1. Now in the twelfth month (that is, the month Adar), on the thirteenth day, when the king’s edict and his decree were to be carried out on the day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to have power over them, things were turned around. The Jews gained power over those who hated them.
2. The Jews had assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus in order to forcibly assault those seeking their injury. No man could stand before them because the dread of them had fallen on all people.
3. All the rulers of the provinces, and the satraps, and the governors, and all those doing the work of the king were helping the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them.
4. For Mordecai had become great in the king’s house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces because Mordecai grew more powerful.
5. So the Jews struck all their enemies by sword, slaughtering and destroying them, and doing to those who hated them as they pleased.
6. In the citadel of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men,
7. along with Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha,
8. Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha,
9. Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.
10. These were the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, whom they killed, but on their plunder none of the Jews attempted to take it.
11. On that day the number of those who were killed in the citadel of Susa was reported before the king.
12. The king said to Queen Esther, “The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in the citadel of Susa and the ten sons of Haman. What have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? Now what is your petition? It shall be granted you! What is your request further? It shall be done!”
13. Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews in Susa to do again tomorrow according to this day’s decree. Let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.”
14. So the king commanded that it be so done, and the decree was given at Susa, and they hanged the ten sons of Haman.
15. The Jews in Susa assembled again on the fourteenth day of the month Adar and killed three hundred more there, but on the plunder no one attempted to take it.
16. But the rest of the Jews in the king’s provinces assembled to defend their lives. Some had rest from their enemies, while others killed seventy-five thousand of those who hated them, but no one took from the plunder.
17. Because this occurred on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, they rested on the fourteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
18. Because the Jews in Susa had assembled on the thirteenth day and the fourteenth day of Adar, then on the fifteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing.
19. Therefore, the Jews of the rural areas, who were living in the villages, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of rejoicing and feasting and a special day for sending portions of food to one another.