Esther 9 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

1 Now in the twelfth ^H8147 H6240 month ^H2320 (that is, the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143), on the thirteenth ^H7969 H6240 [fn]day ^H3117, when ^H834 the king’s ^H4428 command ^H1697 and edict ^H1881 were to be put ^H6213 into ^H6213 effect ^H6213, on the day ^H3117 when ^H834 the enemies ^H340 of the Jews ^H3064 hoped ^H7663 to gain ^H7980 the mastery ^H7980 over ^H7980 them, it turned ^H2015 out ^H2015 to the contrary ^H2015 so ^H834 that ^H834 the Jews ^H3064 themselves ^H1992 gained ^H7980 mastery ^H7980 over ^H7980 those who hated ^H8130 them.

2 The Jews ^H3064 assembled ^H6950 in their cities ^H5892 throughout ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 to [fn]attack ^H7971 H3027 those who sought ^H1245 [fn]to harm ^H7451 them; and no ^H3808 one ^H376 could stand ^H5975 against ^H6440 them, because ^H3588 the dread ^H6343 of them had fallen ^H5307 on all ^H3605 the peoples ^H5971. 3 Even all ^H3605 the officials ^H8269 of the provinces ^H4082, the satraps ^H323, the governors ^H6346, and those who were doing ^H6213 the king’s ^H4428 business ^H4399 were supporting ^H5375 the Jews ^H3064, because ^H3588 the dread ^H6343 of Mordecai ^H4782 had fallen ^H5307 on them. 4 For Mordecai ^H4782 was great ^H1419 in the king’s ^H4428 house ^H1004, and the news ^H8089 about him spread ^H1980 throughout ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082; for the man ^H376 Mordecai ^H4782 became ^H1980 greater ^H1980 and greater ^H1419. 5 So the Jews ^H3064 struck ^H5221 all ^H3605 their enemies ^H340 with [fn]the sword ^H2719, killing ^H2027 and destroying ^H12; and they did ^H6213 as they pleased ^H7522 to those who hated ^H8130 them. 6 At the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800 the Jews ^H3064 killed ^H2026 and eliminated ^H6 five ^H2568 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376, 7 and they killed ^H2026 Parshandatha ^H6577, Dalphon ^H1813, Aspatha ^H630, 8 Poratha ^H6334, Adalia ^H118, Aridatha ^H743, 9 Parmashta ^H6534, Arisai ^H747, Aridai ^H742, and Vaizatha ^H2055, 10 the ten ^H6235 sons ^H1121 of Haman ^H2001 the son ^H1121 of Hammedatha ^H4099, the Jews’ ^H3064 enemy ^H6887; but they did not lay ^H7971 their hands ^H3027 on the plunder ^H961.

11 On that day ^H3117 the number ^H4557 of those who were killed ^H2026 at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800 [fn]was reported ^H935 to the king ^H4428. 12 And the king ^H4428 said ^H559 to Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635, “The Jews ^H3064 have killed ^H2026 and eliminated ^H6 five ^H2568 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 and the ten ^H6235 sons ^H1121 of Haman ^H2001 at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800. What ^H4100 have they done ^H6213 in the rest ^H7605 of the king’s ^H4428 provinces ^H4082! Now what ^H4100 is your request ^H7596? It shall also be granted ^H5414 you. And what ^H4100 is your further ^H5750 wish ^H1246? It shall also be done ^H6213.” 13 Then Esther ^H635 said ^H559, “If ^H518 it pleases ^H5921 H2895 the king ^H4428, let tomorrow ^H4279 also ^H1571 be granted ^H5414 to the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 are in Susa ^H7800 to do ^H6213 according to the edict ^H1881 of today ^H3117; and let Haman’s ^H2001 ten ^H6235 sons ^H1121 be hanged ^H8518 on the wooden ^H6086 gallows.” 14 So the king ^H4428 commanded ^H559 that it was to be done ^H6213 so ^H3651; and an edict ^H1881 was issued ^H5414 in Susa ^H7800, and Haman’s ^H2001 ten ^H6235 sons ^H1121 were hanged ^H8518. 15 The Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 were in Susa ^H7800 assembled ^H6950 also ^H1571 on the fourteenth ^H702 H6240 day ^H3117 of the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143 and killed ^H2026 three ^H7969 hundred ^H3967 men ^H376 in Susa ^H7800, but they did not lay ^H7971 their hands ^H3027 on the plunder ^H961.

16 Now the rest ^H7605 of the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 were in the king’s ^H4428 provinces ^H4082 assembled ^H6950, to defend ^H5975 their lives ^H5315 and [fn]rid ^H5117 themselves ^H5117 of their enemies ^H340, and to kill ^H2026 seventy-five ^H2568 H7657 thousand ^H505 of those who hated ^H8130 them; but they did not lay ^H7971 their hands ^H3027 on the plunder ^H961. 17 This was done on the thirteenth ^H7969 H6240 day ^H3117 of the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143, and on the fourteenth ^H702 H6240 [fn]day they rested ^H5117 and made ^H6213 it a day ^H3117 of feasting ^H4960 and rejoicing ^H8057.

