Beginning

6 The king led that night without sleep, and he commanded the stories and the books of years of former times to be brought to him. And when those books were read in his presence, (That night the king went without sleep, and he commanded that the stories of former times, that is, The Books of the Years, or The Official Annals, be brought to him. And when those books were read before him, to help him get to sleep,)

² men came to the place, where it was written, how Mordecai had told (of) the treasons of Bigthan(a) and Teresh, honest servants (the honest and chaste servants), coveting to strangle king Ahasuerus. (they came to the place, where it was written, how Mordecai had told of the treason of Bigthana and Teresh, the king’s eunuchs, who desired, or plotted, to strangle King Ahasuerus.)

³ And when the king had heard this, he said, What honour and meed got Mordecai for this faithfulness? And his servants and ministers said to him, Utterly he took no meed. (And when the king had heard this, he said, What honour and reward did Mordecai receive for this loyalty? And the servants who ministered to the king said to him, He received utterly no reward for what he did.)

⁴ And anon the king said, Who is in the hall? Soothly Haman had entered into the inner hall of the king’s house, to make suggestion to the king, that he should command Mordecai to be hanged on the gibbet, which was made ready to him. (And then hearing something, the king asked, Who is that in the courtyard? For it was now early morning, and Haman had just come into the outer courtyard of the palace, to suggest to the king, that he should command that Mordecai be hanged on the gallows, which was now prepared for him.)

⁵ And the servants of the king said to him, Haman standeth in the hall. And the king said, Enter he in. (And the king’s servants said to him, Haman standeth in the courtyard. And the king said, Let him come in.)

⁶ And when Haman was come in, the king said to him, What oweth to be done to the man, whom the king desireth to honour? (And when Haman had come in, the king said to him, What ought to be done for the man, whom the king desireth to honour?) And Haman thought in his heart, and he guessed, that the king was about to honour no other man but (he) himself, Haman;

⁷ and he answered, The man, whom the king coveteth to honour, (and so he answered, The man, whom the king desireth to honour,)

⁸ oweth to be clothed in the king’s clothes, and to be set on the horse which is of the king’s saddle, and to take the king’s diadem, that is, his crown, upon his head; (ought to be clothed in the king’s robes, and to be put on a horse which is of the king’s saddle, and to wear the king’s crown on his head;)

⁹ and the first, or chief, of the princes and of the strong men of the king, he (should) hold his horse, leading him, and go he by the streets of the city, and cry he, and say, Thus he shall be honoured, whom the king will honour. (and then one of the king’s most honoured princes, or leaders, should lead his horse through the city square, and he should cry, and say, Thus shall he be honoured/He is worthy of this honour, whom the king desireth to honour.)

¹⁰ And then the king said to Haman, Haste thou thee, and when the king’s clothing, and his horse, is taken to thee, do thou, as thou hast spoken, to Mordecai, the Jew, that sitteth before the gates of the palace; and be thou ware, that thou leave not out, (or) undone, any thing of these (things), which thou hast now spoken. (And then the king said to Haman, Now hasten thou thee, and when the king’s robes, and his horse, be brought to thee, do thou, just as thou hast spoken, for Mordecai, the Jew, who is in attendance at the royal court; and be thou ware, lest thou leave anything undone, of all these things, of which thou hast now spoken.)

¹¹ And then Haman took the king’s cloak and his palfrey, and he went forth, and cried before Mordecai, (who was) clothed in the king’s clothing, (leading him) in the chief street of the city, and set upon his palfrey, (saying,) He is worthy (of) this honour, whomever the king will honour. (And then Haman took the king’s robes and his horse, and he clothed Mordecai in the king’s clothing, and put him on the king’s horse; and then leading him through the city square, he cried as he went before him, He is worthy of this honour, whom the king desireth to honour.)

¹² And after this Mordecai turned again to the gate of the palace, and Haman hasted to go into his house, mourning, and with his head covered. (And after this Mordecai returned to the royal court, and Haman hastened to go to his house, mourning, and with his head covered.)

¹³ And he told to Zeresh, his wife, and to his friends all things that had befallen to him. To whom the wise men, which he had in counsel, and his wife, answered, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, is of the seed of Jews, thou shalt not be able to against-stand him, but thou shalt fall in his sight. (And he told his wife Zeresh, and his friends, all the things that had befallen him. And the wise men, whom he had in counsel, and his wife, answered, If Mordecai, before whom thou hast begun to fall, is a descendant of the Jews, then thou shalt not be able to stand against him, but thou shalt utterly fall before him.)

