1 No décimo terceiro dia do décimo segundo mês, o mês de adar, entraria em vigor o decreto do rei. Naquele dia os inimigos dos judeus esperavam vencê-los, mas aconteceu o contrário; os judeus dominaram aqueles que os odiavam,
2 reunindo-se em suas cidades, em todas as províncias do rei Xerxes, para atacar os que buscavam a sua destruição. Ninguém conseguia resistir-lhes, porquanto todos os povos estavam com medo deles.
3 E todos os nobres das províncias, os sátrapas, os governadores e os administradores do rei apoiaram os judeus, porque o medo que tinham de Mardoqueu havia se apoderado deles.
4 Mardoqueu era influente no palácio; sua fama espalhou-se pelas províncias, e ele se tornava cada vez mais poderoso.
5 Os judeus feriram todos os seus inimigos à espada, matando-os e destruindo-os, e fizeram o que quiseram com os seus inimigos.
6 Na cidadela de Susã os judeus mataram e destruíram quinhentos homens.
7 Também mataram Parsandata, Dalfom, Aspata,
8 Porata, Adalia, Aridata,
9 Farmasta, Arisai, Aridai e Vaisata,
10 os dez filhos de Hamã, filho de Hamedata, o inimigo dos judeus. Mas não se apossaram dos seus bens.
11 Naquele mesmo dia o total de mortos na cidadela de Susã foi relatado ao rei,
12 que disse à rainha Ester: "Os judeus mataram e destruíram quinhentos homens e os dez filhos de Hamã na cidadela de Susã. Que terão feito nas outras províncias do império? Agora, diga qual é o seu pedido, e você será atendida. Tem ainda algum desejo? Este lhe será concedido".
13 Respondeu Ester: "Se for do agrado do rei, que os judeus de Susã tenham autorização para executar também amanhã o decreto de hoje, para que os corpos dos dez filhos de Hamã sejam pendurados na forca".
14 Então o rei deu ordens para que assim sem fizesse. O decreto foi publicado em Susã, e os corpos dos dez filhos de Hamã foram pendurados na forca.
15 Os judeus de Susã ajuntaram-se no décimo quarto dia do mês de adar e mataram trezentos homens em Susã, mas não se apossaram de seus bens.
16 Enquanto isso, ajuntou-se também o restante dos judeus que viviam nas províncias do império, para se protegerem e se livrarem dos seus inimigos. Eles mataram setenta e cinco mil deles, mas não se apossaram de seus bens.
17 Isso aconteceu no décimo terceiro dia do mês de adar, e no décimo quarto dia descansaram e fizeram dessa data um dia de festa e de alegria.
18 Os judeus de Susã, porém, tinham se reunido no décimo terceiro e no décimo quarto dias, e no décimo quinto descansaram e dele fizeram um dia de festa e de alegria.
19 Por isso os judeus que vivem em vilas e povoados comemoram o décimo quarto dia do mês de adar como um dia de festa e de alegria, um dia de troca de presentes.
20 Mardoqueu registrou esses acontecimentos e enviou cartas a todos os judeus de todas as províncias do rei Xerxes, próximas e distantes,
21 determinado que anualmente se comemorassem os dias décimo quarto e décimo quinto do mês de adar,
22 pois nesses dias os judeus livraram-se dos seus inimigos, e nesse mês a sua tristeza tornou-se em alegria, e o seu pranto, num dia de festa. Escreveu-lhes dizendo que comemorassem aquelas datas como dias de festa e de alegria, de troca de presentes e de ofertas aos pobres.
23 E assim os judeus adotaram como costume aquela comemoração, conforme o que Mardoqueu lhes tinha ordenado por escrito.
24 Pois Hamã, filho do agagita Hamedata, inimigo de todos os judeus, tinha tramado contra eles para destruí-los e tinha lançado o pur, isto é, a sorte para a ruína e destruição deles.
25 Mas quando isso chegou ao conhecimento do rei, ele deu ordens escritas para que o plano maligno de Hamã contra os judeus se voltasse contra a sua própria cabeça, e para que ele e seus filhos fossem enforcados.
26 Por isso aqueles dias foram chamados Purim, da palavra pur. Considerando tudo o que estava escrito nessa carta, o que tinham visto e o que tinha acontecido,
27 os judeus decidiram estabelecer o costume de que eles e os seus descendentes e todos os que se tornassem judeus não deixariam de comemorar anualmente esses dois dias, na forma prescrita e na data certa.
28 Esses dias seriam lembrados e comemorados em cada família de cada geração, em cada província e em cada cidade, e jamais deveriam deixar de ser comemorados pelos judeus. E os seus descendentes jamais deveriam esquecer-se de tais dias.
