Dual Panel1In the twelfth <06240> <08147> month <02320> (that <01931> is, the month <02320> of Adar <0143>), on its thirteenth <06240> <07969> day <03117>, the edict <01697> of the king <04428> and his law <01881> were to be executed <06213>. It was on this day <03117> that <0834> the enemies <0341> of the Jews <03064> had supposed <07663> that they would gain power over <07980> them. But contrary <02015> to expectations <01931>, the Jews <03064> gained power over <07980> their <01992> enemies <08130>.
2The Jews <03064> assembled <06950> themselves in their cities <05892> throughout all <03605> the provinces <04082> of King <04428> Ahasuerus <0325> to strike out <07971> against <03027> those who were seeking <01245> their harm <07451>. No <03808> one <0376> was able to stand <05975> before <06440> them, for <03588> dread <06343> of them fell <05307> on <05921> all <03605> the peoples <05971>.
3All <03605> the officials <08269> of the provinces <04082>, the satraps <0323>, the governors <06346> and those who <0834> performed <06213> the king’s <04428> business <04399> were assisting <05375> the Jews <03064>, for <03588> the dread <06343> of Mordecai <04782> had fallen <05307> on <05921> them.
4Mordecai <04782> was of high rank <01419> in the king’s <04428> palace <01004>, and word about him <08089> was spreading <01980> throughout all <03605> the provinces <04082>. His influence continued to become greater <01980> and greater <01419>.
5The Jews <03064> struck <05221> all <03605> their enemies <0341> with the sword <02719>, bringing death <02027> <04347> and destruction <012>, and they did <06213> as they pleased <07522> with their enemies <08130>.
6In Susa <07800> the citadel <01002> the Jews <03064> killed <02026> and destroyed <06> five <02568> hundred <03967> men <0376>.
7In addition, they also killed Parshandatha <06577>, Dalphon <01813>, Aspatha <0630>,
8Poratha <06334>, Adalia <0118>, Aridatha <0743>,
9Parmashta <06534>, Arisai <0747>, Aridai <0742>, and Vaizatha <02055>,
10the ten <06235> sons <01121> of Haman <02001> son <01121> of Hammedatha <04099>, the enemy <06887> of the Jews <03064>. But they did not <03808> confiscate <03027> <07971> their property <0961>.
11On that same day <03117> the number <04557> of those killed <02026> in Susa <07800> the citadel <01002> was brought <0935> to the king’s <04428> attention.
12Then the king <04428> said <0559> to Queen <04436> Esther <0635>, “In Susa <07800> the citadel <01002> the Jews <03064> have killed <02026> and destroyed <06> five <02568> hundred <03967> men <0376> and the ten <06235> sons <01121> of Haman <02001>! What <04100> then have they done <06213> in the rest <07605> of the king’s <04428> provinces <04082>? What <04100> is your request <07596>? It shall be given <05414> to you. What <04100> other <05750> petition <01246> do you have? It shall be done <06213>.”
13Esther <0635> replied <0559>, “If <0518> the king <04428> is so inclined <02896>, let the Jews <03064> who are in Susa <07800> be permitted <05414> to act <06213> tomorrow <04279> also <01571> according to today’s <03117> law <01881>, and let them hang <08518> the ten <06235> sons <01121> of Haman <02001> on <05921> the gallows <06086>.”
14So <03651> the king <04428> issued orders <0559> for this to be done <06213>. A law <01881> was passed <05414> in Susa <07800>, and the ten <06235> sons <01121> of Haman <02001> were hanged <08518>.
15The Jews <03064> who were in Susa <07800> then assembled <06950> on the fourteenth <06240> <0702> day <03117> of the month <02320> of Adar <0143>, and they killed <02026> three <07969> hundred <03967> men <0376> in Susa <07800>. But they did not <03808> confiscate <03027> <07971> their property <0961>.
16The rest <07605> of the Jews <03064> who were throughout the provinces <04082> of the king <04428> assembled <06950> in order to stand up <05975> for themselves <05315> and to have rest <05118> from their enemies <0341>. They killed <02026> seventy-five <07657> <02568> thousand <0505> of their adversaries <08130>, but they did not <03808> confiscate <03027> <07971> their property <0961>.
17All of this happened on the thirteenth <06240> <07969> day <03117> of the month <02320> of Adar <0143>. They then rested <05117> on the fourteenth <06240> <0702> day and made <06213> it a day <03117> for banqueting <04960> and happiness <08057>.