¹⁴ Yet while they spake these things, the honest servants and chaste of the king came after Haman (the honest and chaste servants of the king came for Haman), and they compelled him to go anon to the feast, which the queen had made ready. (And yet while they spoke these things, the king’s eunuchs came for Haman, and they compelled him to come at once to the feast, which the queen had prepared.)

7 Therefore the king and Haman entered to the feast, to drink with the queen. (And so the king and Haman went to the feast, to dine with the queen.)

² And the king said also to Esther in the second day, after that he was hot of the wine, Esther, what is thine asking of me, that it be given to thee, and what wilt thou be done? Yea, though thou ask the half part of my realm, thou shalt have it. (And on the second day, after that he was hot from the wine, the king said again to Esther, Esther, what is thy asking of me, that it be given to thee, and what wilt thou be done for thee? Yea, if thou ask for half of my kingdom, thou shalt have it!)

³ To whom she answered, O! king, if I have found grace in thine eyes (if I have found favour before thee), and if it pleaseth thee, give thou my life to me, for which I pray thee now, and also the life of my people, for the which I beseech thee.

⁴ For I and my people be given, that we be defouled, and strangled, and that we perish; O! why not had we rather been sold into servants and servantesses, for that evil might have been suffered, and I, (now) wailing, should have been still; but now our enemy is present, whose cruelty turneth against the king. (For I and my people have been sold into slaughter, so that we be strangled, and destroyed, and that we utterly perish; O! why had we rather not been sold into slavery, yea, both men and women alike, for that evil might have been endured, and I, instead of wailing, would now be silent; and even now our enemy is present here, and his cruelty turneth against even the king.)

⁵ And king Ahasuerus answered, and said, Who is this, and of what power, that he be (so) (fool)hardy to do such things?

⁶ And Esther said, Our worst adversary and enemy is this Haman. The which thing when he heard, he was astonished at once, and he was not sufficient to bear the semblance, or the indignation, of the king and of the queen. (And Esther said, Our adversary and our enemy is this wicked Haman! And when Haman heard this, he was stunned, and he was not able to bear the indignation of both the king and the queen.)

⁷ And the king rose up wroth, and from the place of the feast he entered into a garden beset about with trees. And Haman rose up for to pray Esther, the queen, for his life; for he understood (the) evil made ready of the king to him. (And the king rose up enraged, and left the place of the feast to go out into the garden beset about with trees. And Haman rose up to beg Queen Esther for his life; for he understood that the king now intended evil for him.)

⁸ And when the king turned again from the garden, and had entered into the place of the feast, he found that Haman had fallen down upon the bed, wherein Esther lay. And the king said, Also he will oppress the queen, while I am present, in mine house. And the word was not yet gone out of the king’s mouth, and anon men covered the face of Haman. (And when the king returned from the garden, and came back to the place of the feast, he found that Haman had fallen down on the couch, where Esther lay. And the king said, He will even assail the queen, while I am present, here in my own house! And the word was not yet gone out of the king’s mouth, when at once some of his servants came, and covered Haman’s face.)

⁹ And Harbonah, one of the honest servants and chaste (one of the honest and chaste servants), that stood in the service of the king, said, Lo! a tree having fifty cubits of height standeth in the house of Haman, which he had made ready to Mordecai, that spake (good) for the king, and made known his traitors. To whom the king said, Hang ye Haman in that tree. (And Harbonah, one of the eunuchs who stood in the king’s service, said, Lo! a gallows fifty cubits in height standeth at Haman’s house, which he had prepared for Mordecai, who did good for the king, by making known his traitors. To whom the king said, Hang ye up Haman on those gallows!)

¹⁰ Therefore Haman was hanged in the gibbet, which he had made ready to Mordecai, and the ire of the king rested. (And so Haman was hanged on the gallows, which he had prepared for Mordecai, and then the king’s anger was assuaged.)

8 In that day king Ahasuerus gave to Esther, the queen, the house of Haman, enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai entered in before the face of the king; for Esther acknowledged to him, that he was her father’s brother. (On that day, King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai went in before the king, for Esther had told him, that he was her father’s nephew.)

² Therefore the king took (off) the ring, which he had commanded to be received (back) from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. And Esther ordained Mordecai to be sovereign over her household (And Esther ordained Mordecai to be the ruler over Haman’s household).

