
{1}1{/}

{C}Ver [Es_11,1-11] y [Es_12,1-6]{/}

{I}1_{/}In the days of Ahasuerus - the Aha- -suerus whose empire 
stretched from India to Ethiopia and comprised one hundred twenty-
seven provinces - {I}2_{/}when he occupied the royal throne in the 
citadel of Susa, {I}3_{/}in the third year of his reign, he gave a 
banquet for all his officers and ministers, the Persian and Median 
aristocracy, chiefs of the army, the nobles and the governors of 
the provinces. {I}4_{/}For a hundred and eighty days, he displayed the 
riches and splendor of his empire and the wealth and pomp of his 
royal estate.
{R}_{I}5_{/}At the close of this period, the king gave a banquet lasting 
seven days at the palace garden for all the people, great and 
lowly, living in Susa. {I}6_{/}There were white cotton curtains and 
blue hangings fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to 
silver rings on marble pillars. On a mosaic pavement of porphyry, 
marble, mother-of-pearl and colored stones were gold and silver 
couches. {R}_{I}7_{/}Drinks were served in a variety of golden goblets, 
and the royal wine flowed freely, in keeping with the king's 
generosity. {R}_{I}8_{/}By the king's order, each guest was allowed to 
drink as he pleased; all the stewards had been instructed to serve 
each guest according to his own wishes.
{R}_{I}9_{/}Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the royal 
palace of King Ahasuerus.
[=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}Merry with wine on the seventh day, the king ordered the 
seven eunuchs who served him as chamberlains - Mahuman, Biztha, 
Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas - {I}11_{/}to bring into 
his presence Queen Vashti with her royal crown, for she was very 
lovely and he wished to display her beauty to the people and 
nobles. {R}_{I}12_{/}Queen Vashti, however, refused to come at the order 
of the king transmitted by the eunuchs; the king was very 
displeased and burned with rage.
[=]_{R}_{I}13_{/}As was his procedure, the king consulted experts in law 
and justice. {R}_{I}14_{/}He summoned the seven nobles of Persia and 
Media who were in his personal service and held first rank in the 
kingdom - Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and 
Memucan. {R}_{I}15_{/}He asked them, "According to law, what is to be 
done with Queen Vashti for disobeying the king's order issued 
through the eunuchs?"
{R}_{I}16_{/}In the presence of the king and nobles, Memucan replied, "It 
is not the king alone that Queen Vashti has wronged but all the 
nobles and the whole populace in the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 
{R}_{I}17_{/}All the women will soon know what she did, and so they will 
despise their husbands and say: 'King Ahasuerus ordered his wife 
to be brought before him but she refused.' {I}18_{/}When the Persian 
and Median ladies hear of that, they will treat the royal 
officials in the same manner. So there will be no end to this kind 
of disrespect. [=]_{R}_{I}19_{/}If it pleases the king, therefore, let an 
irrevocable royal decree be issued and included among the laws of 
Persia and Media, that Vashti is never again to come into the 
presence of King Ahasuerus, and that the king is authorized to 
give her royal position to someone else more worthy than she. 
{R}_{I}20_{/}When this decree of the king is proclaimed throughout his 
vast kingdom, all wives will honor their husbands, from the least 
to the greatest."
{R}_{I}21_{/}This proposal pleased the king and his officials; so the 
king acted on Memucan's advice. [=]_{R}_{I}22_{/}He sent letters to all 
parts of the kingdom, to each province in its own script and to 
each people in their own language, declaring that every husband 
should be master in his own household.

