Esther

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

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

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."

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

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."

Then 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.

NoteThis was a tall wooden pole. A body was hung up high on it so everyone in the city could see.

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

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

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.

For 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.

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.

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

NoteAbihail was Esther's father. Names of fathers were often given to show exactly who a person was.

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.

And 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,

NoteThe kingdom had 127 provinces. It stretched all the way from India to Africa.

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 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.

NoteGoing without food for a while is called fasting. People did it when they were very sad or were praying hard.

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

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

NoteThis was the king's record book. Important orders were written in it so no one would forget them.