should be sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I would hold my peace, but the enemy would not hurt the king.

And king Ahasuerus spake, and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he? Or where is he that may take this thing into his mind to do so?

And Esther said, The enemy and adversary is this wicked Haman. And Haman was astonished before the king and the queen.

And the king arose from supper and wine in his wrath, and went into the garden of the house.
And Haman arose, and besought Esther the queen for his life: for he saw that the king’s evil was already prepared for him.

And when the king was come again out of the garden of the house into the hall where they had eaten, Haman lay by the bench where Esther sat. And the king said, Will he strangle the queen in my house? And when the word came out of the king’s mouth, they covered Haman’s face.

And Harbonah the chamberlain, one before the king, said, Behold, there is a tree in the house
of Haman fifty cubits high, which he had made for Mordecai, which spake good for the king.
And the king said, Let him hang upon it.

So they hanged Haman upon the tree which he had made Mordecai. And the king’s anger was abated.
(Ester)
Chapter 8
The Jews have permission to take revenge on their enemies.

In that day king Ahasuerus gave to Esther the queen the house of Haman the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king: for Esther told how he belonged unto her.

And the king took off his finger, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai.
And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

And Esther spake again before the king, and fell down at his feet, and besought him that he would put away the wickedness of Haman the Agagite, and his devices which he had devised against the Jews.

And the king stretched out the golden sceptre unto Esther. And Esther arose, and stood before the king.

And he said, If it please the king, and if I have found favour in his sight, and if it please the king, and if I please him, then let it be written, that the letters of the plots of Haman the son of Medatha the Agagite be revoked, which he wrote to destroy the Jews throughout all the king’s provinces.

For how can I see the evil that shall befall my people? And how can I see my people perish?

And king Ahasuerus said unto Esther the queen, and to Mordecai the Jew, Behold, I have given the house of Haman unto Esther, and he is hanged upon a tree, because he laid his hand upon the Jews.

Now therefore write ye for the Jews, as ye please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s ring. For the writing that was written in the king’s name, and sealed with the king’s ring, no man hath had to revoke.

And the king’s scribes were called at that time in the third month, which is the moon of Sivan, on the three and twentieth day; and it was written, as Mordecai commanded, unto the Jews, and to the princes, and to the governors, and to the captains of the provinces, from India even unto the Moors, even an hundred and twenty and seven provinces, to every province according to their writings, and to every people according to their language, and to the Jews according to their writing and their language.

And it was written in the name of king Ahasuerus, and sealed with the king’s rings. And he sent the letters by messengers riding upon young mouths,

Wherein the king gave the Jews, where they were in the cities, to assemble themselves together, and to stand for their lives, and to destroy, and to slay, and to destroy all the power of the people and of the land, which they feared, with their children and their wives, and to spoil their substance,

On one day in all the lands of king Ahasuerus, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the moon Adar.

And the content of the scripture was, that a commandment should be given in all countries, to open unto all nations, that the Jews should be sent in that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

And the messengers that rode upon the mouths went out quickly and in haste according to the king’s word: and the commandment was posted in Shushan the palace.

And Mordecai went out from the king in royal apparel, yellow and white, and with a great crown of gold, clothed in a linen and purple mantle: and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

But unto the Jews was light, and joy, and. Delight and honor come.

And in every land, and in every city, whither the king’s word and commandment came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, and gladness and good days; and many of the people of the land became Jews: for the fear of the Jews was upon them.
(Ester)
Chapter 9
The Jews, having practiced vengeance, make a joyful feast.

In the twelfth month, which is the moon Adar, in the thirteenth day, which the king’s word and commandment had appointed to be done, in the very day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to overcome them, it came to pass that the Jews should overcome their enemies.

Then the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities, throughout all the provinces of king Ahasuerus, to lay hands on them that would do them evil. And no man could withstand them: for fear was come upon all nations.

And all the rulers of the provinces, and the princes, and the governors, and the king’s officers, did exalt the Jews: for the fear of Mordecai was upon them.

For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and the rumour of him was heard in all the countries, how he increased and became great.

So the Jews smote upon all their enemies with the edge of the sword, and choked, and slew, and did according to their will upon them that were enemies unto them.

And in Shushan the Jews slew, and destroyed five hundred men.

And they slew Parsandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,

Poratha, Adaliah, Aridatha,

parmastha, arisai, aridai, vajesatha,

The ten sons of Haman the son of Medatha, the enemy of the Jews: but they laid not their hands on his goods.

At that time came the number of them that were slain unto Shushan the castle before the king.

And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and killed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman: what will they do in the rest of the king’s provinces? What will they do in the rest of the king’s land? what will they give you? and what more will they ask you to do?

And Esther said, If it please the king, let him also the Jews of Shushan do to morrow according to this day’s commandment, to hang the ten sons of Haman upon the tree.

And the king commanded thus. And the commandment was posted in Shushan, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged.

And the Jews gathered themselves together to Shushan on the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and slew in Shushan three hundred men: but they laid not their hands on their goods.

And the rest of the Jews that were in the king’s provinces came together, and tarried for their lives, to give them rest from their enemies, and slew their enemies seventy and five thousand: but they laid not their hands on their goods.

And it came to pass on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and they rested on the fourteenth day of that month, which was made a day of rest and gladness.

But the Jews that were at Shushan were gathered together, both on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth day, and rested on the fifteenth day: and they made that day a day of rest and gladness.

Therefore the Jews that dwelt in the villages and in the towns made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of feasting and gladness, and sent gifts one to another.

And Mordecai described this history, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the countries of king Ahasuerus, both near and far,

And they took and kept the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the month Adar yearly, 22. After the days wherein the Jews were at rest from their enemies, and after the months wherein their sorrows were turned into joy, and their mourning into good days, that they should keep them for days of good living and gladness, and send gifts one to another, and communicate them to the poor.

And the Jews received it, which they began to do, and which Mordecai wrote unto them: 24. As Haman the son of Medatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, thought to destroy all the Jews, and cast lots to terrify and kill them;

And how Esther went to the king, and spake that by letters his wicked devices, which he thought against the Jews, should be turned upon his head; and how they hanged him and his sons upon the tree.

Wherefore they called these days Purim by the name of the lot, according to all the words of this epistle, and what they themselves had seen, and what had come unto them.

And the Jews set it up, and took it upon themselves, and upon their seed, and upon all that joined themselves unto them, that they would not pass over to keep these