{1}2{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Later when his anger had cooled, King Ahasuerus remembered 
Vashti's disobedience and his decree against her. {R}_{I}2_{/}The king's 
courtiers proposed, "Let beautiful young girls be chosen for the 
king. {I}3_{/}Let him appoint commissioners throughout the provinces 
of his realm to bring all the beautiful young virgins to the harem 
in Susa. Let them be put under the care of the royal eunuch Hegai, 
custodian of women, and let them be given ointments for beauty 
treatment. {R}_{I}4_{/}Then let the girl who pleases the king take 
Vashti's place." The king was pleased with the suggestion and he 
acted on it.
{I}5_{/}Now there lived in Susa a Jew named Mordecai, son of Jair, son 
of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite {R}_{I}6_{/}who had been exiled 
from Jerusalem among the captives taken away with King Jeconiah of 
Judah by the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. {R}_{I}7_{/}Mordecai was 
foster father to his cousin Hadassah, that is Esther, who had lost 
both father and mother. The girl had a lovely face and figure. On 
the death of her parents, Mordecai had adopted her as his 
daughter.
{R}_{I}8_{/}In compliance with the king's edict, a great number of young 
girls were brought to Susa and entrusted to Hegai. Esther was 
among them. [=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}Esther pleased the custodian of women and won 
his favor. He not only promptly provided her with cosmetics and 
good food but assigned to her seven special maids from the king's 
household and transferred her and her maids into the best place in 
the harem.
{R}_{I}10_{/}Esther did not reveal her nationality or family, for 
Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. {R}_{I}11_{/}Each day Mordecai would 
walk up and down the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther 
was faring.
{R}_{I}12_{/}After a preparation of twelve months decreed for the women, 
each of them had to appear in turn before King Ahasuerus. This 
preparatory period was for beautifying treatment: six months with 
oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. 
{R}_{I}13_{/}Then when the girl was to present herself to the king, she 
was allowed to take with her from the harem to the king's palace 
anything she wanted. {R}_{I}14_{/}She would go there in the evening and 
return the following morning to another harem under the care of 
the royal eunuch Shaashgaz, custodian of the concubines. She would 
not go back to the king unless he was pleased with her and 
summoned her by name.
{R}_{I}15_{/}When the turn came for Esther - the daughter of Abihail whom 
Mordecai had adopted from his uncle - to go to the king, she asked 
for nothing beyond what the eunuch Hegai had given her; and yet 
she won the admiration of all who saw her. {R}_{I}16_{/}Esther was 
brought to King Ahasuerus in his palace in the tenth month called 
Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. {R}_{I}17_{/}The king liked 
Esther more than any of the other women. Having won his favor and 
approval more than any of the other virgins, she received the 
royal crown and was made queen in place of Vashti. {R}_{I}18_{/}The king 
then gave a great banquet in honor of Esther for all his officials 
and ministers; he proclaimed a holiday for all the provinces and 
distributed gifts with royal liberality.
{R}_{I}19_{/}When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was 
sitting at the king's gate. {R}_{I}20_{/}Up to this time Esther had not 
revealed her family background or nationality, in compliance with 
Mordecai's instructions. She followed his advice just as she had 
when she was being brought up by him. {R}_{I}21_{/}It was during the time 
that Mordecai spent at the king's gate, that Bagathan and Thares, 
two of the royal eunuchs who guarded the entrance, conspired to 
assassinate King Ahasuerus. {R}_{I}22_{/}Mordecai learned of the plot and 
informed Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving 
credit to Mor-decai. {R}_{I}23_{/}The matter was investigated, found to 
be true, and the two conspirators were hanged on the gallows. The 
incident was recorded in the Book of Chronicles in the presence of 
the king.

