Esther 9

The Victory of the Jews

9So on March 7

the two decrees of the king were put into effect. On that day, the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but quite the opposite happened. It was the Jews who overpowered their enemies.H8147H6240H2320H2320H143H7969H6240H3117H4428H1697H1881H5060H6213H3117H341H3064H7663H7980H2015H3064H7980H81302The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the king's provinces to attack anyone who tried to harm them. But no one could make a stand against them, for everyone was afraid of them.H3064H6950H5892H4082H4428H325H7971H3027H1245H7451H376H5975H6440H6343H5307H59713And all the nobles of the provinces, the highest officers, the governors, and the royal officials helped the Jews for fear of Mordecai.H8269H4082H323H6346H6213H4399H4428H5375H3064H6343H4782H53074For Mordecai had been promoted in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces as he became more and more powerful.H4782H1419H4428H1004H8089H1980H4082H376H4782H1980H14195So the Jews went ahead on the appointed day and struck down their enemies with the sword. They killed and annihilated their enemies and did as they pleased with those who hated them.H3064H5221H341H4347H2719H2027H12H6213H7522H81306In the fortress of Susa itself, the Jews killed 500 men.H7800H1002H3064H2026H6H2568H3967H3767They also killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,H6577H1813H6308Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,H6334H118H7439Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha—H6534H747H742H205510the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. But they did not take any plunder.H6235H1121H2001H1121H4099H6887H3064H2026H961H7971H302711That very day, when the king was informed of the number of people killed in the fortress of Susa,H3117H4557H2026H7800H1002H935H6440H442812he called for Queen Esther. He said, "The Jews have killed 500 men in the fortress of Susa alone, as well as Haman's ten sons. If they have done that here, what has happened in the rest of the provinces? But now, what more do you want? It will be granted to you; tell me and I will do it."H4428H559H635H4436H3064H2026H6H2568H3967H376H7800H1002H6235H1121H2001H6213H7605H4428H4082H7596H5414H1246H5750H621313Esther responded, "If it please the king, give the Jews in Susa permission to do again tomorrow as they have done today, and let the bodies of Haman's ten sons be impaled on a pole."H559H635H2896H4428H5414H3064H7800H6213H4279H3117H1881H2001H6235H1121H8518H608614So the king agreed, and the decree was announced in Susa. And they impaled the bodies of Haman's ten sons.H4428H559H6213H1881H5414H7800H8518H2001H6235H112115Then the Jews at Susa gathered together on March 8

and killed 300 more men, and again they took no plunder.H3064H7800H6950H702H6240H3117H2320H143H2026H7969H3967H376H7800H961H7971H302716Meanwhile, the other Jews throughout the king's provinces had gathered together to defend their lives. They gained relief from all their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them. But they did not take any plunder.H7605H3064H4428H4082H6950H5975H5315H5118H341H2026H8130H7657H2568H505H7971H3027H96117This was done throughout the provinces on March 7, and on March 8 they rested

, celebrating their victory with a day of feasting and gladness.H7969H6240H3117H2320H143H702H6240H5118H6213H3117H4960H805718(The Jews at Susa killed their enemies on March 7 and again on March 8, then rested on March 9

, making that their day of feasting and gladness.)H3064H7800H6950H7969H6240H702H6240H2568H6240H5118H6213H3117H4960H805719So to this day, rural Jews living in remote villages celebrate an annual festival and holiday on the appointed day in late winter

, when they rejoice and send gifts of food to each other.H3064H6521H3427H6519H5892H6213H702H6240H3117H2320H143H8057H4960H2896H3117H4916H4490H376H7453

The Festival of Purim

20Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to the Jews near and far, throughout all the provinces of King Xerxes,H4782H3789H1697H7971H5612H3064H4082H4428H325H7138H735021calling on them to celebrate an annual festival on these two days

.H6965H6213H702H6240H3117H2320H143H2568H6240H3117H8141H814122He told them to celebrate these days with feasting and gladness and by giving gifts of food to each other and presents to the poor. This would commemorate a time when the Jews gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.H3117H3064H5117H341H2320H2015H3015H8057H60H2896H3117H6213H3117H4960H8057H4916H4490H376H7453H4979H3423So the Jews accepted Mordecai's proposal and adopted this annual custom.H3064H6901H6213H2490H4782H378924Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots (the lots were called purim).H2001H1121H4099H91H6887H3064H2803H3064H6H5307H6332H1486H2000H625But when Esther came before the king, he issued a decree causing Haman's evil plot to backfire, and Haman and his sons were impaled on a sharpened pole.H935H6440H4428H559H5612H7451H4284H2803H3064H7725H7218H1121H8518H608626That is why this celebration is called Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots. So because of Mordecai's letter and because of what they had experienced,H7121H3117H6332H8034H6332H1697H107H7200H3602H506027the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this tradition and to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. They declared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days at the appointed time each year.H3064H6965H6901H2233H3867H5674H6213H8147H3117H3791H2165H8141H814128These days would be remembered and kept from generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughout the provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would never cease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of what happened ever die out among their descendants.H3117H2142H6213H1755H1755H4940H4082H5892H3117H6332H5674H8432H3064H2143H5486H223329Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote another letter putting the queen's full authority behind Mordecai's letter to establish the Festival of Purim.H635H4436H1323H32H4782H3064H3789H8633H6965H8145H107H633230Letters wishing peace and security were sent to the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the empire of Xerxes.H7971H5612H3064H3967H6242H7651H4082H4438H325H1697H7965H57131These letters established the Festival of Purim—an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, just as they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish the times of fasting and mourning.)H6965H3117H6332H2165H4782H3064H635H4436H6965H6965H5315H2233H1697H6685H220132So the command of Esther confirmed the practices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records.H3982H635H6965H1697H6332H3789H5612