³ And Esther was not appeased with these things, and felled down to the feet of the king, and wept, and spake to him, and prayed, that he should command the malice of Haman of (the kindred of) Agag, and his worst casts, which he had thought out against the Jews, to be made void. (But Esther was not yet appeased with these things, and she fell down at the king’s feet, and wept, and spoke to him, and begged him, that he would command that the malice of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, and his evil plans, that he had plotted against the Jews, be stopped.)

⁴ And the king by custom held forth the golden rod of the king with his hand, by which the token of his mercy was showed. And then Esther rose up, and stood before the king, (And, as by custom, the king held forth the king’s gold sceptre with his hand, by which the token of his mercy was shown. And then Esther rose up, and stood before the king,)

⁵ and said, If it pleaseth the king, and if I have found grace before his eyes, and if my prayer is not seen to be contrary to him, I beseech, that the eld letters of Haman, the traitor, and enemy of Jews, by which he had commanded them to perish in all the provinces of the king, be amended by new letters; (and she said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his eyes, and if my prayer is not seen to be contrary to him, I beseech thee, that the old letters of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, by which he had commanded that all the Jews perish in all the provinces of the king, be amended with new letters;)

⁶ for how shall I be able to suffer the death, and the slaying, of my people? (for how shall I be able to endure the slaughter, and the death, of my own people?)

⁷ And king Ahasuerus answered to Esther, the queen, and to Mordecai, the Jew, and said, I have granted the house of Haman to Esther, the queen, and I commanded him to be hanged on the cross, for-thy that he was hardy to set hand against the Jews. (And King Ahasuerus answered to Queen Esther, and to Mordecai, the Jew, and said, I have given Haman’s house to Queen Esther, and he was hanged on the gallows, because he was so foolhardy as to put his hand against the Jews, that is, to threaten their lives.)

⁸ Therefore write ye to [the] Jews, as it pleaseth to you, by the name of the king, and aseal ye the letters with my ring. For this was the custom, that no man durst against-say the letters, that were sent in the king’s name, and were sealed with his ring. (And so now write ye to the Jews, what pleaseth you, in the name of the king, and seal ye the letters with my ring. For it is the law, that no one can revoke the orders, that were sent before in the king’s name, and were sealed with his ring, or his signet.)

⁹ And when the arrayers of the king’s letters, and his writers, were called; it was then the time of the third month, that is called Sivan, that is, June, in the three and twentieth day of the month; letters were written, as Mordecai would, to [the] Jews, and to [the] princes, and to procurators, and to judges, that were sovereigns over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces, from India unto Ethiopia, they were written to that province and to that province, to that people and to that people, by their languages and by their letters, and (also) to the Jews, (by their language and by their letters,) (so) that they (all) might read and hear them. (And when the king’s writers, or his royal secretaries, were called; it was then the third month, that is called Sivan, or June, on the twenty-third day of the month; letters were written, as Mordecai directed, to the Jews, and to the princes, or the leaders, and to the procurators, and the judges, who were the rulers over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia, yea, they were written to this province and to that province, to this people and to that people, to each in their own language and writing, and to the Jews in their own language and writing, so that they all might read and hear them.)

¹⁰ And those letters, that were sent in the name of the king, were asealed with his ring, and were sent forth by his messengers, the which ran about by all provinces, and they came with [the] new messages before that the eld letters were executed.

¹¹ To whom the king commanded, that they should call together the Jews, and command them to be gathered together by all cities, and that they should stand together for their lives; and that they should slay, and do away, all their enemies, with their wives, and with their children, and with all their households. (In which letters, the king granted permission to the Jews, in every city, to call themselves together, and to unite themselves, and to defend their own lives; and so they could kill, and do away with, all their enemies, along with their wives, and their children, and all their households.)

¹² And one day of vengeance, that is, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month of Adar, that is, March, was ordained by all provinces. (And one day of vengeance was ordained in all the provinces, that is, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, that is Adar, or March.)

¹³ And the short sentence of the epistle was this, that it were made known in all lands and (to all) peoples, that were subject to the empire of king Ahasuerus, that the Jews be ready that day to take vengeance of their enemies. (And in short, the sentence of the letter was this, that it should be made known in all the lands and to all the peoples, that were subject to the rule of King Ahasuerus, that the Jews be ready that day to take vengeance on all their enemies.)

