Esther 9

Now in the twelfth 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 hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)

1The day came at last. It was the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. That was the day the king's order was to be carried out. The enemies of the Jews had hoped to beat them that day. But the opposite happened. The Jews beat the ones who hated them.

NoteAdar is the last month of the Jewish year. It falls near the end of our winter, in February or March.

2The Jews gathered themselves together in 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.

2The Jews came together in their cities all over the king's lands. They stood ready to fight the people who wanted to hurt them. No one could stand up to them. Everyone was afraid of them.

3And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

3All the leaders of the provinces helped the Jews. So did the governors and the king's other officers. They helped because they were afraid of Mordecai.

4For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

4Mordecai was now very important in the king's palace. People all over the king's lands heard about him. He kept growing stronger and stronger.

5Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.

5So the Jews struck down all their enemies with swords. They killed them and did what they wanted to those who hated them.

6And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.

6In the strong walled city of Susa, the Jews killed five hundred men.

7And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

7Among them were Parshandatha, Dalphon, and Aspatha.

8And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

8Also Poratha, Adalia, and Aridatha.

9And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,

9Also Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.

10The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.

10These ten men were the sons of Haman, who was the son of Hammedatha. Haman had been the enemy of the Jews. The Jews killed his ten sons. But they did not take any of their things.

11On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.

11That same day, someone told the king how many were killed in Susa.

12And 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 petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

12The king said to Queen Esther, "In Susa the Jews have killed five hundred men. They also killed Haman's ten sons. What must they have done in the rest of my lands? Now, what do you want? I will give it to you. Ask me for anything, and I will do it."

13Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

13Esther answered, "If it pleases the king, let the Jews in Susa do tomorrow what they did today. And let the bodies of Haman's ten sons be hung on the tall wooden pole."

NoteThe KJV says "gallows," but the word means a tall wooden pole or pointed post used to display bodies. The men were already dead.

14And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.

14The king said it should be done. An order was given in Susa. And they hung the bodies of Haman's ten sons.

15For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.

15So the Jews in Susa came together again on the fourteenth day of Adar. They killed three hundred men there. But they did not take any of their things.

16But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood 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,

16The other Jews in the king's lands also came together. They stood up to save their own lives. They got rid of their enemies and had peace at last. They killed seventy-five thousand people who hated them. But they did not take any of their things.

17On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

17All this happened on the thirteenth day of Adar. On the fourteenth day they rested. They made that day a happy day with a big meal.

18But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth 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.

18But the Jews in Susa had fought on the thirteenth day and the fourteenth day. So they rested on the fifteenth day. They made that day a happy day with a big meal.

19Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

19That is why the Jews who live in small country towns keep the fourteenth day of Adar. They make it a glad day with a big meal. It is a holiday, and they send food to one another.

20And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,

20Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. He sent letters to all the Jews in all the king's lands, near and far.

21To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

21The letters told them to keep two days every year. Those days were the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar.

22As 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 good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

22Those were the days when the Jews got peace from their enemies. That was the month when their sadness turned into joy. Their crying turned into a holiday. Mordecai told them to make these days happy, with big meals. They should send food to one another and give gifts to poor people.

23And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

23The Jews agreed to keep doing what they had started. They did what Mordecai had written to them.

24Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;

24They did this because of what Haman had done. Haman was the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, and the enemy of all the Jews. He had made a plan to wipe them all out. He had thrown the Pur, which means the lot, to pick the day.

25But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

25But when the king learned about it, he sent out letters. He ordered that Haman's evil plan should fall back on Haman himself. He said Haman and his sons should be hung on the tall wooden pole.

26Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,

26So they called these days Purim, named after the word Pur. They did this because of everything written in that letter. They also did it because of all they had seen and lived through.

27The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

27So the Jews made a promise for themselves and their children. Anyone who joined them would keep it too. They would never fail to keep these two days every single year. They would keep them at the right time, just as it was written.

28And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

28These days were to be remembered and kept by every family. Every province and every city would keep them, in every time to come. The days of Purim should never stop among the Jews. Their children should never forget them.

29Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.

29Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, wrote a letter. Mordecai the Jew wrote it with her. They used their full power to make this second Purim letter official.

30And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,

30Mordecai sent the letters to all the Jews. They went to all 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus. The letters had kind and honest words in them.

31To 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 themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.

31The letters made the days of Purim official at their set time. Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had set those days. The Jews had also promised for themselves and their children to keep times of going without food and crying out to God.

NoteGoing without food for a while, called fasting, was a way people showed God they were sad and needed help.

32And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

32So Esther's order made these Purim rules official. And the rules were written down in a book.