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¹ And, in the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the word of the king and his edict arrived to be put in execution, - on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it, was changed, so that the Jews themselves should have power over them who hated them,² the Jews assembled themselves together in their cities, throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to thrust forth a hand against them who were seeking their hurt, and, no man, stood before them, for the dread of them had fallen upon all the peoples.³ And, all the rulers of the provinces, and the satraps and the pashas, and the doers of business that pertained to the king, were extolling the Jews, - for the dread of Mordecai, had fallen upon them;⁴ since great was Mordecai, in the house of the king, and, his fame, was going forth throughout all the provinces, - for, the man Mordecai, went on waxing great.⁵ So then the Jews smote all their enemies, with the smiting of the sword and slaughter, and destruction, - and they dealt with them who hated them according to their pleasure.⁶ Yea, in Shusan the palace, did the Jews slay and destroy five hundred men.⁷ And Parshandatha and Dalphon, and Aspatha;⁸ and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha;⁹ and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha; - ¹⁰ the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the adversary of the Jews, slew they, - but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.¹¹ On that day, came in the number of the slain into Shusan the palace, before the king.¹² Then said the king unto Esther the queen, In Shusan the palace, have the Jews slain and caused to perish five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman, - in the rest of the provinces of the king, what have they done? What, then, is thy petition, that it may be granted thee? and what is thy request further, that it may he performed?¹³ Then said Esther, If, unto the king, it seem good, let it be granted, to-morrow also, unto the Jews who are in Shusan, to do according to the edict of to-day, - and that, the ten sons of Haman, be hanged upon the gallows.¹⁴ And the king commanded it to be done so, and there was given an edict, in Shusan, - and, the ten sons of Haman, they hanged.¹⁵ So the Jews who were in Shusan assembled themselves together, on the fourteenth day also, of the month Adar, and slew in Shusan three hundred men, - but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.¹⁶ And, the remainder of the Jews who were in the provinces of the king, assembled themselves together and stood for their life, and then had rest from their enemies, having slain of them that hated them seventy-five thousand, - but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand:¹⁷ on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, - and then had rest on the fourteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.¹⁸ But, the Jews who were in Shusan, assembled themselves together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth day thereof, - and then had rest on the fifteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.¹⁹ For this cause, the country Jews, who dwelt in the country towns, were making the fourteenth day of the month Adar one of rejoicing and banqueting, and a day of happiness, - and of sending portions every one to his neighbour.

²⁰ And Mordecai wrote these things, - and sent letters unto all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near, and far off;²¹ to establish for them, that they should continue to observe the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day thereof, - always year by year;²² according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day, - that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.²³ And the Jews took upon them that which they had begun to do, - and that which Mordecai had written unto them;²⁴ because, Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews, to cause them to perish, - and had cast Pur, the same, is the Lot, to terrify them, and to destroy them;²⁵ but, by Esther's going in before the king, he commanded by letter, that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews, should return, upon his own head, - and that he and his sons should be hanged upon the gallows.²⁶ For this cause, called they these days Purim, after the name Pur, for this cause, - for all the words of this epistle, - and what they had seen concerning such a matter, and what had reached unto them.²⁷ The Jews established and took upon themselves - and upon their seed, and upon all who should join themselves unto them, that it might not pass away, that they would continue to keep these two days, according to the writing concerning them and at their set time, - always year by year.²⁸ And, these days, were to be remembered and to be kept, always from generation to generation, by every family, every province, and every city, - that, these days of Purim, should not pass away, out of the midst of the Jews, and, the memorial of them, not cease from their seed.²⁹ Then wrote Esther the queen daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew, with all authority, - to confirm this second epistle concerning the Purim;³⁰ and he sent letters unto all the Jews, throughout the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, - words of peace and stability:³¹ to establish these days of the Purim, in their set times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined upon them, and according as they had enjoined upon their own soul, and upon their seed, - the story of the fastings and of their outcry.³² And, the command of Esther, confirmed the story of these Purim, - and it was written in a book.