¹⁴ And the messengers went out, before-bearing swift messages; and this same behest of the king hanged in the city of Susa. (And the messengers quickly went out, bearing the messages; and the king’s order was also hung up in the capital city of Susa.)

¹⁵ And Mordecai went out of the king’s palace and of the king’s sight, and he shined in the king’s clothes, that is, (clothes the colour) of jacinth, and (the) colour of the air, and he bare a golden crown on his head, and was clothed with a mantle of silk and of purple; and all the city fully joyed, and was glad. (And Mordecai went out from the king’s palace, and from before the king, and he shone in the king’s robes, that is, in his robes of blue and white, and he wore a gold crown on his head, and he also wore a cloak of silk and purple; and all the city rejoiced, and was glad.)

¹⁶ Certainly then a new light seemed to rise up to the Jews, and joy, and honour, and dancing (And so a new light seemed to rise up for the Jews, and joy, and honour, and dancing)

¹⁷ was at all peoples, and cities, and at all provinces, whither ever the commandments of the king came, (and) among them was a wonderful joy, and meats, and feasts, and an holy day, in so much, that many of another folk and sect were joined to the religion and ceremonies of them; for the great dread of the name of Jews had assailed all them. (were with all the people in all the cities, and provinces, wherever the king’s orders came; yea, among them there was such a wonderful joy, and food, and feasts, and holiday, that many people of other nations and sects, were joined to the religion and ceremonies of the Jews; for a great fear of the Jews had assailed all of them.)

9 Therefore in the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which we said now before to be called Adar, (that is, March,) when slaying was made ready to all the Jews by Haman, and their enemies setted treason to their blood, on the contrary, the Jews now began to be the higher part, and to venge them(selves) of their adversaries. (And so on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which earlier we said was called Adar, or March, when their enemies had intended slaughter for all the Jews, and had set treason for their blood, now, on the contrary, the Jews took the upper hand, to avenge themselves on their adversaries.)

² And the Jews were gathered together by all cities, castles, and places, to stretch forth (their) hand against their enemies and pursuers; and no man was hardy to against-stand them, for the dread of their greatness had pierced all peoples. (And the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities, in all the provinces, to put forth their hands against their enemies and pursuers; and no one was fool-hardy enough to stand against them/and no one was hardy enough to withstand them, for the fear of their greatness had pierced through all peoples.)

³ For why both the judges, dukes, and procurators of provinces, and each dignity, that were sovereigns of all places and works, enhanced the Jews, for the dread of Mordecai (was upon them), (And the judges, governors, and procurators of the provinces, who were the rulers of all the places and works, helped the Jews, because they all feared Mordecai,)

⁴ whom they knew to be (a) prince of the king’s palace (whom they knew to be a prince, or one of the leaders, in the king’s palace), and to be able to do full much; and the fame of his name increased each day, and (it) flew by the mouths of all men.

⁵ Therefore the Jews smote their enemies with great vengeance, and killed them, and yielded to their enemies that, that they had made ready to do to them, (And so the Jews struck down their enemies with a great vengeance, and killed them, and yielded to their enemies, what they had prepared to do to them,)

⁶ in so much, that also in the city of Susa the Jews killed five hundred men, without the ten sons of Haman of the kindred of Agag, the enemy of Jews, of the which sons these be the names; (and so in the capital city of Susa, the Jews killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, of which sons these be the names;)

⁷ Parshandatha, Dalphon, and Aspatha,

⁸ and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

⁹ and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha.

¹⁰ And when the Jews had slain the sons of Haman, they would not touch the preys of the chattels, or substance, of them. (And after the Jews had killed Haman’s sons, they did not take away any of the spoils of their chattel, or their possessions.)

¹¹ And anon the number of them, that were slain in the city of Susa, was told to the king. (And that same day, the number of people killed in the capital city of Susa, was told to the king.)

¹² And he said to the queen, The Jews have slain five hundred men in the city of Susa, and the ten sons of Haman; how great slaying guessest thou, that they haunt in all (the) provinces? what askest thou more? and what wilt thou, that I command to be done? (And he said to the queen, The Jews have killed five hundred men here in the capital city of Susa, and the ten sons of Haman as well; how great a slaughter thinkest thou that they have done in all the provinces? what more askest thou for? and what wilt thou, that I command to be done?)