18But the Jews <03064> who <0834> were in Susa <07800> assembled <06950> on the thirteenth <06240> <07969> and fourteenth <06240> <0702> days, and rested <05117> on the fifteenth <06240> <02568>, making <06213> it a day <03117> for banqueting <04960> and happiness <08057>.
19This is why <03651> <05921> the Jews <03064> who are in the rural country <06521>– those who live <03427> in rural <06519> cities <05892>– set aside <06213> the fourteenth <06240> <0702> day <03117> of the month <02320> of Adar <0143> as a holiday for happiness <08057>, banqueting <04960>, holiday <02896> <03117>, and sending <04916> gifts <04490> to one <0376> another <07453>.
20Mordecai <04782> wrote <03789> these <0428> matters <01697> down <03789> and sent <07971> letters <05612> to <0413> all <03605> the Jews <03064> who <0834> were throughout all <03605> the provinces <04082> of King <04428> Ahasuerus <0325>, both near <07138> and far <07350>,
21to have <05921> <06965> them observe <06213> the fourteenth <06240> <0702> and the fifteenth <06240> <02568> day <03117> of the month <02320> of Adar <0143> each year <08141> <08141> <03605>
22as the time <03117> when <0834> the Jews <03064> gave themselves rest <05117> from their enemies <0341>– the month <02320> when <0834> their <01992> trouble <03015> was turned <02015> to happiness <08057> and their mourning <060> to a holiday <02896> <03117>. These were to be <06213> days <03117> of banqueting <04960>, happiness <08057>, sending <04916> gifts <04490> to one <0376> another <07453>, and providing <04979> for the poor <034>.
23So the Jews <03064> committed <06901> themselves to continue what <0834> they had begun <02490> to do <06213> and to what <0834> Mordecai <04782> had written <03789> to <0413> them.
24For <03588> Haman <02001> the son <01121> of Hammedatha <04099>, the Agagite <091>, the enemy <06887> of all <03605> the Jews <03064>, had devised <02803> plans against <05921> the Jews <03064> to destroy <06> them. He had cast <05307> pur <06332> (that <01931> is, the lot <01486>) in order to afflict <02000> and destroy <06> them.
25But when the matter came <0935> to the king’s <04428> attention <06440>, the king gave <0559> written orders <05612> that Haman’s evil <07451> intentions <04284> that <0834> he had devised <02803> against <05921> the Jews <03064> should fall <07725> on <05921> his own head <07218>. He and his sons <01121> were hanged <08518> on <05921> the gallows <06086>.
26For <05921> this reason <03651> these <0428> days <03117> are known <07121> as Purim <06332>, after <05921> the name <08034> of pur <06332>.
27Therefore, because of the account found in this letter and what they had faced in this regard and what had happened to them, the Jews <03064> established <06965> as binding <06901> on themselves, their descendants <02233>, and all <03605> who joined their company <03867> that they should observe <06213> these <0428> two <08147> days <03117> without <03808> fail <05674>, just as written <03791> and at the appropriate time <02165> on an annual basis <08141> <08141>.
28These <0428> days <03117> were to be remembered <02142> and to be celebrated <06213> in every generation <01755> <01755> and in every <04940> family <04940>, every <04082> province <04082>, and every city <05892> <05892>. The Jews <03064> were not <03808> to fail <05674> to observe these <0428> days <03117> of Purim <06332>; the remembrance <02143> of them was not <03808> to cease <05486> among <08432> their descendants <02233>.
29So Queen <04436> Esther <0635>, the daughter <01323> of Abihail <032>, and Mordecai <04782> the Jew <03064> wrote <03789> with <0854> full <03605> authority <08633> to confirm <06965> this <02063> second <08145> letter <0107> about Purim <06332>.
30Letters <05612> were sent <07971> to <0413> all <03605> the Jews <03064> in the hundred <03967> and twenty-seven <06242> <07651> provinces <04082> of the empire <04438> of Ahasuerus <0325>– words <01697> of true <0571> peace <07965>–
31to establish <06965> these <0428> days <03117> of Purim <06332> in their proper times <02165>, just as <0834> Mordecai <04782> the Jew <03064> and Queen <04436> Esther <0635> had established <06965>, and just as <0834> they had established <06965> both for <05921> themselves <05315> and their descendants <02233>, matters <01697> pertaining to fasting <06685> and lamentation <02201>.
32Esther’s <0635> command <03982> established <06965> these matters <01697> of Purim <06332>, and the matter <0428> was officially <05612> recorded <03789>.