Esther
Esther 9
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Esther 9 — Scripture text (King James Version)
Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month , the thirteenth day of the same, when the king’s commandment and his decree drew near to be in execution, in the day that the enemies of the hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the had rule over them that hated them;) The gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king , to lay hand such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the ; because the fear of fell upon them. For was great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man waxed greater and greater. Thus the smote all their enemies with the stroke of the , and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them. And in the palace the slew and destroyed five hundred men. And , and , and , And , and , and , And , and , and , and , The ten sons of the son of , the enemy of the , slew they; but the spoil laid they not their hand. that day the number of those that were slain in the palace was brought before the king. And the king said unto the queen, The have slain and destroyed five hundred men in the palace, and the ten sons of ; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done. Then said , If it please the king, let it be granted to the which are in to do to morrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let ’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at ; and they hanged ’s ten sons. For the that were in gathered themselves together the fourteenth day also of the month , and slew three hundred men at ; but the prey they laid not their hand. But the other that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands the prey, the thirteenth day of the month ; and the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. But the that were at assembled together the thirteenth day thereof; and the fourteenth thereof; and the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. Therefore the of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another. And wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the that were in all the provinces of the king , both nigh and far, To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month , and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, As the days wherein the rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. And the undertook to do as they had begun, and as had written unto them; Because the son of , the , the enemy of all the , had devised against the to destroy them, and had cast , that is, the , to consume them, and to destroy them; But when came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the , should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged the gallows. Wherefore they called these days after the name of . Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them, The ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year; And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of should not fail from among the , nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. Then the queen, the daughter of , and the , wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of . And he sent the letters unto all the , to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of , with words of peace and truth, To confirm these days of in their times appointed, according as the and the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry. And the decree of confirmed these matters of ; and it was .