¹³ To whom Esther answered, If it pleaseth the king, (let) power be given to the Jews, that as they have done today in Susa, so do they also tomorrow, and (also) that the (bodies of the) ten sons of Haman be hanged up in gibbets. (To whom Esther answered, If it please the king, let power be given to the Jews, so that as they have done today in Susa, let them do here also tomorrow, and let the bodies of the ten sons of Haman be hung up on the gallows.)

¹⁴ And the king commanded, that it should be done so; and anon the behest of the king hanged in Susa, and the (bodies of the) ten sons of Haman were hanged (up). (And the king commanded, that it be done so; and at once the king’s order was hung up in Susa, and the bodies of Haman’s ten sons were hung up as well.)

¹⁵ Therefore when the Jews were gathered together, in the fourteenth day of the month [of] Adar, that is, March, three hundred men were slain in Susa, and the Jews took not away the chattel of those men. (And so when the Jews were gathered together, on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, or of March, three hundred more men were killed in Susa, and again the Jews did not take away any of their chattel, or their possessions.)

¹⁶ But also by all the provinces, that were subject to the lordship of the king, Jews stood for their lives, when their enemies and pursuers were slain, in so much, that five and seventy thousand of slain men were filled, and no man touched any thing of the chattels of them. (And in all the provinces, which were subject to the king’s rule, when the Jews stood up for their lives, their enemies and pursuers were killed, indeed, over seventy-five thousand people were killed that day, but no Jew ever touched anything of their possessions.)

¹⁷ Certainly the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, or March, was the day of slaying with all them, and in the fourteenth day they ceased to slay; and that day they ordained to be solemn, so that therein in each time afterward, they should give attention to meats, to joy, and to feasts. (And so the thirteenth day of the month of Adar was the day that the Jews, outside the city of Susa, slaughtered their enemies, and then on the fourteenth day they ceased their slaughter; and that day they ordained as a time for feasting, so that at that time each year thereafter, they would give attention to food, and to joy, and to feasts.)

¹⁸ And those Jews, that used, or haunted, the slaying in the city of Susa, lived in (the) slaying in the thirteenth and fourteenth day(s) of the same month. But in the fifteenth day they ceased to slay; and therefore they ordained the same day to be solemn of feasts and of gladness. (But the Jews, who did the slaughter in the capital city of Susa, continued their slaughter from the thirteenth to the fourteenth day of the month. And then on the fifteenth day they ceased the slaughter of their enemies; and so they ordained that day to be a time for feasts and for gladness.)

¹⁹ And these Jews, that dwelled in burg towns not walled, and in villages, deemed the fourteen day of the month [of] Adar to be solemn of feasts, and of joy, so that they be joyful therein, and send, each to (the) other, parts of their feasts, and of their meats. (And this is why those Jews who live in remote towns without walls, and in villages, deem the fourteen day of the month of Adar, or of March, to be a time for feasts, and for joy, and indeed they be joyful on that day, and send portions of the food from their feasts to one another.)

²⁰ And Mordecai wrote all these things, and he sent all these things written by letters to the Jews, that dwelled in all the provinces of the king, as well to Jews dwelling nigh as far, (And Mordecai wrote down all these things, and he sent letters concerning all these things, to the Jews who lived in all the king’s provinces, yea, to the Jews living nearby, as well as to those living afar off,)

²¹ that they should receive and hold for their feast days the fourteenth and the fifteenth day(s) of the month [of] Adar, and ever[more] when the year turneth again, to hallow these days with solemn honour; (so that they would keep the fourteenth and the fifteenth days of the month of Adar, for their feast days, and forevermore when the year turneth again, celebrate these days with feasts of honouring;)

²² for in those days the Jews venged themselves of their enemies, and then their mourning and their sorrow were turned into gladness and joy; and therefore these days should be days of feasts, and of gladness, and that they should send, each to (the) other, parts of (their) meats, and give little gifts to poor men. (for in those days the Jews avenged themselves upon their enemies, and mourning and sorrow were turned into gladness and joy; and so these days should be feast days, filled with gladness, and they should send portions of their food to one another, and give little gifts to the poor.)

²³ And the Jews received into a solemn custom all those things, which they began to do in that time, and which things Mordecai had commanded by letters to be done. (And so the Jews undertook as a festive custom all these things, which they began to do at that time, and which Mordecai had commanded in his letters to be done.)

