New American Standard Bible 2020

Esther 9:1-26

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.

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,

Read all of Esther 9

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 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Esther 9