{1}3{/}

[=]_{R}_{I}1_{/}After these events, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, son of 
Hammedatha the Agagite, to a rank higher than that of all the 
other officials. [=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}On orders of the king, all the royal 
officials at the king's gate would kneel and bow down to Haman. 
This Mordecai refused to do.
{R}_{I}3_{/}The royal officials at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why 
do you disobey the king's order?" [=]_{I}4_{/}They spoke to him day 
after day, but he refused to comply, explaining that he was a Jew. 
To find out if this explanation was acceptable, they reported the 
matter to Haman.
{I}5_{/}Haman was enraged when he saw that Mordecai would not kneel 
down or pay him honor. {R}_{I}6_{/}Having learned who Mordecai's people 
were, he thought it would not be enough to lay hands on him alone, 
but sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the kingdom of 
Ahasuerus.
{R}_{I}7_{/}In the first month, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year 
of King Ahasuerus, the pur or lot was cast in Haman's presence to 
determine the day and the month for the destruction of Mordecai's 
people. The lot fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, 
Adar.
[=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}Haman talked to King Ahasuerus, "Scattered throughout the 
provinces of your kingdom is a certain people, whose customs 
differ from those of other people. Since they do not obey our 
laws, it is not in the king's best interests to tolerate them. 
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}If it please the king, let a decree be issued to destroy 
them. I will deposit in the royal treasury ten thousand silver 
talents for the men who carry out the king's business."
{I}10{/}The king took the signet ring off his finger, handed it to 
Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite, enemy of the Jews, and said, 
{I}11_{/}"Keep the money, and do with these people as you please."
{R}_{I}12_{/}On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal scribes 
were summoned. As Haman dictated, they wrote orders in the script 
of each province and in the language of each people to the king's 
satraps, the governors of every province, and the officials of 
every people. Written in the name of King Ahasuerus himself and 
sealed with his own ring, {I}13_{/}these dispatches were sent by 
couriers to all the royal provinces with the order to kill, 
destroy and wipe out all the Jews - young and old, women and 
children - on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth 
month of Adar, and to plunder their goods.
[\u0095]_{R}_{I}14_{/}A copy of the edict to be promulgated as law in every 
province was published for all the people to know so that they 
would be ready for that day. {R}_{I}15_{/}The couriers, spurred on by the 
king's command, set out in haste, and the edict was first 
promulgated in Susa. As the king and Haman sat down to drink, the 
city of Susa was in bewilderment.

{C}Ver [Es_13,1-7]{/}

{1}4{/}

[=]_{I}1_{/}When Mordecai learned what  had happened, he tore his 
clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and walked through the city 
crying bitterly and loudly. {R}_{I}2_{/}But he came only as far as the 
king's gate, for no one in sackcloth was allowed to enter. 
[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}In every province where the king's edict was read, there 
was great mourning among the Jews; fasting and weeping with 
lamentation, and many of them slept on sackcloth and ashes.
{R}_{I}4_{/}Queen Esther's maids and eunuchs informed her about Mordecai. 
Overcome with grief, she sent clothes for Mordecai to put on 
instead of his sackcloth, but he refused. {R}_{I}5_{/}Esther summoned 
Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs assigned to attend to her, and 
ordered him to find out the reason for Mordecai's action.
{R}_{I}6_{/}So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the public square in front 
of the king's gate. {I}7_{/}Mordecai told him all that had happened, 
as well as the exact amount of money Haman had promised to 
contribute to the royal treasury. {R}_{I}8_{/}He also gave Hathach a copy 
of the written decree for their destruction, to show and explain 
to Esther. He further told him to urge her to go to the king to 
beg for mercy and intercede for her people: "Remember the days of 
your lowly estate when you were brought up in my charge. Haman, 
who is next to the king, has asked for our death. Pray to the Lord 
and speak to the king for us. Save us from death."
{R}_{I}9_{/}Hathach returned to Esther and told her what Mordecai had 
said. {R}_{I}10_{/}In reply, Esther gave Hathach this message for 
Mordecai, {R}_{I}11_{/}"All the king's servants and the people of his 
provinces know that any man or woman who goes to the king in the 
inner court without being summoned suffers the death penalty, 
unless the king grants them their life by holding out to them his 
golden scepter. But I have not been called to go to the king for 
thirty days now."
[\u0095]_{R}_{I}12_{/}When Mordecai received Esther's words, {R}_{I}13_{/}he sent 
back this answer, "Do not suppose that because you are in the 
king's palace, you alone of all the Jews will escape. {I}14_{/}If you 
remain silent now, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews 
from another source, but you and your father's family will perish. 
And who knows - perhaps you have come to the throne for just such 
a time as this."
{R}_{I}15_{/}Esther sent back her reply to Mordecai, [=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}"Go, 
gather all the Jews who are in Susa. Fast for me - all of you; do 
not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will 
also fast. Then I will go to the king, even if it is against the 
law. If I die for this, let it be."
{R}_{I}17_{/}Mordecai went away and carried out Esther's instructions.