²⁴ For Haman, the son of Hammedatha, of the kindred of Agag, the enemy and adversary of Jews, thought evil against them, to slay them, and to do them away, and he cast pur, that is to say in our language, (a) lot, to do it. (For Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted evil against them, to kill them, and to do them away, and so he cast pur, that is to say, a lot, to determine when to do it.)

²⁵ And after this Esther entered in to the king, and besought, that the enforcings of Haman should be made void by the letters of the king, and that the evil, which he had thought against the Jews, should turn again into his head. Forsooth they hanged on the cross both him and his sons. (But then Esther went in to the king, and beseeched him, that Haman’s endeavours should be stopped with new written orders from the king, and that the evil, which Haman had plotted against the Jews, should return onto his own head. And so they hanged him and his sons on the gallows.)

²⁶ And from that time these days were called Purim, that is, (the days) of lots, for pur, that is, (a) lot, was sent, or cast, into a vessel; and the Jews received upon themselves, and upon their seed, and upon all men that would be coupled to their religion, all things that were done, and (that) be contained in the volume of the epistle, that is, of this book, (And from that time, these days were called Purim, that is, the Days of Lots, for pur, that is, a lot, was cast to determine the day that they would die; and the Jews took upon themselves, and upon their descendants, and upon all people who would be coupled to their religion, all the things that were done, and that be contained in this book,)

²⁷ and which things they suffered, and which things were changed afterward, so that it be not leaveful to any man to pass these two days without solemnity, which days the scripture witnesseth, and certain times ask, while the years come continually one after another. (and what things they suffered, and what things happened afterwards, so that it be not lawful for anyone to pass these two days without feasting, yea, the days to which this writing witnesseth, and for which a certain time is ordained, while the years continue to come, one after the other.)

²⁸ These be the days, which never any forgetting shall do away, but by all generations all the provinces, that be in all the world, shall hallow them; neither there is any city, in which the days of Purim, that is, (the days) of lots, shall not be kept of [the] Jews, and of the generation of them, which is bound to these ceremonies. (These be the days, which no forgetting shall do away, that is, they should always be remembered, and all the generations, or the descendants, of the people, who be in all the provinces, in all the world, shall keep and honour them; and there shall be no city, in which the Days of Purim, that is, the Days of Lots, shall not be kept by the Jews, and by their generations, or their descendants, who be bound and obliged to keep these ceremonies.)

²⁹ And Esther, the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai, the Jew, wrote also the second epistle, that this solemn day should be hallowed afterward with all busyness. (And Queen Esther, Abihail’s daughter, and Mordecai, the Jew, confirmed in writing with a second letter, that these feast days should be kept thereafter with all diligence.)

³⁰ And they sent (their letter) to those Jews, that dwelled in an hundred and seven and twenty provinces of king Ahasuerus, that they should have peace, and receive the truth, (And they sent their letter to all the Jews, who lived in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of King Ahasuerus, so that they would have peace, and receive the truth,)

³¹ and that they should keep the days of lots, and hallow them with joy in their time, as Mordecai and Esther had ordained; and they received the (rules for the) fastings, and the cries, and the days of lots, to be kept of themselves and of their seed, (and so that they would keep the Days of Purim, that is, the Days of Lots, and celebrate them with joy at their proper time, as Mordecai and Esther had ordained; just as they had received the rules for fasting, and mourning, or lamenting, to be kept by themselves, and by their descendants.)

³² and they received all things that be contained in the story of this book, that is called Esther. (And so Esther’s command confirmed these rules for Purim, or Lots, that be contained in this book.)

10 Forsooth king Ahasuerus made tributary each land, and all the isles of the sea; (And King Ahasuerus made every land, and all the islands of the sea, to pay him taxes/to pay tribute to him through forced labour;)

² whose strength and empire and his dignity and highness, by which he enhanced Mordecai, be written in the books of (the kings of) Media and of Persia; (and his strength and rule, as well as the dignity and highness to which he promoted Mordecai, all be written about in The Books of the Kings of Media and Persia;)

³ and how Mordecai of the kin of the Jews was the second from king Ahasuerus, and was great with (the) Jews, and acceptable to the people of his brethren, and he sought good things to his people, and spake those things, that pertained to the peace of his seed. (and also how that Mordecai, the Jew, was second only to King Ahasuerus, and that he was a great man among the Jews, and accepted by all the people of his kinsmen, and how he sought only the good for his people, and did what he could to bring peace to all their descendants.)^[a]