¶ Now in the twelfth¹ 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 hoped² to have power over them, (though it was turned³ to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)

The Jews gathered⁴ themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought⁵ their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear⁶ of them fell upon all people.

And all the rulers⁷ of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king⁸, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

For Mordecai was great⁹ in the king's house, and his fame¹⁰ went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed¹¹ greater and greater.

Thus the Jews smote¹² all their enemies with the stroke¹³ of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would¹⁴ unto those that hated them.

And in Shushan¹⁵ the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.

And Parshandatha¹⁶, and Dalphon¹⁷, and Aspatha¹⁸,

And Poratha¹⁹, and Adalia²⁰, and Aridatha²¹,

And Parmashta²², and Arisai²³, and Aridai²⁴, and Vajezatha²⁵,

¶ The ten sons²⁶ of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy²⁷ of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil²⁸ laid they not their hand.

On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought²⁹ before the king.

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 petition³⁰? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

Then said Esther, If it please the king³¹, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto³² this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged³³ upon the gallows.

And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.

For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves³⁴ together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey³⁵ they laid not their hand.

But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves³⁶ together, and stood³⁷ 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,

On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same³⁸ rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth³⁹ 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.

Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness⁴⁰ and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions⁴¹ one to another.

¶ And Mordecai⁴² wrote these⁴³ things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces⁴⁴ of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,

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

As the days⁴⁵ wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow⁴⁶ to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions⁴⁷ one to another, and gifts to the poor.

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

Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy⁴⁸ of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur⁴⁹, that is, the lot, to consume⁵⁰ them, and to destroy them;

But when Esther came⁵¹ before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return⁵² upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

Wherefore they called⁵³ these days Purim after the name of Pur⁵⁴. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,

The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed⁵⁵, and upon all such⁵⁶ as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail⁵⁷, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

And that these days should be remembered⁵⁸ and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail⁵⁹ from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed⁶⁰.

Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail⁶¹, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority⁶², to confirm this second letter of Purim.

¶ And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred⁶³ twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace⁶⁴ and truth,

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 themselves⁶⁵ and for their seed, the matters of the fastings⁶⁶ and their cry.

And the decree⁶⁷ of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written⁶⁸ in the book.