1 NOW in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
2 The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.
3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
4 For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
5 Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
6 And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.
7 And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,
8 And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
9 And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,
10 The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.
11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.
12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.
14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
15 For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.
16 But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,
17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.
19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.
20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,
22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,
27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;
28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.
29 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.
30 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

1Now in the twelfth month (that is the moneth Adar) on the thirteenth day of the same, when the Kings commaundement and his decree drew neere to bee put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Iewes hoped to haue power ouer them: (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Iewes had rule ouer them that hated them.)

2The Iewes gathered themselues together in their cities, throughout all the prouinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt, and no man could withstand them: for the feare of them fell vpon all people.

3And all the rulers of the prouinces, and the Lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Iewes: because the feare of Mordecai fell vpon them.

4For Mordecai was great in the kings house, and his fame went out, throughout all the prouinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

5Thus the Iewes smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would vnto those that hated them.

6And in Shushan the palace the Iewes slew and destroyed fiue hundred men:

7And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

8And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Uaiezatha,

10The ten sonnes of Haman the sonne of Hammedatha, the enemie of the Iewes, slew they, but on the spoile laid they not their hand.

11On that day, the number of those that were slaine in Shushan the palace, was brought before the king.

12 And the king said vnto Esther the Queene; The Iewes haue slaine and destroied fiue hundred men in Shushan the palace, & the ten sonnes of Haman; what haue they done in the rest of the kings prouinces? now what is thy petition? and it shalbe granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

13Then said Esther, If it please the king, Let it bee granted to the Iewes which are in Shushan, to doe to morow also, according vnto this dayes decree, and let Hamans ten sonnes be hanged vpon the gallous.

14And the king commanded it so to be done; and the decree was giuen at Shushan, and they hanged Hamans ten sonnes.

15For the Iewes that were in Shushan, gathered themselues together on the fourteenth day also of the moneth Adar, and slewe three hundred men at Shushan: but on the pray they laid not their hand.

16But the other Iewes that were in the kings prouinces, gathered themselues together, & stood for their liues, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seuenty and fiue thousand, but they laid not their handes on the pray.

17On the thirteenth day of the moneth Adar, and on the fourteenth day of the same, rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladnes.

18But the Iewes that were at Shushan, assembled together on the thirteenth day therof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same, they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladnesse.

19Therefore the Iewes of the villages, that dwelt in the vnwalled townes, made the foureteenth day of the moneth Adar, a day of gladnesse and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters vnto all the Iewes, that were in all the prouinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh & farre,

21To stablish this among them, that they should keepe the fourteenth day of the moneth Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yeerely:

22As the dayes wherein the Iewes rested from their enemies, & the moneth which was turned vnto them, from sorrow to ioy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them daies of feasting and ioy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poore.

23And the Iewes vndertooke to doe, as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written vnto them:

24Because Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemie of all the Iewes, had deuised against the Iewes to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot) to consume them, and to destroy them.

25But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters, that his wicked deuice which he deuised against the Iewes, should returne vpon his owne head, and that he and his sonnes, should be hanged on the gallous.

26Wherefore they called these dayes Purim, after the name of Pur: therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seene concerning this matter, and which had come vnto them,

27The Iewes ordeined, and tooke vpon them, and vpon their seed, and vpon all such as ioyned themselues vnto them, so as it should not faile, that they would keepe these two dayes, according to their writing, and according to their appointed time, euery yeere:

28And that these dayes should be remembred, and kept throughout euery generation, euery family, euery prouince, and euery citie, and that these dayes of Purim should not faile from among the Iewes, nor the memoriall of them perish from their seed.

29Then Esther the Queene, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Iew, wrote with all authoritie, to confirme this second letter of Purim.

30And hee sent the letters vnto all the Iewes, to the hundred, twentie and seuen prouinces of the kingdome of Ahasuerus, with wordes of peace and trueth:

31To confirme these dayes of Purim, in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Iew, and Esther the Queene had enioyned them, and as they had decreed for themselues and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.

32And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the booke.

I == 2nd Sam 22:41 ; Esth 3:13 ; 8:12

 

 

 

 

II == Esth 8:11 , 17 : 9:16 ; Ps 71:13 , 24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV == 2nd Sam 3:1 ; 1st Chr 11:9 ; Prov 4:18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

X == Esth 5:11 ; 8:11 ; Job 18:19 ; 27:13-15 ; Ps 21:10

 

 

XII == Esth 5:6 ; 7:2

 

 

 

 

 

 

XIII == 2nd Sam 21:6 , 9 ; Esth 8:11

 

 

 

 

 

XV == Esth 9:2 , 10 ; 8:11

 

 

 

VI == Esth 8:11 ; 9:2

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == Esth 9:11 , 15

 

 

 

XIX == Deut 16:11 , 14 ; Neh 8:10 , 12 ; Esth 8:17 ; 9:22

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXII == Neh 8:10 ; Esth 9:19 ; Ps 30:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIV == Esth 3:6-7

 

 

 

 

XXV == Esth 7:5-10 ; 8:3-8 ; 9:13-14 ; Ps 7:16

 

 

XXVI == Esth 9:20

 

 

 

XXVII == Esth 8:17 ; Isa 56:3 , 6 ; Zech 2:11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIX == Esth 2:15 ; 8:10 ; 9:20

XXX == Esth 1:1

 

 

XXXI == Esth 4:3 , 16

 

 

1 When the day arrived on which the order decreed by the king was to be carried out, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, on which the enemies of the Jews had expected to become masters of them, the situation was reversed: the Jews became masters of their enemies.

