¶ In the twelfth month, that is the month Adar, upon the thirteenth day, which the king's word and commandment had appointed, that it should be done, even upon the same day that the enemies should have destroyed the Iews to have oppressed them, it turned contrary wise, even that the Iews should subdue their enemies.
Then gathered the Iews together in their cities within all the lands of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as would do them evil, and no man could withstond them: for the fear of them was come over all people.
And all the rulers in the lands, and princes and Deputies, and officers of the king promoted the Iews: for the fear of Mardocheus came upon them.
For Mardocheus was great in the king's house, and the report of him was noised in all lands, how he increased and grew.
Thus the Iews smote all their enemies with a sore slaughter, and slew and destroyed, and did after their will unto such as were their adversaries.
And at the castle of Susan slew the Iews and destroyed five hundredth men:
and slew Pharsandatha, Delphon, Aspatha,
Phoratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
Pharmastha, Arisai, Aridai, Vaizatha,
the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammadatha the enemy of the Iews: but on his goods they laid no hands.
At the same time was the king certified of the number of those that were slain at the castle of Susan.
And the king said unto queen Esther: The Iews have slain and destroyed five hundredth men at the castle of Susan, and the ten sons of Haman: What shall they do in the other lands of the king? What is thy petition, that it may be given thee? and what requirest thou more to be done?
Esther said: If it please the king, let him suffer the Iews tomorrow also to do according unto this day's commandment, that they may hang Haman's ten sons upon the tree.
And the king charged to do so, and the commandment was devised at Susan, and Haman's ten sons were hanged.
And the Iews gathered themselves together at Susan, upon the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and slew three hundredth men at Susan, but on their goods they laid no hands.
As for the other Iews in the king's lands, they came together, and stood for their lives, and gat rest from their enemies: and slew of their enemies five and seventy thousand, how be it they laid no hands on their goods.
This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day of the same month rested they, which day they ordained to be a day of feasting and gladness.
But the Iews at Susan were come together both on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and on the fifteenth day they rested, and the same day ordained they to be a day of feasting and gladness.
Therefore the Iews that dwelt in the villages and unwalled towns, ordained the fourteenth day of the month Adar, to be a day of feasting and gladness, and one sent gifts to another.
¶ And Mardocheus wrote these acts, and sent the writings unto all the Iews that were in all the lands of the king Ahasuerus, both nye and far,
that they should yearly receive and hold the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar,
as the days wherein the Iews came to rest from their enemies, and as a month wherein their pain was turned to joy, and their sorrow to prosperity: that they should observe the same days of wealth and gladness, and one to send gifts to another, and to distribute unto the poor.
And the Iews received it that they had begun to do, and that Mardocheus wrote unto them:
how that Haman the son of Hamadatha, all the Iews enemy, had devised to destroy all the Iews, and caused to cast Phur, (that is Lot) for to put them in fear, and to bring them to naught:
and how Hester went and spake to the king, that thorow letters his wicked device (which he imagined against the Iews) might be turned upon his own head, and how he and his sons were hanged on the tree.
For the which cause they called this day Phurim after the name of Phur, according to all the words of this writing: and what they themselves had seen, and what had happened unto them.
And the Iews set it up, and took it upon them and their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, that they would not miss to observe these two days yearly, according as they were written and appointed,
how that these days are not to be forgotten, but to be kept of the children's children among all kindreds in all lands and cities. They are the days of Phurim, which are not to be overslipped among the Iews, and the memorial of them ought not to perish from their seed.
And queen Hester the daughter of Abihail and Mardocheus the Iew wrote with all authority, to confirm this second writing of Phurim,
and sent the letters unto all the Iews, in the hundredth and seven and twenty lands of the empire of Ahasuerus, with friendly and faithful words,
to confirm these days of Phurim, in their time appointed, according as Mardocheus the Iew and Hester the queen had ordained concerning them: like as they upon their soul and upon their seed had confirmed the acts of the fasting and of her complaint.
And Hester commanded to establish these acts of this Phurim, and to write them in a book.
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Praise the Everlasting Lord for His Faithful Word.