9 1 At the commandment of the King, the Jews put their adversaries to death. 14 The ten sons of Haman are hanged. 17 The Jews keep a feast in remembrance of their deliverance.
1 So in the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, upon 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 (but it [a]turned contrary: for the Jews had rule over them that hated them.)
2 The Jews gathered themselves together into 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 the fear of them fell upon all people.
3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the princes and the captains, and the officers of the King [b]exalted the Jews: for the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
4 For Mordecai was great in the King’s house, and the report of him went through all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
5 Thus the Jews smote all their [c]enemies with strokes of the sword and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
6 And at Shushan the palace slew the Jews and destroyed [d]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 ten sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the adversary of the Jews slew they: but they laid not their hands [e]on the spoil.
11 On the same day came the number of those that were slain, unto the palace of Shushan before the King.
12 And the King said unto the Queen Esther, The Jews have slain in Shushan the palace, and destroyed five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman: what have they done in the rest of the King’s provinces? and what is thy petition, that it may be given thee? or what is thy request moreover, that it may be performed?
13 Then said Esther, If it please the King, let it be granted also tomorrow to the Jews that are in Shushan, to do according [f]unto this day’s decree, that they may hang upon the tree Haman’s ten sons.
14 And the King charged to do so, and the decree was given at Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.
15 ¶ So the Jews that were in Shushan, assembled themselves upon the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men in Shushan, but on the spoil they laid not their hand.
16 And the rest of the Jews that were in the King’s provinces assembled themselves, and stood for [g]their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of them that [h]hated them, seventy and five thousand: but they laid not their hand on the spoil.
17 This they did on the [i]thirteenth day of the month Adar, and rested the fourteenth day thereof, and kept it a day of feasting and joy.
18 But the Jews that were in Shushan assembled themselves on the thirteenth day, and on the fourteenth thereof, and they rested on the fifteenth of the same, and kept it a day of feasting and joy.
19 Therefore the Jews of the villages that dwelt in the unwalled towns, [j]kept the fourteenth day of the month Adar with joy and feasting, even a joyful day, and everyone sent presents unto his neighbor.
20 ¶ And Mordecai wrote [k]these words, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were through all the provinces of the King Ahasuerus, both near and far,
21 Enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, every year.
22 According to the 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 joyful day, to keep them the days of feasting and joy, and to [l]send presents every man to his neighbor, and gifts to the poor.
23 And the Jews promised to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them,
24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite all the Jews’ adversary had imagined against the Jews to destroy them, and had [m]cast Pur (that is a lot) to consume and destroy them.
25 And when [n]she came before the king, he commanded by letters, Let this wicked [o]device (which he imagined against the Jews) turn upon his own head, and let them hang him and his sons on the tree.
26 Therefore they called these days Purim, by the name of Pur, and because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen besides this, and of that which had come unto them.
27 The Jews also ordained, and promised for them and for their seed, and for all that joined unto them, that they would not [p]fail to observe those two [q]days every year, according to their writing, and according unto their season,
28 And that these days should be remembered, and kept throughout every generation and every family, and every province, and every city: even these days of Purim should not fail among the Jews, and the memorial of them should not perish from their seed.
29 And the Queen Esther the daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew wrote with all [r]authority (to confirm this letter of Purim the second time.)
30 And he sent letters unto all the Jews to the hundred and seven and twenty provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with [s]words of peace and truth,
31 To confirm these days of Purim according to their seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the Queen had appointed them, and as they had promised for [t]themselves and for their seed with [u]fasting and prayer.
32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these words of Purim, and was written in the book.
Footnotes
- Esther 9:1 This was by God’s great providence, who turneth the joy of the wicked into sorrow, and the tears of the godly into gladness.
- Esther 9:3 Did them honor, and showed them friendship.
- Esther 9:5 Which had conspired their death by the permission of the wicked Haman.
- Esther 9:6 Besides those three hundred, that they slew the second day, as verse 15.
- Esther 9:10 Whereby they declared that this was God’s just judgment upon the enemies of his Church, forasmuch as they sought not their own gain, but to execute his vengeance.
- Esther 9:13 This she requireth not for desire of vengeance, but with zeal to see God’s judgments executed against his enemies.
- Esther 9:16 Read Esther 8:11.
- Esther 9:16 Meaning, that they laid hands on none that were not this enemies of God.
- Esther 9:17 Meaning, in all places saving in Shushan.
- Esther 9:19 As the Jews do even to this day, calling it in the Persian language Purim, that is, the day of lots.
- Esther 9:20 The Jews gather hereof that Mordecai wrote this story: but it seemeth that he wrote but only these letters and decrees that follow.
- Esther 9:22 He setteth before our eyes the use of this feast, which was for the remembrance of God’s deliverance, the maintenance of mutual friendship and relief of the poor.
- Esther 9:24 Read Esther 3.
- Esther 9:25 That is, Esther.
- Esther 9:25 These are the words of the king’s commandment to disannul Haman’s wicked enterprise.
- Esther 9:27 Or, transgress.
- Esther 9:27 Meaning, the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month of Adar.
- Esther 9:29 Or, strength, or efficacy.
- Esther 9:30 Which were letters declaring unto them quietness, and assurance and putting them out of doubt and fear.
- Esther 9:31 Hebrew, souls.
- Esther 9:31 That they would observe this feast with fasting and earnest prayer, which in Hebrew is signified by this word (they cry).