Esther 9

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
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 When the day arrived on which the order decreed by the king was to be carried out, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, on which the enemies of the Jews had expected to become masters of them, the situation was reversed: the Jews became masters of their enemies.
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 The Jews mustered in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to attack those who sought to do them harm, and no one could withstand them, but all peoples were seized with a fear of them.
3 Provincial officers-of-state, satraps, governors and royal officials, al supported the Jews for fear ofMordecai.	3 Moreover, all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors, and royal procurators supported the Jews from fear of Mordecai;
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 Mordecai was powerful in the royal palace, and the report was spreading through all the provinces that he was continually growing in power.
5 So the Jews struck down al their enemies with the sword, with resulting slaughter and destruction, andworked their wil on their opponents.	5 The Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them; they did to their enemies as they pleased.
6 In the citadel of Susa alone, the Jews put to death and slaughtered five hundred men,	6 In the stronghold of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men.
7 notably Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,	7 They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,	8 Porathai, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha,
9 Parmashtha, Arisai, Aridai and Jezatha,
10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the persecutor of the Jews. But they took no plunder.	10 the ten sons of Haman, son of Hammedatha, the foe of the Jews. However, they did not engage in plundering.
11 The number of those kil ed in the citadel of Susa was reported to the king that same day.	11 On the same day, when the number of those killed in the stronghold of Susa was reported 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 he said to Queen Esther: "In the stronghold of Susa the Jews have killed and destroyed five hundred men, as well as the ten sons of Haman. What must they have done in the other royal provinces! You shall again be granted whatever you ask, and whatever you request shall be honored."
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 So Esther said, "If it pleases your majesty, let the Jews in Susa be permitted again tomorrow to act according to today's decree, and let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on gibbets."
14 Whereupon, the king having given the order, the edict was promulgated in Susa and the ten sons ofHaman were hanged.	14 The king then gave an order to this effect, and the decree was published in Susa. So the ten sons of Haman 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 and the Jews in Susa mustered again on the fourteenth of the month of Adar and killed three hundred men in Susa. However, they did not engage in plundering.
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 The other Jews, who dwelt in the royal provinces, also mustered and defended themselves, and obtained rest from their enemies. They killed seventy-five thousand of their foes, without engaging in plunder,
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 on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. On the fourteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
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 (The Jews in Susa, however, mustered on the thirteenth and fourteenth of the month. But on the fifteenth they rested, and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.)
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 That is why the rural Jews, who dwell in villages, celebrate the fourteenth of the month of Adar as a day of rejoicing and feasting, a holiday on which they send gifts of food to one another.
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 Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews, both near and far, in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.
21 enjoining them to celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar every year,	21 He ordered them to celebrate every year both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of the month of Adar
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 as the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow into joy, from mourning into festivity. They were to observe these days with feasting and gladness, sending food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 Once having begun, the Jews continued observing these practices, Mordecai having written them anaccount	23 The Jews took upon themselves for the future this observance which they instituted at the written direction of Mordecai.
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 Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the foe of all the Jews, had planned to destroy them and had cast the pur, or lot, for the time of their defeat and destruction.
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 Yet, when Esther entered the royal presence, the king ordered in writing that the wicked plan Haman had devised against the Jews should instead be turned against Haman and that he and his sons should be hanged on 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 so these days have been named Purim after the word pur. Thus, because of all that was contained in this letter, and because of what they had witnessed and experienced in this affair,
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 the Jews established and took upon themselves, their descendants, and all who should join them, the inviolable obligation of celebrating these two days every year in the manner prescribed by this letter, and at the time appointed.
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 days were to be commemorated and kept in every generation, by every clan, in every province, and in every city. These days of Purim were never to fall into disuse among the Jews, nor into oblivion among their descendants.
29 Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote with ful authority to ratify this second letter,	29 Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail and of Mordecai the Jew, wrote to confirm with full authority this second letter about Purim,
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 when Mordecai sent documents concerning peace and security to all the Jews in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of Ahasuerus' kingdom.
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 Thus were established, for their appointed time, these days of Purim which Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had designated for the Jews, just as they had previously enjoined upon themselves and upon their race the duty of fasting and supplication.
32 The ordinance of Esther fixed the law of Purim, which was then recorded in a book.	32 The command of Esther confirmed these prescriptions for Purim and was recorded in the book.