The Jews Defend Themselves Against Their Enemies |
Esther 9:1-32 The Book of Esther [in Smaller Chunks] |
Now, in the 12th month, Adar, on the same 13th day, [when] the enemies of the Jews hoped to have [overpowered] them, when the king's [original command] & decree drew near to [be carried out, (although] it was turned to the [opposite,] that the Jews had [control] over [those, who] hated them.) |
The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, [a.k.a. Xerxes,] to [seize those who] sought their [harm] & no man could withstand them. |
For the fear [respect] of [the Jews was] upon all people. And all the rulers, lieutenants, deputies & officers of the king, [in] the provinces, helped the Jews; because the fear [respect] of Mordecai fell upon them. |
For Mordecai was [important] in the king's [palace] & his fame went throughout all the provinces, [because] this man, Mordecai, [grew] greater & greater. The Jews [struck] all their enemies [down with] the sword. They did what they [wanted] to those [who] hated them [by] slaughter & destruction. |
And in the palace of Shushan, [a.k.a. Susa,] & Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai & Vajezatha, [a.k.a. Vaizatha,] the Jews [killed] & destroyed 500 men, |
They slew the 10 sons of Haman, the son of Hammedatha & the enemy of the Jews. But they [didn't lay] their [hands] on the [plunder.] On that day, the number of those slain was brought before the king, in the palace of Shusan. |
And the king said to queen Esther, The Jews have slain & destroyed 500 men [at] the palace in Shushan & the 10 sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? |
What is your petition now? And it shall be granted [to] you; or what [do] you request further? And it shall be done. Then, Esther said, If it [pleases] the king, let it be granted to the Jews [who] are in Shushan, to do tomorrow, according to this day's decree & let Haman's 10 sons be hanged on the gallows. |
And the king commanded it to be done. And the decree was given at Sushan & they hanged Haman's 10 sons. The Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the 14th day, also of the month Adar & slew 300 men at Shushan, but they [didn't lay] their [hands] on the [plunder.] |
But the other Jews [who] were in the king's provinces, gathered themselves together & stood [up] for their lives & had [peace] from their enemies & slew 75,000 of their [enemies,] but they [didn't lay] their [hands] on the [plunder.] |
On the 13th & 14th [days] of the month, Adar, they rested & made it a day of feasting & gladness. But the Jews [who] were at Shushan assembled together on the 13th, 14th & 15th [days of Adar,] they rested & made it a day of feasting & gladness. |
Therefore, the Jews of the villages, [who lived] in towns [without walls,] made the 14th day of the month, Adar, a day of gladness, feasting, a [holiday] & sending portions [of food] to one another. |
And Mordecai wrote these things & sent letters to all the Jews [who] were in all of king [Ahasuerus'] provinces, both [near] & far, to [establish] this among them, that they should [celebrate] the 14th & 15th [days] of the month, Adar, [each year.] |
[During] the days the Jews rested from their enemies & the month [that] turned from sorrow to joy & from mourning into a [holiday,] that they should make them days of: feasting, joy & sending portions to one another & gifts to the poor. |
And the Jews [set about] to do [what] they had begun, & as Mordecai had written to them, because Haman, the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had [plotted] against the Jews to destroy them & had cast the lot, Pur, to consume them & to destroy them. |
But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that [Haman's] wicked device he [plotted] against the Jews, should return upon his own head & that he & his sons should be hanged on the gallows. |
[For this reason,] they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur, [because of] all the words of this letter & [what] they had seen [related to] this matter & [what had happened] to them. |
The Jews took [it] upon [themselves,] upon their [descendants] & all [who] joined [with] them, [to ordain that without] fail, they would [celebrate] these 2 days according to [how its written, at its] appointed time every year. |
And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, every city. And these days of Purim, should not fail from [being remembered] among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish among their [descendants.] |
Then, queen Esther, [Abihail's] daughter & Mordecai, the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this 2nd letter of Purim. [Esther 2:7 And [Mordecai] brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother. And the [maiden] was [lovely] & beautiful; whom Mordecai took for his own daughter, when her father & mother were dead.] |
And [Mordecai] sent the letters to the 127 provinces, to all the Jews, of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace & truth, to conform these days of Purim in their appointed times, according as Mordecai, the Jew & queen Esther had [commanded] them & decreed the matters of [fasting & mournful weeping] for themselves & their [descendants.] |
And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim & it was written in the book. |
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