Esther 9

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 The king's command and decree came into force on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, andthe day on which the enemies of the Jews had hoped to crush them produced the very opposite effect: the Jewsit was who crushed their enemies.	1 So on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which as we have said above is called Adar, when all the Jews were designed to be massacred, and their enemies were greedy after their blood, the case being altered, the Jews began to have the upper hand, and to revenge themselves of their adversaries.
2 In their towns throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, the Jews assembled to strike at those whohad planned to injure them. No one resisted them, since the various peoples were now al afraid of them.	2 And they gathered themselves together in every city, and town, and place, to lay their hands on their enemies, and their persecutors. And no one durst withstand them, for the fear of their power had gone through every people.
3 Provincial officers-of-state, satraps, governors and royal officials, al supported the Jews for fear ofMordecai.	3 And the judges of the provinces, and the governors, and lieutenants, and every one in dignity, that presided over every place and work, extolled the Jews for fear of Mardochai:
4 And indeed Mordecai was a power in the palace and his fame was spreading through al the provinces;Mordecai was steadily growing more powerful.	4 For they knew him to be prince of the palace, and to have great power: and the fame of his name increased daily, and was spread abroad through all men's mouths.
5 So the Jews struck down al their enemies with the sword, with resulting slaughter and destruction, andworked their wil on their opponents.	5 So the Jews made a great slaughter of their enemies, and killed them, repaying according to what they had prepared to do to them:
6 In the citadel of Susa alone, the Jews put to death and slaughtered five hundred men,	6 Insomuch that even in Susan they killed five hundred men, besides the ten sons of Aman the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews: whose names are these:
7 notably Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,	7 Pharsandatha, and Delphon, and Esphatha,
8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,	8 And Phoratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
9 Parmashtha, Arisai, Aridai and Jezatha,	9 And Phermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Jezatha.
10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the persecutor of the Jews. But they took no plunder.	10 And when they had slain them, they would not touch the spoils of their goods.
11 The number of those kil ed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day.	11 And presently the number of them that were killed in Susan was brought to the king.
12 The king said to Queen Esther, 'In the citadel of Susa the Jews have killed five hundred men and alsothe ten sons of Haman. What must they have done in the other provinces of the realm? Tel me your request; Igrant it to you. Tel me what else you would like; it is yours for the asking.'	12 And he said to the queen: The Jews have killed five hundred men in the city of Susan, besides the ten sons of Aman: how many dost thou think they have slain in all the provinces? What askest thou more, and what wilt thou have me to command to be done?
13 'If such is the king's pleasure,' Esther replied, 'let the Jews of Susa be al owed to enforce today'sdecree tomorrow as well. And as for the ten sons of Haman, let their bodies be hanged on the gal ows.'	13 And she answered: If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews, to do to morrow in Susan as they have done to day, and that the ten sons of Aman may be hanged upon gibbets.
14 Whereupon, the king having given the order, the edict was promulgated in Susa and the ten sons ofHaman were hanged.	14 And the king commanded that it should be so done. And forthwith the edict was hung up in Susan, and the ten sons of Aman were hanged.
15 Thus the Jews of Susa reassembled on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and kil ed threehundred men in the city. But they took no plunder.	15 ,15And on the fourteenth day of the month Adar the Jews gathered themselves together, and they killed in Susan three hundred men: but they took not their substance.
16 The other Jews who lived in the king's provinces also assembled to defend their lives and ridthemselves of their enemies. They slaughtered seventy-five thousand of their opponents. But they took noplunder.	16 Moreover through all the provinces which were subject to the king's dominion the Jews stood for their lives, and slew their enemies and persecutors: insomuch that the number of them that were Billed amounted to seventy-five thousand, and no man took any of their goods.
17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth day they rested and made it aday of feasting and gladness.	17 Now the thirteenth day of the month Adar was the first day with them all of the slaughter, and on the fourteenth day they left off. Which they ordained to be kept holy day, so that all times hereafter they should celebrate it with feasting, joy, and banquets.
18 But for the Jews of Susa, who had assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days, the fifteenth wasthe day they rested, making that a day of feasting and gladness.	18 But they that were killing in the city of Susan, were employed in the slaughter on the thirteenth and fourteenth day of the same month: and on the fifteenth day they rested. And therefore they appointed that day to be a holy day of feasting and gladness.