{C}Ver [Es_13,8-18] y [Es_15,1-13]{/}

{1}5{/}

[=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}The king asked, "What is it,  Queen Esther? Tell me what 
you wish. Even if it is half of my kingdom, I will give it to 
you." {R}_{I}4_{/}Esther replied, "If it please your majesty, come with 
Haman to a banquet I have prepared today." {R}_{I}5_{/}The king gave the 
order: "Call Haman at once so that Esther may have her wish."
So the king and Haman went to the banquet prepared by Esther. 
{R}_{I}6_{/}During the drinking of wine, the king again said to Esther, 
"What is your petition? Speak up and it will be given. What is 
your request? Even half of my kingdom is yours for the asking."
{R}_{I}7_{/}Esther replied, "My petition and request is this: {I}8_{/}if I 
have found favor with your majesty, if it pleases you to grant my 
petition and request, come with Haman tomorrow to another banquet 
I will prepare. Then I will answer your question."
{I}9_{/}Haman left that day happy and in good spirits, but when he saw 
Mordecai at the royal gate neither rising nor showing signs of 
fear of him, he was filled with rage towards the man. {I}10_{/}He did 
not show it, however, but went home and summoned his friends and 
his wife Zeresh.
[=]_{R}_{I}11_{/}After boasting about his vast wealth, his many sons, and 
the promotion he received from the king placing him above the 
officials and royal servants, {R}_{I}12_{/}Haman added, "Besides, Queen 
Esther invited me alone to go with the king to the banquet she 
gave. And she has invited me again tomorrow together with the 
king. {R}_{I}13_{/}Yet none of this satisfies me, as long as I see the 
Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."
{R}_{I}14_{/}His wife Zeresh and all his friends said, "Have a fifty-
cubit gallows built. In the morning ask the king to have Mordecai 
hanged on it. Then go to the banquet merrily together with the 
king." Satisfied with the suggestion, Haman had the gallows 
erected.

{N}HAMAN IS HUMILIATED BEFORE MORDECAI{/}

{1}6{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}As he was sleepless that  night, the king asked for the Book 
of Chronicles and ordered that the record of his reign be read to 
him. {R}_{I}2_{/}He came across the passage wherein Mordecai exposed a 
plot to assassinate King Ahasuerus, the plot of two royal eunuchs 
guarding the gate, Bagathan and Teresh. [=]_{R}_{I}3_{/}The king asked, 
"What reward and honor did Mordecai receive for this?" The king's 
attendants answered, "None, your majesty."
{R}_{I}4_{/}Haman had entered the outer court, wanting to speak to the 
king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows he had erected. "Who is 
there in the court?" the king asked. {R}_{I}5_{/}So the king's attendants 
answered, "Haman is there, standing in the court." The king 
ordered, "Let him come in."
{R}_{I}6_{/}When Haman entered, the king asked him, "What should be done 
to the man the king wishes to honor?"
Haman thought to himself: whom would the king wish to honor but 
me? {R}_{I}7_{/}So he replied, "For the man the king wishes to honor, 
[=]_{R}_{I}8_{/}let royal robes be brought which the king has worn, and a 
horse, which the king has ridden, with a royal diadem on its head. 
[=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}The robes and the horse should be handed to one of the 
king's noblest officers who should array the man the king wishes 
to honor and lead him on horseback through the city street, 
proclaiming before him: 'This is what is done for the man the king 
is pleased to honor!'"
{R}_{I}10_{/}The king ordered Haman, "Hurry! Take the robes and the horse 
and do as you have said for the Jew Mordecai sitting at the royal 
gate. Do not leave out anything you have recommended."
{R}_{I}11_{/}So Haman took the robes and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and 
led him on horseback through the streets, proclaiming, "This is 
what is done for the man the king is pleased to honor!"
{R}_{I}12_{/}After this Mordecai returned to the king's gate, while Haman 
hurried home greatly dejected and with his head veiled. 
[=]_{R}_{I}13_{/}He told his wife and all his friends everything that had 
happened, and they said to him, "If Mordecai, who started your 
downfall, is of Jewish origin, you will not win against him. You 
will surely be ruined." {R}_{I}14_{/}While they were still talking, the 
king's eunuchs arrived and escorted Haman to the banquet Esther 
had prepared.

