The Jews (the rulers, for fear of Mordecai, helping them) slay their enemies, with the ten sons of Haman.

1 ¶ Now in the twelfthºº month,º that² [is], the monthº Adar,º on the thirteenthºº dayº of the same, when² the king'sº commandmentº and his decreeº drew nearºª to be put in execution,ºª in the dayº that² the enemiesºª of the Jewsº hopedºª to have powerºª over them, (though it² was turned¹ª to the contrary,² that² the Jewsº had rule¹ª over² them² that hatedºª them;) 2 The Jewsº gathered themselves togetherºª in their citiesº throughout all² the provincesº of the kingº Ahasuerus,º to layºª handº on such as soughtºª their hurt:º and no² manº could withstandºª them;¹ for² the fearº of them fellºª upon² all² people.º 3 And all² the rulersº of the provinces,º and the lieutenants,º and the deputies,º and officersººª of² the king,º helpedºª² the Jews;º because² the fearº of Mordecaiº fellºª upon² them. 4 For² Mordecaiº [was] greatº in the king'sº house,º and his fameº went outºª throughout all² the provinces:º for² this manº Mordecaiº waxedºª greater and greater.º 5 Thus the Jewsº smoteºª all² their enemiesºª with the strokeº of the sword,º and slaughter,º and destruction,º and didºª what they wouldº unto those that hatedºª them. 6 And in Shushanº the palaceº the Jewsº slewºª and destroyedºª fiveº hundredº men.º 7 And Parshandatha,º and Dalphon,º and Aspatha,º 8 And Poratha,º and Adalia,º and Aridatha,º 9 And Parmashta,º and Arisai,º and Aridai,º and Vajezatha,º 10 The tenº sonsº of Hamanº the sonº of Hammedatha,º the enemyºª of the Jews,º slewºª they; but on the spoilº laidºª they not²² their hand.º 11 On that² dayº the numberº of those that were slainºª in Shushanº the palaceº was broughtºª beforeº the king.º

Ahasuerus, at the request of Esther, granteth another day of slaughter, and Haman's sons to be hanged.

12 ¶ And the kingº saidºª unto Estherº the queen,º The Jewsº have slainºª and destroyedºª fiveº hundredº menº in Shushanº the palace,º and the tenº sonsº of Haman;º what² have they doneºª in the restº of the king'sº provinces?º now what² [is] thy petition?º and it shall be grantedºª thee: or what² [is] thy requestº further?º and it shall be done.ºª 13 Then saidºª Esther,º If² it please¹²² the king,º let it be grantedºª to the Jewsº which² [are] in Shushanº to doºª to morrowº also² according unto this day'sº decree,º and let Haman'sº tenº sonsº be hangedºª upon² the gallows.º 14 And the kingº commandedºª it so² to be done:ºª and the decreeº was givenºª at Shushan;º and they hangedºª Haman'sº tenº sons.º 15 For the Jewsº that² [were] in Shushanº gathered themselves togetherºª on the fourteenthºº dayº also² of the monthº Adar,º and slewºª threeº hundredº menº at Shushan;º but on the preyº they laidºª not²² their hand.º 16 But the otherº Jewsº that² [were] in the king'sº provincesº gathered themselves together,ºª and stoodºª for² their lives,º and had rest¹² from their enemies,ºª² and slewºª of their foesºª seventyº and fiveº thousand,º but they laidºª not²² their handsº on the prey,º 17 On the thirteenthºº dayº of the monthº Adar;º and on the fourteenthºº day of the same rested¹² they, and madeºª it a dayº of feastingº and gladness.º 18 But the Jewsº that² [were] at Shushanº assembled togetherºª on the thirteenthºº [day] thereof, and on the fourteenthºº thereof; and on the fifteenthºº [day] of the same they rested,¹² and madeºª it a dayº of feastingº and gladness.º 19 Therefore²² the Jewsº of the villages,º that dweltºª in the unwalledº towns,º madeºª² the fourteenthºº dayº of the monthº Adarº [a day of] gladnessº and feasting,º and a goodº day,º and of sendingº portionsº oneº to another.º

The two days of Purim are made festival.

20 ¶ And Mordecaiº wroteºª² these² things,º and sentºª lettersº unto² all² the Jewsº that² [were] in all² the provincesº of the kingº Ahasuerus,º [both] nighº and far,º 21 To stablishºª [this] among² them, that they should² keepºª² the fourteenthºº dayº of the monthº Adar,º and the fifteenthºº dayº of the same, yearly,º² 22 As the daysº wherein² the Jewsº restedºª from their enemies,ºª² and the monthº which² was turnedºª unto them from sorrowº² to joy,º and from mourningº² into a goodº day:º that they should makeºª them daysº of feastingº and joy,º and of sendingº portionsº oneº to another,º and giftsº to the poor.º 23 And the Jewsº undertookºª to doºª² as² they had begun,ºª and as² Mordecaiº had writtenºª unto² them; 24 Because² Hamanº the sonº of Hammedatha,º the Agagite,º the enemyºª of all² the Jews,º had devisedºª against² the Jewsº to destroyºª them, and had castºª Pur,º that² [is], the lot,º to consumeºª them, and to destroyºª them; 25 But when [Esther] cameºª beforeº the king,º he commandedºª by² lettersº that his wickedº device,º which² he devisedºª against² the Jews,º should returnºª upon² his own head,º and that he and his sonsº should be hangedºª on² the gallows.º 26 Wherefore²² they calledºª these² daysº Purimº after² the nameº of Pur.º Therefore²² for² all² the wordsº of this² letter,º and [of that] which² they had seenºª concerning² this matter,º and which² had comeºª unto² them, 27 The Jewsº ordained,ºª and tookºª upon² them, and upon² their seed,º and upon² all² such as joined¹ª themselves² unto² them, so as it should not² fail,ºª that they would keepºª² these² twoº daysº according to their writing,º and according to their [appointed]² time¹ every² year;º 28 And [that] these² daysº [should be] rememberedºª and keptºª throughout¹ every² generation,º every family,º every province,º and every city;º and [that] these² daysº of Purimº should not² failºª from amongº² the Jews,º nor² the memorialº of them perishºª from their seed.º² 29 Then Estherº the queen,º the daughterº of Abihail,º and Mordecaiº the Jew,º wroteºª with² all² authority,º to confirmºª² this² secondº letterº of Purim.º 30 And he sentºª the lettersº unto² all² the Jews,º to² the hundredº twentyº and sevenº provincesº of the kingdomº of Ahasuerus,º [with] wordsº of peaceº and truth,º 31 To confirmºª² these² daysº of Purimº in their timesº [appointed], according as² Mordecaiº the Jewº and Estherº the queenº had enjoinedºª² them, and as² they had decreedºª for² themselvesº and for² their seed,º the mattersº of the fastingsº and their cry.º 32 And the decreeº of Estherº confirmedºª these² mattersº of Purim;º and it was writtenºª in the book.º