Esther 9:1-17

New American Standard Bible

The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

9 Now ^(A)in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on ^(B)the thirteenth ^[a]day, ^(C)when the king’s command and edict were to be put into effect, on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, it turned out to the contrary so that the Jews themselves gained mastery over those who hated them. ^2 (D)The Jews assembled in their cities throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus to ^[b]attack those who sought ^[c]to harm them; and no one could stand against them, ^(E)because the dread of them had fallen on all the peoples. ³ Even all the officials of the provinces, ^(F)the satraps, the governors, and those who were doing the king’s business were supporting the Jews, because the dread of Mordecai had fallen on them. ⁴ For Mordecai was great in the king’s house, and the news about him spread throughout the provinces; for the man Mordecai ^(G)became greater and greater. ⁵ So ^(H)the Jews struck all their enemies with ^[d]the sword, killing and destroying; and they did as they pleased to those who hated them. ⁶ At the citadel in Susa the Jews killed and eliminated five hundred men, ⁷ and they killed Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, ⁸ Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, ⁹ Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, ^10 (I)the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Jews’ enemy; but ^(J)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

¹¹ On that day the number of those who were killed at the citadel in Susa ^[e]was reported to the king. ¹² And the king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have killed and eliminated five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman at the citadel in Susa. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces! ^(K)Now what is your request? It shall also be granted you. And what is your further wish? It shall also be done.” ¹³ Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, ^(L)let tomorrow also be granted to the Jews who are in Susa to do according to the edict of today; and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the wooden gallows.” ¹⁴ So the king commanded that it was to be done so; and an edict was issued in Susa, and Haman’s ten sons were hanged. ¹⁵ The Jews who were in Susa assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed ^(M)three hundred men in Susa, but ^(N)they did not lay their hands on the plunder.

¹⁶ Now ^(O)the rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces ^(P)assembled, to defend their lives and ^[f]rid themselves of their enemies, and to kill seventy-five thousand of those who hated them; but they did not lay their hands on the plunder. ¹⁷ This was done on ^(Q)the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and ^(R)on the fourteenth ^[g]day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.