19 This is why Jewish country people, those who live in undefended vil ages, keep the fourteenth day ofthe month of Adar as a day of gladness, feasting and holiday-making, and the exchanging of presents with oneanother, (a) whereas for those who live in cities the day of rejoicing and exchanging presents with theirneighbours is the fifteenth day of Adar.	19 But those Jews that dwelt in towns not walled and in villages, appointed the fourteenth day of the month Adar for banquets and gladness, so as to rejoice on that day, and send one another portions of their banquets and meats.
20 Mordecai committed these events to writing. Then he sent letters to all the Jews living in the provincesof King Ahasuerus, both near and far,	20 And Mardochai wrote all these things, and sent them comprised in letters to the Jews that abode in all the king's provinces, both those that lay near and those afar off,
21 enjoining them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year,	21 ,21That they should receive the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar for holy days, and always at the return of the year should celebrate them with solemn honour:
22 as the days on which the Jews had rid themselves of their enemies, and the month in which theirsorrow had been turned into gladness, and mourning into a holiday. He therefore told them to keep these asdays of festivity and gladness when they were to exchange presents and make gifts to the poor.	22 Because on those days the Jews revenged themselves of their enemies, and their mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and joy, and that these should be days of feasting and gladness, in which they should send one to another portions of meats; and should give gifts to the poor.
23 Once having begun, the Jews continued observing these practices, Mordecai having written them anaccount	23 And the Jews undertook to observe with solemnity all they had begun to do at that time, which Mardochai by letters had commanded to be done.
24 of how Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the persecutor of al the Jews, had plotted theirdestruction and had cast the pur, that is, the lot, for their overthrow and ruin;	24 For Aman, the son of Amadathi of the race of Agag, the enemy and adversary of the Jews, had devised evil against them, to kill them and destroy them: and had cast Phur, that is, the lot.
25 but how, when he went back to the king to ask him to order the hanging of Mordecai, the wickedscheme which he had devised against the Jews recoiled on his own head, and both he and his sons werehanged on the gallows;	25 And afterwards Esther went in to the king, beseeching him that his endeavours might be made void by the king's letters: and the evil that he had intended against the Jews, might return upon his own head. And so both he and his sons were hanged upon gibbets.
26 and that, hence, these days were cal ed Purim, from the word pur. And so, because of what waswritten in this letter, and because of what they had seen for themselves and of what had happened to them,	26 And since that time these days are called Phurim, that is, of lots: because Phur, that is, the lot, was cast into the urn. And all things that were done, are contained in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this book:
27 the Jews wil ingly bound themselves, their descendants and al who should join them, to celebratethese two days without fail, in the manner prescribed and at the time appointed, year after year.	27 And the things that they suffered, and that were afterwards changed, the Jews took upon themselves and their seed, and upon all that had a mind to be joined to their religion, so that it should be lawful for none to pass these days without solemnity: which the writing testifieth, and certain times require, as the years continually succeed one another.
28 Thus commemorated and celebrated from generation to generation, in every family, in every province,in every city, these days of Purim will never be abrogated among the Jews, nor will their memory perish fromtheir race.	28 These are the days which shall never be forgot: and which all provinces in the whole world shall celebrate throughout all generations: neither is there any city wherein the days of Phurim, that is, of lots, must not be observed by the Jews, and by their posterity, which is bound to these ceremonies.
29 Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote with ful authority to ratify this second letter,	29 And Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mardochai the Jew, wrote also a second epistle, that with all diligence this day should be established a festival for the time to come.
30 and sent letters to all the Jews of the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the realm of Ahasuerus,in terms of peace and loyalty	30 And they sent to all the Jews that were in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of king Assuerus, that they should have peace, and receive truth,
31 enjoining them to observe these days of Purim at the appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew hadrecommended, and in the manner prescribed for themselves and their descendants, with additional ordinancesfor fasts and lamentations.	31 And observe the days of lots, and celebrate them with joy in their proper time: as Mardochai and Esther had appointed, and they undertook them to be observed by themselves and by their seed, fasts, and cries, and the days of lots,
32 The ordinance of Esther fixed the law of Purim, which was then recorded in a book.	32 And all things which are contained in the history of this book, which is called Esther.