Esther 9

New American Standard Bible 1995

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

1Now 1in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on 2the thirteenth 3day 4when the king’s command and edict 5were about to be executed, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it was turned to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained the mastery over those who hated them. 2 6The Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; and no one could stand before them, 7for the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3Even all the princes of the provinces, 8the satraps, the governors and those who were doing the king’s business 9assisted the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4Indeed, Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for the man Mordecai 10became greater and greater. 5Thus 11the Jews struck all their enemies with 12the sword, killing and destroying; and they did what they pleased to those who hated them. 6At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men, 7and Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 13the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but 14they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

11On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa 15was reported to the king. 12The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What then have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! 16Now what is your petition? It shall even be granted you. And what is your further request? It shall also be done.” 13Then said Esther, “If it pleases the king, 17let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” 14So the king commanded that it should be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged. 15The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed 18three hundred men in Susa, but 19they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

16Now 20the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces 21assembled, to defend their lives and 22rid themselves of their enemies, and kill 75,000 of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. 17This was done on 23the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and 24on the fourteenth 25day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.

18But the Jews who were in Susa 26assembled on the thirteenth and 27the fourteenth 28of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth 29day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in 30the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a 31 32holiday for rejoicing and feasting and 33sending portions of food to one another.

The Feast of Purim Instituted

20Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day 34of the same month, annually, 22because on those days the Jews 35rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was 36turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a 37holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and 38sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and 39had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25But 40when it came 41to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter 42that his wicked scheme which he had 43devised against the Jews, 44should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the 45gallows. 26Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. 46And 47because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27the Jews established and 48made a custom for themselves and for their 49descendants and for 50all those who allied themselves with them, so that 51they would not fail 52to celebrate these two days according to their 53regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to 54fail from among the Jews, or their memory 55fade from their 56descendants.

29Then Queen Esther, 57daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm 58this second letter about Purim. 30He sent letters to all the Jews, 59to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31to 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 60descendants with 61instructions 62for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32The command of Esther established these 63customs for 64Purim, and it was written in the book.

Notes

1. Esther 9:1 Esth 8:12 ↩
2. Esther 9:1 Esth 9:17 ↩
3. Esther 9:1 Lit day in it ↩
4. Esther 9:1 Esth 3:13 ↩
5. Esther 9:1 Lit drew near ↩
6. Esther 9:2 Esth 8:11; 9:15-18 ↩
7. Esther 9:2 Esth 8:17 ↩
8. Esther 9:3 Ezra 8:36 ↩
9. Esther 9:3 Lit lifted up ↩
10. Esther 9:4 2 Sam 3:1; 1 Chr 11:9 ↩
11. Esther 9:5 Esth 3:13 ↩
12. Esther 9:5 Lit the stroke of ↩
13. Esther 9:10 Esth 5:11 ↩
14. Esther 9:10 Esth 8:11 ↩
15. Esther 9:11 Lit came ↩
16. Esther 9:12 Esth 5:6; 7:2 ↩
17. Esther 9:13 Esth 8:11; 9:15 ↩
18. Esther 9:15 Esth 9:12 ↩
19. Esther 9:15 Esth 9:10 ↩
20. Esther 9:16 Esth 9:2 ↩
21. Esther 9:16 Lev 26:7, 8; Esth 8:11 ↩
22. Esther 9:16 Lit have rest from ↩
23. Esther 9:17 Esth 9:1 ↩
24. Esther 9:17 Esth 9:21 ↩
25. Esther 9:17 Lit in it ↩
26. Esther 9:18 Esth 8:11; 9:2 ↩
27. Esther 9:18 Esth 9:21 ↩
28. Esther 9:18 Lit in it ↩
29. Esther 9:18 Lit in it ↩
30. Esther 9:19 Deut 3:5; Zech 2:4 ↩
31. Esther 9:19 Lit rejoicing and feasting and a good day and sending ↩
32. Esther 9:19 Esth 9:22 ↩
33. Esther 9:19 Neh 8:10 ↩
34. Esther 9:21 Lit in it ↩
35. Esther 9:22 Lit had rest from ↩
36. Esther 9:22 Ps 30:11 ↩
37. Esther 9:22 Lit good day ↩
38. Esther 9:22 Neh 8:12 ↩
39. Esther 9:24 Esth 3:7 ↩
40. Esther 9:25 Esth 7:4-10 ↩
41. Esther 9:25 Lit before the king, he ↩
42. Esther 9:25 Esth 3:6-15 ↩
43. Esther 9:25 Lit schemed ↩
44. Esther 9:25 Ps 7:16 ↩
45. Esther 9:25 Lit tree ↩
46. Esther 9:26 Lit Therefore because of all the words ↩
47. Esther 9:26 Esth 9:20 ↩
48. Esther 9:27 Lit received ↩
49. Esther 9:27 Lit seed ↩
50. Esther 9:27 Esth 8:17 ↩
51. Esther 9:27 Lit it should not pass away ↩
52. Esther 9:27 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
53. Esther 9:27 Lit writing ↩
54. Esther 9:28 Lit pass away ↩
55. Esther 9:28 Lit end ↩
56. Esther 9:28 Lit seed ↩
57. Esther 9:29 Esth 2:15 ↩
58. Esther 9:29 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
59. Esther 9:30 Esth 1:1 ↩
60. Esther 9:31 Lit seed ↩
61. Esther 9:31 Lit words ↩
62. Esther 9:31 Esth 4:3 ↩
63. Esther 9:32 Lit words ↩
64. Esther 9:32 Esth 9:26 ↩

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

The Feast of Purim Instituted

Notes

Commentaries on Esther 9