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1 | Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the
thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and
his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that
the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though
it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over
them that hated them;) |
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2 | The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities
throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay
hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand
them; for the fear of them fell upon all people. |
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3 | And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and
the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews;
because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. |
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4 | For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went
out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed
greater and greater. |
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5 | Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the
sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would
unto those that hated them. |
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6 | And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five
hundred men. |
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7 | And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, |
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8 | And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, |
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9 | And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, |
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10 | The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the
Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand. |
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11 | On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the
palace was brought before the king. |
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12 | And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain
and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the
ten sons of Haman; 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. |
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13 | Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to
the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according
unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged
upon the gallows. |
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14 | And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was
given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons. |
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15 | For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together
on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three
hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their
hand. |
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16 | But the other Jews 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 on the prey, |
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17 | On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth
day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and
gladness. |
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18 | But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the
thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on
the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day
of feasting and gladness. |
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19 | Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled
towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of
gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions
one to another. |
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20 | And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the
Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus,
both nigh and far, |
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21 | To stablish this among them, that they should keep the
fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the
same, yearly, |
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22 | As the days wherein the Jews 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. |
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23 | And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as
Mordecai had written unto them; |
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24 | Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of
all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them,
and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to
destroy them; |
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25 | But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters
that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews,
should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons
should be hanged on the gallows. |
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26 | Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur.
Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which
they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto
them, |
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27 | The Jews 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; |
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28 | And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout
every generation, every family, every province, and every
city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among
the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed. |
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29 | Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai
the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second
letter of Purim. |
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30 | And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred
twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with
words of peace and truth, |
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31 | To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed,
according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had
enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for
their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry. |
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32 | And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and
it was written in the book. |
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