Esther

Esther 9 ©

1 The Jews, assisted by the rulers through fear of Mordecai's power, slay their enemies, and the ten sons of Haman among the rest. 12 Ahasuerus at the request of Esther granteth to the Jews at Shushan another day of slaughter, and causeth Haman's sons to be hanged. 20 The two days of Purim are made anniversary festivals in commemoration of this deliverance.

1

NOW in the atwelfth 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 bwas turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)

a ch. 3.7,13; 8.12. Job 11.20.
b Ps. 7.16; 9.15,16; 30.11; 126.5. De. 32.35,36. Ge. 22.14. Ec. 9.12.
2

The Jews cgathered 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 dthe fear of them fell upon all people.

c ch. 8.11. v.15,16. Jos. 11.20. Pr. 11.8; 21.18. Da. 6.7,24.
d ch. 8.17. Ge. 35.5; 21.22. Ex. 23.27. De. 11.2. Jos. 2.9.
3

And all the rulers of the provinces, and the *lieutenants, and the deputies, and 1officers of the king, ehelped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

e Pr. 16.7.
4

For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai fwaxed greater and greater.

f 2Sa. 3.1. Ps. 1.3,4; 37.37,38; 92.7-12. Pr. 4.18.
5

Thus the gJews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did 2what they would unto those that hated them.

g 2Th. 1.6. De. 32.35,36. Ps. 18.31-48.
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 hten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but ion the spoil laid they not their hand.

h Ex. 17.14. De. 25.17,19. 1Sa. 15.3. Job 27.14. Ps. 21.10. ch. 5.11.
i v.15,16. Col. 4.5. 1Co. 10.32. Ro. 12.17. Phi. 4.8. Ge. 14.23. ch. 8.11.
11

On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace 3was 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 jwhat is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

j ch. 5.6; 7.2.
13

Then said Esther, kIf it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do lto morrow also according unto this day's decree, and 4let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

k ch. 5.4,8; 7.3; 8.5.
l ch. 8.11; v.15.
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 mJews that were in Shushan ngathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but oon the *prey they laid not their hand.

m He. 11.33. Ps. 118.7-13.
n v.2.
o v.10,16. He. 13.5. 1Co. 6.12. 1Th. 5.22.
16

But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and pstood 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,

p ch. 8.11. Le. 26.7,8. Ps. 18.34-48.
17

On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day 5of the same rested they, and made it a day qof feasting and gladness.

q Ne. 8.10. Ec. 10.19. Ge. 21.6. Ps. 118.11-29. Ex. 15.1-22. De. 16.11,14.
18

But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together ron 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.

r v.11,15.
19

Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day sof gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

s Ne. 8.10,12. v.22. ch. 8.17. Re. 11.10.
20

¶And Mordecai twrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,

t 1Ch. 16.12. Ps. 145.4-12; 124.1,2; 126.1-5. 2Co. 1.10,11. Col. 1.10.
21

To stablish this among them, that uthey should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

u Ro. 12.15. Ex. 13.3.
22

As vthe 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 wshould make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and xgifts to the poor.

v ch. 3.12,13. v.2-16. Ps. 9.1,2; 34.1,4; 103.2; 116.13-18.
w Ne. 3.10-12. v.17-19. ch. 8.17.
x Ne. 8.10.
23

And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

24

Because yHaman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast zPur, that is, the lot, to 6consume them, and to destroy them;

y ch. 3.5-13.
z ch. 3.7. v.26,28.
25

But 7when 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 aPurim after the name of 8Pur. Therefore for all the words of bthis letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,

a Nu. 16.40. Eze. 39.11.
b v.20.
27

The Jews ordained, and ctook upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not 9fail, that they would keep dthese two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

c De. 5.3; 29.14,15. Jos. 9.15. 2Sa. 21.1,2.
d v.21.
28

And ethat these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every fam-ily, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not 10fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them 11perish from their seed.

e Ex. 12.17. Le. 23.43. Ju. 5.11. Job 19.23,24. Ps. 103.2.
29

Then Esther the queen, fthe daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with 12all authority, to confirm this gsecond letter of Purim.

f ch. 2.15.
g ch. 8.10. v.20.
30

And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to hthe hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with iwords of peace and truth,

h ch. 1.1; 8.9.
i Is. 39.8. Zec. 8.19. Ro. 15.5. Ep. 4.3,15. 1Th. 2.10. He. 12.14. Ja. 3.17.
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 13for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the jfastings and their cry.

j ch. 4.3,16. Jonah 2.9; 3.8.
32

And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.