{N}THE BANQUET{/}

{1}7{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}So the king and Haman went to the banquet that Esther had 
prepared. [=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}And again, on that second day, while they were 
drinking wine, the king said to Esther "Whatever your petition is, 
Queen Esther, it shall be granted. Whatever request you make shall 
be fulfilled, even if it were half of my kingdom."
{R}_{I}3_{/}Queen Esther replied, "If I have found favor with you, O 
king, and if it pleases your majesty, grant me my life; and spare 
also the lives of my people. This is my petition and request for 
myself and for my people. {R}_{I}4_{/}For my people and I have been 
delivered to destruction, slaughter and extinction. Had we been 
sold merely as male and female slaves, I would have said nothing, 
for our calamity would not be as great a loss to the king."
{R}_{I}5_{/}King Ahasuerus asked Queen Esther, "Who and where is the man 
who dared do such a thing?" {R}_{I}6_{/}Esther answered, "He is no other 
than this wicked Haman - an enemy and a foe!"
At this, Haman was seized with terror. [=]_{R}_{I}7_{/}The king left the 
banquet in anger and went to the garden. Haman stayed to beg Queen 
Esther for his life, realizing that the king had decided on his 
doom.
{R}_{I}8_{/}When the king returned from the garden to the banquet hall, 
Haman had thrown himself on the bed where Esther was reclining. 
The king exclaimed, "Is he going to molest the queen even before 
my eyes in my own house?" No sooner had the king spoken than his 
assistants covered Haman's face. [=]_{R}_{I}9_{/}Harbona, one of the 
king's eunuchs, said, "This man built a fifty-cubit gallows for 
Mordecai who gave the report that saved the king. It is standing 
there at his house."
The king said, "Very well, hang him on it." [=]_{R}_{I}10_{/}So Haman was 
hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, and the king's 
anger subsided.

