rd

Esther 9

1 At the commandment of the King the Jews put their adversaries to death. 14 The ten sons of Hamán are hanged. 17 The Jews keep a feast in remembrance of their deliverance.
1.So in the twelft month, which is the month Adár, upon the thirtent 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 (but it aturned contrary: for the Jews had rule over them that hated them)
2.The Jews gathered them selves together into their cities throughout all the provinces of the King Ahashuerósh, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt, and no man could withstand them: for the fear of them fell upon all people.
3.And all the rulers of the provinces, and the princes and the captains, and the officers of the King bexalted the Jews: for the fear of Mordecái fell upon them.
4.For Mordecái was great in the King’s house, and the report of him went through all the provinces: for this man Mordecái waxed greater and greater.
5.Thus the Jews smote all their cenemies with strokes of the sword and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
6.And at Shushán the palace slew the Jews and destroyed dfive hundreth men,
7.And Parshandátha, and Dalphón, and Aspátha,
8.And Porátha, and Adaliá, and Aridátha,
9.And Parmáshta, and Arisái, and Aridái, and Vajezátha,
10.The ten sons of Hamán, the son of Ammedátha, the adversary of the Jews slew they: but they layed not their hands eon the spoil.
11.On the same day came the number of those that were slain, unto the palace of Shushán before the King.
12.And the King said unto the Queen Estér, The Jews have slain in Shushán the palace and destroyed five hundreth men, and the ten sons of Hamán: what have they done in the rest of the King’s provinces? and what is thy petition, that it may be given thee? or what is thy request moreover, that it may be performed?
13.Then said Estér, If it please the King, let it be granted also tomorrow to the Jews that are in Shushán, to do according funto this day’s decree, that they may hang upon the tre Hamán’s ten sons.
14.And the King charged to do so, and the decree was given at Shushán, and they hanged Hamán’s ten sons.
15.¶ So the Jews that were in Shushán, assembled them selves upon the fourtent day of the month Adár, & slew three hundreth men in Shushán, but on the spoil they layed not their hand.
16.And the rest of the Jews that were in the King’s provinces assembled them selves, and stood for gtheir lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of them that hated them, hseventie and five thousand:
17.This they did on the ithirtente day of the month Adár, & rested the fourtente day thereof, and kept it a day of feasting and joy.
18.But the Jews that were in Shushán, assembled them selves on the thirtente day, and on the fourtente thereof, & they rested on the fiftente of the same, and kept it a day of feasting and joy.
19.Therefore the Jews of the villages that dwelt in the unwalled towns, kkept the fourtente day of the month Adár with joy and feasting, even a joyful day, and every one sent presents unto his neighbour.
20.¶ And Mordecái wrote lthese words, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were through all the provinces of the King Ahashuerósh, both near and far,
21.Injoining them that they should keep the fourtente day of the month Adár, and the fiftente day of the same, every year.
22.According to 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 joyful day, to keep them the days of feasting, and joy, and mto send presents every man to his neighbour, and gifts to the poor.
23.And the Jews promised to do as they had begun, and as Mordecái had written unto them,
24.Because Hamán the son of Hammedátha the Agagite all the Jew’s adversary, had imagined against the Jews, to destroy them, and had ncast Pur (that is a lot) to consume and destroy them.
25.And when oshe came before the King, he commanded by letters, Let his wicked pdevise (which he imagined against the Jews) turn upon his own head, and let them hang him and his sons on the tre.
26.Therefore they called these days Purím, by the name of Pur, and because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen besides this, and of that which had come unto them.
27.The Jews also ordained, and promised for them and for their seed, and for all that joined unto them, that they would not ^fail to observe those qtwo days every year, according to their writing, and according to their season,
28.And that these days should be remembered, and kept throughout every generation and every family, and every province, and every city: even these days of Purím should not fail among the Jews, and the memorial of them should not perish from their seed.
29.And the Queen Estér the daughter of Abihail and Mordecái the Jew wrote with all ^authority (to confirm this letter of Purím the second time)
30.And he sent letters unto all the Jews to the hundreth and seven and twentie provinces of the kingdom of Ahashuerósh, with rwords of peace and truth,
31.To confirm these days of Purím according to their seasons, as Mordecái the Jew and Estér the Queen had appointed them, and as they had promised for them ^selves and for their seed with sfasting and prayer.
32.And the decree of Estér confirmed these words of Purím, and was written in the book.

Notes

1-a.
This was by God’s great providence, who turned the joy of the wicked into sorrow, and the tears of the godly into gladness.
3-b.
Did them honour, and showed them friendship.
5-c.
Which had conspired their death by the permission of the wicked Haman.
6-d.
Besides those three hundred, that they slew the second day, as verse 15.
10-e.
Whereby they declared, that this was God’s judgement upon the enemies of his Church, forasmuch as they sought not their own gain, but to execute his vengeance.
13-f.
Thus she required not for desire of vengeance, but with zeal to see God’s judgements executed against his enemies.
16-g.
Read Ch. 8.11.
16-h.
Meaning that they layed hands on none, that were not the enemies of God.
17-i.
Meaning, in all places saving in Shushan.
19-k.
As the Jews do, even to this day, calling it in the Persian’s language Purim, that is the day of lots.
20-l.
The Jews gather hereof that Mordecai wrote this story, but it seems that he wrote but only these letters, and decrees that follow.
22-m.
He sets before our eyes the use of this feast, which was for the remembrance of God’s deliverance, the maintenance of mutual friendship, and relief of the poor.
24-n.
Read Ch. 3.7.
25-o.
That is, Ester.
25-p.
These are the words of the King’s commandment to disannul Haman’s wicked enterprise.
27-^.
Or, transgress.
27-q.
Meaning the fourteenth, and the fifteenth day of the month Adar.
29-^.
Or, strength and efficacy.
30-r.
Which were letters declaring unto them quietness, and assurance and putting them out of doubt and fear.
31-^.
Ebr., souls.
31-s.
That they would observe this feast with fasting, and earnest prayer, which in Ebrew is signified by this word (their cry).