18 But the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 were in Susa ^H7800 assembled ^H6950 on the thirteenth ^H7969 H6240 and the fourteenth ^H702 H6240 [fn]of the same month, and they rested ^H5117 on the fifteenth ^H2568 H6240 [fn]day and made ^H6213 it a day ^H3117 of feasting ^H4960 and rejoicing ^H8057. 19 Therefore ^H5921 H3651 the Jews ^H3064 of the rural ^H6521 areas ^H6521, who live ^H3427 in the rural ^H6519 towns ^H5892, make ^H6213 the fourteenth ^H702 H6240 day ^H3117 of the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143 a [fn]holiday ^H2896 H3117 for rejoicing ^H8057 and feasting ^H4960 and sending ^H4916 portions ^H4490 of food to one ^H376 another ^H7453.

The Feast of Purim Instituted

20 Then Mordecai ^H4782 recorded ^H3789 these ^H428 events ^H1697, and he sent ^H7971 letters ^H5612 to all ^H3605 the Jews ^H3064 who ^H834 were in all ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, both near ^H7138 and far ^H7350,

21 obliging ^H6965 H5921 them to celebrate ^H6213 the fourteenth ^H702 H6240 day ^H3117 of the month ^H2320 Adar ^H143, and the fifteenth ^H2568 H6240 day ^H3117 [fn]of the same month, annually ^H3605 H8141, 22 because on those days ^H3117 the Jews ^H3064 [fn]rid ^H5117 themselves ^H5117 of their enemies ^H340, and it was a month ^H2320 which ^H834 was turned ^H2015 for them from grief ^H3015 into joy ^H8057, and from mourning ^H60 into a [fn]holiday ^H2896 H3117; that they were to make ^H6213 them days ^H3117 of feasting ^H4960 and rejoicing ^H8057, and sending ^H4916 portions ^H4490 of food to one ^H376 another ^H7453, and gifts ^H4979 to the poor ^H34.

23 So the Jews ^H3064 undertook ^H6901 what ^H834 they had started ^H2490 to do ^H6213, and what ^H834 Mordecai ^H4782 had written ^H3789 to them. 24 For Haman ^H2001 the son ^H1121 of Hammedatha ^H4099, the Agagite ^H91, the adversary ^H6887 of all ^H3605 the Jews ^H3064, had schemed ^H2803 against ^H5921 the Jews ^H3064 to eliminate ^H6 them, and had cast ^H5307 Pur ^H6332, that is the lot ^H1486, to disturb ^H2000 them and eliminate ^H6 them. 25 But when it came ^H935 [fn]to the king’s ^H4428 attention ^H6440, he commanded ^H559 by letter ^H5612 that his wicked ^H7451 scheme ^H4284 which ^H834 he had devised ^H2803 against ^H5921 the Jews ^H3064 was to return ^H7725 on his own head ^H7218, and that he and his sons ^H1121 were to be hanged ^H8518 on the wooden ^H6086 gallows. 26 Therefore ^H5921 H3651 they called ^H7121 these ^H428 days ^H3117 Purim ^H6332 after ^H5921 the name ^H8034 of [fn]Pur ^H6332. [fn]And because ^H5921 of the instructions ^H1697 in this ^H2088 letter ^H107, both what ^H4100 they had seen ^H7200 in this ^H3602 regard ^H3602 and what ^H4100 had happened ^H5060 to them, 27 the Jews ^H3064 established ^H6965 and [fn]made ^H6901 a ^H6901 custom ^H6901 for themselves, their [fn]descendants ^H2233, and for all ^H3605 those who allied ^H3867 themselves with them, so that [fn]they would not fail ^H5674 to celebrate ^H6213 these ^H428 two ^H8147 days ^H3117 according to their [fn]regulation ^H3791 and according to their appointed ^H2163 time ^H2165 annually ^H3605 H8141. 28 So these ^H428 days ^H3117 were to be remembered ^H2142 and celebrated ^H6213 throughout every ^H1755 generation ^H1755, every ^H4940 family ^H4940, every ^H4082 province ^H4082, and every ^H5892 city ^H5892; and these ^H428 days ^H3117 of Purim ^H6332 were not to [fn]be neglected ^H5674 by the Jews ^H3064, or their memory ^H2143 [fn]fade ^H5486 from their [fn]descendants ^H2233.

29 Then Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635, daughter ^H1323 of Abihail ^H32, with Mordecai ^H4782 the Jew ^H3064, wrote ^H3789 with full ^H3605 authority ^H8633 to confirm ^H6965 this ^H2088 second ^H8145 letter ^H107 about Purim ^H6332. 30 He sent ^H7971 letters ^H5612 to all ^H3605 the Jews ^H3064, to the 127 ^{H7651 H6242 H3967} provinces ^H4082 of the kingdom ^H4438 of Ahasuerus ^H325, namely, words ^H1697 of peace ^H7965 and truth ^H571, 31 to establish ^H6965 these ^H428 days ^H3117 of Purim ^H6332 at their appointed ^H2163 times ^H2165, just ^H834 as ^H834 Mordecai ^H4782 the Jew ^H3064 and Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635 had established ^H6965 for them, and just ^H834 as ^H834 they had established ^H6965 for themselves ^H5315 and for their [fn]descendants ^H2233, with [fn]instructions ^H1697 for their times ^H6685 of ^H6685 fasting ^H6685 and their mourning ^H2201. 32 The command ^H3982 of Esther ^H635 established ^H6965 these ^H428 [fn]customs ^H1697 for Purim ^H6332, and it was written ^H3789 in the book ^H5612.