{1}8{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}That same day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of 
Haman, enemy of the Jews. Mordecai was admitted into the king's 
presence, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her. 
{R}_{I}2_{/}The king took off his signet ring, which he had recovered 
from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai, whom Esther appointed in 
charge of Haman's house.
{R}_{I}3_{/}Once more Esther had an opportunity of being heard by the 
king. Weeping and falling before him, she begged him to frustrate 
the evil plot of Haman the Agagite against the Jews. {R}_{I}4_{/}The king 
held out the golden scepter to her, and she rose and stood before 
him, saying,
{I}5_{/}"If it please your majesty, if I am pleasing to your eyes and 
have found favor with you, and if you think it proper to do so, 
let an order be issued revoking the letters which Haman, son of 
Hammedatha the Agagite, wrote to destroy the Jews in all the royal 
provinces. {I}6_{/}For how can I bear to see the destruction of my 
people, the extermination of my race?"
{R}_{I}7_{/}King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, 
"I have given Haman's house to Esther and had Haman hanged on the 
gallows for plotting to destroy the Jews. {R}_{I}8_{/}Now you can write a 
decree as you please concerning the Jews, in the name of the king, 
and seal it with the royal signet ring; for any document written 
in the king's name and sealed with his ring cannot be revoked."
{I}9_{/}The royal scribes were summoned that very day, the twenty-
third of the third month of Sivan, and as Mordecai dictated they 
wrote an order to the Jews, to the satraps, governors and 
officials of the one hundred twenty-seven provinces from India to 
Ethiopia, to each province in its own script, to each people in 
its own language, and to the Jews in their own script and 
language. {R}_{I}10_{/}These letters written in the name of King 
Ahasuerus and sealed with the royal signet ring were carried by 
couriers mounted on the king's thoroughbred steeds.
{R}_{I}11_{/}The king's edict granted the Jews in each city the right to 
assemble and defend themselves, to kill, destroy and wipe out any 
armed group of any nation or province that might attack them and 
their women and children, and to seize their goods as spoil. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}This edict took effect throughout the provinces of King 
Ahasuerus on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar. 
{R}_{I}13_{/}A copy of the text of the edict to be promulgated as law in 
every province was published among all the peoples so that the 
Jews might be prepared on the day stated to avenge themselves on 
their enemies.
{R}_{I}14_{/}Spurred on by the king's command, the couriers, mounted on 
the king's steeds, rode out in haste, and the edict was 
promulgated in the citadel of Susa.
[=]_{R}_{I}15_{/}In royal garments of blue and white, with a large golden 
crown and a cloak of purple and fine linen, Mordecai left the 
king's presence. There was a joyful celebration in the city of 
Susa. {I}16_{/}For the Jews it was a time of splendor and merriment, 
honor and triumph. {R}_{I}17_{/}Wherever the king's edict was read in 
every province and in each city, there was rejoicing and feasting 
among the Jews. Many people of other nationalities were seized 
with fear of the Jews, and they embraced Judaism.

