will escape the judgment of the God who sees all. Often, many people in positions of authority become accessories to the shedding of innocent blood because of the influence of friends they trusted to manage their affairs. They suffer terrible misfortunes as a result of the cruel lies of those who take advantage of the innocent goodwill of rulers. Now this can be seen, not so much from older accounts that we have inherited but from what is right before your eyes. Consider the ungodly things that have been done as a result of the corruption of those not worthy to hold power. But looking to the future, we will make the kingdom peaceful and secure for all people, adopting changes and settling those matters that come to our attention with a fair reply. As for Haman, Hammedatha’s son, a Macedonian, he was not Persian, and was far removed from us in kindness. Yet we warmly welcomed him. He gained the goodwill that we have for every nation to such an extent that he was publicly proclaimed our father. All worshipped him as the person second only to the royal throne. But when he could no longer hold his pride in check, he made it his business to rob us of our leadership and our life. With lies and tricks he called for the destruction of Mordecai, our savior and constant benefactor, and Esther, our innocent partner in the kingdom, together with their whole nation. He thought that, by these methods, he could render us helpless and turn the Persian Empire over to the Macedonians. But we find that the Jews, whom this accursed man wanted to destroy, are not criminals but are governed by just laws. They are children of the most high, most great, living God, who has guided the kingdom on the best course for us and for our ancestors. You would do well, therefore, not to act on the letters sent by Haman, Hammedatha’s son. Haman, who devised these things, has been impaled at the gates of Susa together with his entire household. The God who holds power over all things swiftly passed this fair judgment on him. And you should publish a copy of this letter in every place for all to see, to allow the Jews to live by their own customs, and to assist them so that they can defend themselves against their attackers in the time of distress, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar. God, who rules over all things, has made this a joyous day for his chosen line rather than one of destruction. As for you, celebrate it with feasting as a special holiday among your festivals so that it will be for us, and for all Persians of goodwill, a memorial of deliverance, both now and in the future. But for those who plot against us, it will be a memorial of destruction. Any city or region, without exception, that does not act accordingly will be completely destroyed by fire and spear. This city will be made uninhabitable not only to humans but also to wild animals and birds for all time.

Let copies of this decree be displayed publicly throughout the kingdom so that all the Jews may be ready on this day to do battle with their enemies.

and light and gladness came to the Jews.

In every city and region—wherever the king’s order was posted and the decree proclaimed—the Jews had happiness and joy, feasts and a holiday. Many of the Gentiles had themselves circumcised and became Jews themselves, out of fear of the Jews.

On that day, the Jews’ enemies perished. Out of fear for the Jews, no one stood in their way.

All the leaders of the provinces, the governors, and those in charge of the king’s business respected the Jews. They were afraid of Mordecai,