Esther 9

New American Standard Bible 2020

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 were to be put into effect, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it turned out to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 5The Jews assembled in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to 6attack those who sought 7to harm them; and no one could stand against them, 8because the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. 3Even all the officials of the provinces, 9the satraps, the governors, and those who were doing the king’s business were supporting the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and the news about him spread throughout the provinces; for the man Mordecai 10became greater and greater. 5So 11the Jews struck all their enemies with 12the sword, killing and destroying; and they did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and eliminated five hundred men, 7and they killed 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. 12And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and eliminated five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! 16Now what is your request? It shall also be granted you. And what is your further wish? It shall also be done.” 13Then Esther said, “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 wooden gallows.” 14So the king commanded that it was to 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 to kill seventy-five thousand 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 grief into joy, and from mourning into a 37holiday; that they were to make them days of feasting and rejoicing, and 38sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.

23So 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 eliminate them, and 39had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and eliminate them. 25But 40when it came 41to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter 42that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews 43was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons were to be hanged on the wooden gallows. 26Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of 44Pur. 45And 46because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27the Jews established and 47made a custom for themselves, their 48descendants, and for 49all those who allied themselves with them, so that 50they would not fail 51to celebrate these two days according to their 52regulation 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 53be neglected by the Jews, or their memory 54fade from their 55descendants.

29Then Queen Esther, 56daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm 57this second letter about Purim. 30He sent letters to all the Jews, 58to 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 59descendants, with 60instructions 61for their times of fasting and their mourning. 32The command of Esther established these 62customs for 63Purim, 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 9:2 Esth 8:11; 9:15-18 ↩
6. Esther 9:2 Lit put out a hand against ↩
7. Esther 9:2 Lit their harm ↩
8. Esther 9:2 Esth 8:17 ↩
9. Esther 9:3 Ezra 8:36 ↩
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 the ↩
13. Esther 9:10 Esth 5:11 ↩
14. Esther 9:10 Esth 8:11 ↩
15. Esther 9:11 Lit came before ↩
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 Ps 7:16 ↩
44. Esther 9:26 Akkadian for lot ↩
45. Esther 9:26 Lit Therefore because of all the words ↩
46. Esther 9:26 Esth 9:20 ↩
47. Esther 9:27 Lit received ↩
48. Esther 9:27 Lit seed ↩
49. Esther 9:27 Esth 8:17 ↩
50. Esther 9:27 Lit it would not pass away ↩
51. Esther 9:27 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
52. Esther 9:27 Lit writing ↩
53. Esther 9:28 Lit pass from the midst of ↩
54. Esther 9:28 Lit end ↩
55. Esther 9:28 Lit seed ↩
56. Esther 9:29 Esth 2:15 ↩
57. Esther 9:29 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
58. Esther 9:30 Esth 1:1 ↩
59. Esther 9:31 Lit seed ↩
60. Esther 9:31 Lit words ↩
61. Esther 9:31 Esth 4:3 ↩
62. Esther 9:32 Lit words ↩
63. Esther 9:32 Esth 9:26 ↩

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

The Feast of Purim Instituted

Notes

Commentaries on Esther 9