Esther 09 The Jews Kill Their Enemies

 Esther 09

The Jews Kill Their Enemies

1 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same month, when the king's word came and his order to be carried out, on the day when the enemies of the Jews expected to overpower them, the opposite happened, for the Jews overpowered their enemies.

2 For the Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm; but no one was able to withstand them, for the terror of them fell upon all the people.

3 And all the princes of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and those who did the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them.

4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out into all the provinces; because the man Mordecai grew great.

5 So the Jews struck down all their enemies with the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did whatever they wanted to those who hated them.

6 And in the citadel of Susa they killed and destroyed five hundred men of the Jews.

7 And Parsandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

8 And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,

9 And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Valzatha:

10 The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, were slain; but they laid no hand on the spoil.

11 That same day the number of those who were slain in the citadel of Susa came before the king.

12 And the king said to Queen Esther, In the citadel of Susa the citadel have killed and destroyed five hundred men of the Jews, and the ten sons of Haman: What should they do in the king's provinces? What then is your request? It shall be granted to you. Or what is your request again? It shall be done.

13 Then Esther said, "If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Susa tomorrow that they may do as today has been commanded, and let them hang Haman's ten sons on a gallows."

14 Then the king ordered it to be done. And an edict was issued in Susa, and they hanged Haman's ten sons.

15 And the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and they killed three hundred men in Susa; but they did not lay their hands on the spoil.

16 And the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces gathered together to defend their lives, and they had rest from their enemies; and they killed seventy-five thousand of their enemies, but they did not lay their hands on the spoil.

17 This happened on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and they rested on the fourteenth day of the same month, and made that day a day of feasting and gladness.

18 The Jews who were in Susa also assembled on the thirteenth and fourteenth days of the same month, and rested on the fifteenth day of the same month, and made that day a day of feasting and gladness.

19 The Jews from the villages who lived in the towns also made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a day of merrymaking, and of sending gifts to one another.