{C}Ver [Es_16,1-24]{/}

{1}9{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}When the day came for the order of the king to be carried 
out - the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, on which the 
enemies of the Jews had expected to crush them - the reverse 
happened, for it was the Jews who got the upper hand over those 
who sought their harm. {R}_{I}2_{/}In their towns throughout the 
provinces of King Ahasuerus, the Jews gathered to strike at those 
who planned their destruction. But no one dared resist them, for 
they were feared by all the other nations. {R}_{I}3_{/}In fact, all the 
officials of the provinces, the satraps, governors and the king's 
administrators supported the Jews out of fear of Mordecai, {I}4_{/}who 
had become more and more powerful and prominent not only in the 
palace but throughout the provinces.
{I}5_{/}The Jews struck down their enemies, killing them by the sword, 
doing as they pleased to those who hated them. {I}6_{/}In Susa alone, 
they killed five hundred men. {I}7_{/}They also killed Parshandatha, 
Dalphon, Aspatha {I}8_{/}Porathai, Adalia, Aridatha, {I}9_{/}Parmashta, 
Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha, [=]_{I}10_{/}the ten sons of Haman, who 
was Hammedatha's son and enemy of the Jews. But they laid no hand 
on the spoils.
{R}_{I}11_{/}That same day the number of the slain in Susa was reported 
to the king, {R}_{I}12_{/}who in turn told Esther: "The Jews have killed 
five hundred men and the ten sons of Haman in Susa alone. Imagine 
what more they have done in the rest of my provinces! But you 
shall again be granted whatever you ask; whatever you request 
shall be fulfilled."
{R}_{I}13_{/}Esther replied, "If it pleases the king, let the Jews in 
Susa be permitted again tomorrow to carry out today's edict, and 
let Haman's ten sons be hanged on the gallows."
{R}_{I}14_{/}The king then ordered that this be done. The edict was 
issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. {R}_{I}15_{/}On 
the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, the Jews in Susa gathered 
again and put to death three hundred men. But again they laid no 
hand on the spoils.
{R}_{I}16_{/}The other Jews in the king's provinces also assembled to 
protect themselves and rid themselves of their enemies. They 
killed seventy-five thousand of their foes, but did not lay hands 
on the spoils. {I}17_{/}This was on the thirteenth day of the month of 
Adar, and the Jews rested on the fourteenth, making it a day of 
feasting and rejoicing.
{I}18_{/}The Jews in Susa, however, assembled on the thirteenth and 
fourteenth and rested on the fifteenth, making this a day of 
feasting and rejoicing. [=]_{I}19_{/}That is why the rural Jews have a 
different day of rest and celebration: the fourteenth of the month 
of Adar on which they send presents to each other.
{R}_{I}20_{/}Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the 
Jews throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and 
far, {I}21_{/}directing them to celebrate annually the fourteenth and 
fifteenth of the month of Adar {I}22_{/}as the days when the Jews rid 
themselves of their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow 
was turned into joy and their mourning into feasting. They were to 
observe these as days of festivity and rejoicing, days for giving 
food presents to one another and gifts to the poor.
{I}23_{/}The Jews agreed to observe annually this celebration 
instituted on Mordecai's written order. {I}24_{/}For Haman, son of 
Hammedatha the Agagite, enemy of the Jews, had plotted to destroy 
them and had cast the pur or lot for their ruin. {R}_{I}25_{/}Yet through 
Esther's intervention, the king ordered in writing that the wicked 
plan against the Jews should instead be turned against Haman, whom 
he ordered to be hanged as well as his sons. {I}26_{/}These days, 
therefore, have been called Purim after the word pur. Because of 
this written order and of what they had seen and experienced, 
{I}27_{/}the Jews took upon themselves, their descendants and all who 
would join them, to celebrate these two days every year without 
fail, in the manner prescribed and at the time appointed. 
{I}28_{/}Commemorated and celebrated thus, in every family, province 
and city, through all generations, these days of Purim were never 
to fall into disuse among the Jews nor into oblivion among their 
descendants.
{R}_{I}29_{/}Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with the Jew 
Mordecai, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter 
concerning Purim. {R}_{I}30_{/}Letters were sent to all the Jews in the 
one hundred twenty-seven provinces of Ahasuerus' kingdom, in words 
conveying goodwill and assurance, {R}_{I}31_{/}enjoining them to observe 
these days of Purim at the designated time, as Mordecai the Jew 
and Queen Esther had decreed and just as the Jews had prescribed 
for themselves and their descendants, with respect to their duty 
of fasting and lamentation. {R}_{I}32_{/}Esther's decree fixed these 
practices of Purim, and it was recorded in the book.

{1}10{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}King Ahasuerus levied tribute throughout the empire including 
the distant islands. {R}_{I}2_{/}All his acts of power and valor, 
together with a full account of the greatness of Mordecai who was 
raised by the king to high honor, are recorded in the chronicles 
of the kings of Media and Persia. {R}_{I}3_{/}The Jew Mordecai was second 
in rank to King Ahasuerus; he was great among the Jews and 
esteemed by many of his brothers as the harbinger of peace and 
welfare for all his people.

{1}11{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}And Mordecai said, "This is God's work. {R}_{I}2_{/}I remember the 
dream I had about this, nothing of which has failed to be 
fulfilled - {R}_{I}3_{/}the little spring that became a river, the light, 
the sun and the flood of water. Esther is the river, whom the king 
married and made queen. {I}4_{/}Haman and I are the two dragons. 
{I}5_{/}Those who assembled to destroy the Jews are the nations. 
{R}_{I}6_{/}And my nation is Israel, my people, who cried to God and were 
saved. Yes, the Lord has saved his people and delivered us from 
all these evils. God has worked such signs and great wonders as 
have never occurred among the nations.
{R}_{I}7_{/}For this purpose, God prepared two destinies - one for his 
people and the other for all the nations. {R}_{I}8_{/}These two destinies 
were fulfilled at the moment, the hour and the day laid down by 
God among the nations. {R}_{I}9_{/}He remembered his people and rendered 
justice to his inheritance. {R}_{I}10_{/}Thus, gathering together with 
joy before God on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month of 
Adar, Israel will celebrate these days from generation to 
generation.
{R}_{I}11_{/}In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, 
Dositheus, who affirmed he was a priest and a Levite, and his son 
Ptolemy brought to Egypt the foregoing letter concerning the 
Purim, maintaining that it was genuine and had been translated by 
Lysimachus, Ptolemy's son and a resident of Jerusalem.