29 Então a rainha Ester, filha de Abiail, e o judeu Mardoqueu, escreveram com toda a autoridade uma segunda carta para confirmar a primeira carta acerca do Purim.
30 Mardoqueu enviou cartas a todos os judeus das cento e vinte e sete províncias do império de Xerxes, desejando-lhes paz e segurança,
31 e confirmando que os dias de Purim deveriam ser comemorados nas datas determinadas, conforme o judeu Mardoqueu e a rainha Ester tinham decretado e estabelecido para si mesmos, para todos os judeus e para os seus descendentes, e acrescentou observações sobre tempos de jejum e de lamentação.
32 O decreto de Ester confirmou as regras do Purim, e isso foi escrito nos registros.
1 And, in the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the word of the king and his edict arrived to be put in execution,on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it, was changed, so that the Jews themselves should have power over them who hated them,
2 the Jews assembled themselves together in their cities, throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, to thrust forth a hand against them who were seeking their hurt, and, no man, stood before them, for the dread of them had fallen upon all the peoples.
3 And, all the rulers of the provinces, and the satraps and the pashas, and the doers of business that pertained to the king, were extolling the Jews,for the dread of Mordecai, had fallen upon them;
4 since great was Mordecai, in the house of the king, and, his fame, was going forth throughout all the provinces,for, the man Mordecai, went on waxing great.
5 So then the Jews smote all their enemies, with the smiting of the sword and slaughter, and destruction,and they dealt with them who hated them according to their pleasure.
6 Yea, in Shusan the palace, did the Jews slay and destroy five hundred men.
7 And Parshandatha and Dalphon, and Aspatha;
8 and Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha;
9 and Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vaizatha;
10 the ten sons of Haman son of Hammedatha, the adversary of the Jews, slew they,but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.
11 On that day, came in the number of the slain into Shusan the palace, before the king.
12 Then said the king unto Esther the queen, In Shusan the palace, have the Jews slain and caused to perish five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman,in the rest of the provinces of the king, what have they done? What, then, is thy petition, that it may be granted thee? and what is thy request further, that it may he performed?
13 Then said Esther, If, unto the king, it seem good, let it be granted, to-morrow also, unto the Jews who are in Shusan, to do according to the edict of to-day,and that, the ten sons of Haman, be hanged upon the gallows.
14 And the king commanded it to be done so, and there was given an edict, in Shusan,and, the ten sons of Haman, they hanged.
15 So the Jews who were in Shusan assembled themselves together, on the fourteenth day also, of the month Adar, and slew in Shusan three hundred men,but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand.
16 And, the remainder of the Jews who were in the provinces of the king, assembled themselves together and stood for their life, and then had rest from their enemies, having slain of them that hated them seventy-five thousand,but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand:
17 on the thirteenth day of the month Adar,and then had rest on the fourteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.
18 But, the Jews who were in Shusan, assembled themselves together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth day thereof,and then had rest on the fifteenth day thereof, and made it a day of banqueting and rejoicing.
19 For this cause, the country Jews, who dwelt in the country towns, were making the fourteenth day of the month Adar one of rejoicing and banqueting, and a day of happiness,and of sending portions every one to his neighbour.
20 And Mordecai wrote these things,and sent letters unto all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near, and far off;
21 to establish for them, that they should continue to observe the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day thereof,always year by year;
22 according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day,that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.
23 And the Jews took upon them that which they had begun to do,and that which Mordecai had written unto them;
24 because, Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews, to cause them to perish,and had cast Pur, the same, is the Lot, to terrify them, and to destroy them;
25 but, by going in before the king, he commanded by letter, that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews, should return, upon his own head,and that he and his sons should be hanged upon the gallows.
26 For this cause, called they these days Purim, after the name Pur, for this cause,for all the words of this epistle,and what they had seen concerning such a matter, and what had reached unto them.
27 The Jews established and took upon themselvesand upon their seed, and upon all who should join themselves unto them, that it might not pass away, that they would continue to keep these two days, according to the writing concerning them and at their set time,always year by year.
28 And, these days, were to be remembered and to be kept, always from generation to generation, by every family, every province, and every city,that, these days of Purim, should not pass away, out of the midst of the Jews, and, the memorial of them, not cease from their seed.
29 Then wrote Esther the queen daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew, with all authority,to confirm this second epistle concerning the Purim;
30 and he sent letters unto all the Jews, throughout the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus,words of peace and stability:
31 to establish these days of the Purim, in their set times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined upon them, and according as they had enjoined upon their own soul, and upon their seed,the story of the fastings and of their outcry.
32 And, the command of Esther, confirmed the story of these Purim,and it was written in a book.