2 The Jews mustered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to attack those who sought to do them harm, and no one could withstand them, but all peoples were seized with a fear of them.

3 Moreover, all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors, and royal procurators supported the Jews from fear of Mordecai;

4 for Mordecai was powerful in the royal palace, and the report was spreading through all the provinces that he was continually growing in power.

5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them; they did to their enemies as they pleased.

6 In the stronghold of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.

7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,

8 Porathai, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,

10 the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the foe of the Jews. However, they did not engage in plundering.

11 On the same day, when the number of those killed in the stronghold of Susa was reported to the king,

12 he said to Queen Esther: "In the stronghold of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, as well as the ten sons of Haman. What must they have done in the other royal provinces! You shall again be granted whatever you ask, and whatever you request shall be honored."

13 So Esther said, "If it pleases your majesty, let the Jews in Susa be permitted again tomorrow to act according to today's decree, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on gibbets."

14 The king then gave an order to this effect, and the decree was published in Susa. So the ten sons of Haman were hanged,

15 and the Jews in Susa mustered again on the fourteenth of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa. However, they did not engage in plundering.

16 The other Jews, who dwelt in the royal provinces, also mustered and defended themselves, and obtained rest from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of their foes, without engaging in plunder,

17 on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

18 (The Jews in Susa, however, mustered on the thirteenth and fourteenth of the month. But on the fifteenth they rested, and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.)

19 That is why the rural Jews, who dwell in villages, celebrate the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of rejoicing and feasting, a holiday on which they send gifts of food to one another.

20 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews, both near and far, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

21 He ordered them to celebrate every year both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month of Adar

22 as the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow into joy, from mourning into festivity. They were to observe these days with feasting and gladness, sending food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 The Jews took upon themselves for the future this observance which they instituted at the written direction of Mordecai.

24 Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the foe of all the Jews, had planned to destroy them and had cast the pur, or lot, for the time of their defeat and destruction.

25 Yet, when Esther entered the royal presence, the king ordered in writing that the wicked plan Haman had devised against the Jews should instead be turned against Haman and that he and his sons should be hanged on gibbets.

26 And so these days have been named Purim after the word pur. Thus, because of all that was contained in this letter, and because of what they had witnessed and experienced in this affair,

27 the Jews established and took upon themselves, their descendants, and all who should join them, the inviolable obligation of celebrating these two days every year in the manner prescribed by this letter, and at the time appointed.

28 These days were to be commemorated and kept in every generation, by every clan, in every province, and in every city. These days of Purim were never to fall into disuse among the Jews, nor into oblivion among their descendants.

29 Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail and of Mordecai the Jew, wrote to confirm with full authority this second letter about Purim,

30 when Mordecai sent documents concerning peace and security to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Ahasuerus' kingdom.

31 Thus were established, for their appointed time, these days of Purim which Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had designated for the Jews, just as they had previously enjoined upon themselves and upon their race the duty of fasting and supplication.

32 The command of Esther confirmed these prescriptions for Purim and was recorded in the book.

v 1-4. On the 13th day of Adar, (March) some people attacked the Jews with the idea of gaining spoils, but they were not able to harm them. Even the authorities helped the Jews out of fear of them and the increasing power of Mordecai.

 

 

 

 

 

v 5-11. In Shushan the Jews killed 500 who rose against them, plus the ten sons of Haman, but took no spoil. They had fought for their lives, not gain, although they had been authorized to, 8:11. Perhaps because of Saul’s example years before in taking spoil, they feared becoming lustful over spoil and displeasing God.

 

 

 

 

v 12-15. The king reported to Esther the number killed in Shushan but could only guess at what was done in the other provinces. When asked, Esther gave further request that the decree be extended in Shushan on the next day, the 14th, and that Haman’s sons be hanged (or impaled) on the gallows he built. This was common as a deterrent to crime. This was granted, 300 more killed, but again the Jews took no spoil.

 

v 16-19. In the other provinces 75,000 were killed by the Jews on the 13th, but again, they took no spoils. Then they rested and feasted in gladness on the 14th and sent gifts to one another. In Shushan they rested and feasted on the 15th.

v 20-22. Mordecai wrote to the Jews in all the provinces that from henceforth they should keep the 14th and 15th of Adar annually by joyous feasting and sending gifts to one another and to the poor, because they had rest from enemies and their sorrow was turned to joy.

v 23-32. The Jews obeyed and agreed to keep this annually through future generations and in every place, in memory that the wicked devices of the enemy had been returned against them and the Jews preserved from extinction. It was called the feast of Purim, because Haman had cast pur, that is the lot, against them. Esther and Mordecai wrote a second letter with his official authority to confirm that the Jews were to keep the feast of Purim in the manner in which it was decreed, and it was recorded in the royal chronicles.