{N}MORDECAI'S DREAM{/}

{1}11{/}

{I}1_{/}On the first day of Nissan, in the second year of the reign of 
Ahasuerus the Great, a dream came to Mordecai, son of Jair, son of 
Shimei, son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin. {I}2_{/}Mordecai was a 
Jew residing at Susa who held a prominent position at the king's 
court. {I}3_{/}He was one of the captives whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of 
Babylon, had deported from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, king of Judah.
{I}4_{/}According to his dream, there were cries and tumult, thunder 
and earthquake and confusion upon the earth, {I}5_{/}as two great 
dragons came, both ready for combat. {I}6_{/}At the sound of their 
terrible roar every nation prepared to fight against the holy 
nation. {I}7_{/}On earth it was a day of darkness and gloom, 
tribulation and distress, affliction and great disturbance. 
{I}8_{/}The whole nation of the just was troubled because of the fear 
of evils awaiting them, and were ready to perish. {I}9_{/}But they 
cried out to God, and a little spring appeared, from which grew a 
great river with a flood of water. {I}10_{/}Light came as the sun 
rose, and the humble were raised up and they devoured the mighty.
{I}11_{/}In this dream Mordecai saw what God intended to do. On 
awakening he thought deeply about the matter and tried all day to 
understand its meaning.

{1}12{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}In those days while Mordecai was resting at the king's gate 
together with Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs and 
palace guards, {R}_{I}2_{/}he was aware that they had become irritated 
and were plotting to kill King Ahasuerus. {R}_{I}3_{/}Mordecai 
investigated the matter, informed the king who had the two eunuchs 
questioned. They confessed and were put to death.
{R}_{I}4_{/}By order of the king, these events were recorded by Mordecai 
{I}5_{/}who was rewarded and appointed to an office in the court.
{R}_{I}6_{/}In revenge for the king's two eunuchs, Haman son of 
Hammedatha, the Agagite who enjoyed the king's favor, sought to 
harm Mordecai and his people.

{1}13{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}The text of the letter was  as follows:
The Great King Ahasuerus to the rulers of the hundred and twenty-
seven provinces from India to Ethiopia and to the governors under 
them:
[=]_{R}_{I}2_{/}As ruler of many nations and master of the whole world, I 
have resolved never to be carried away by the arrogance of power 
but always to rule with fairness and clemency, to provide for my 
subjects a life free of distress, and to restore the peace that 
all men desire by making my government humane and truly civilized 
as far as the borders of my kingdom.
{R}_{I}3_{/}When I consulted my advisers on how this might be 
accomplished, Haman, who excels among us in wisdom, who has earned 
distinction for trustworthiness and loyalty, and who has attained 
the second rank in the kingdom, {R}_{I}4_{/}brought to our attention the 
existence throughout my realm of a people of ill will, whose laws 
are opposed to those of every nation. Their continuous disregard 
of the decrees of kings hinders the establishment of unity in the 
empire.
[=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}Considering, therefore, the continuous opposition of this 
people to all humankind, its outlandish system of laws and strange 
manner of life, its hostility to our interests and the harm it 
does to the stability of our kingdom, [=]_{I}6_{/}we hereby decree 
that all the people indicated in the letters of Haman, who is in 
charge of affairs and a second father to us, be utterly destroyed 
with women and children, by the sword, without mercy or 
consideration, on the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, 
of the present year, {R}_{I}7_{/}so that when these people, with their 
past and present ill will, have gone down into the world of the 
dead on a single day, they may at last leave our government in 
complete stability and peace.

{N}MORDECAI'S PRAYER{/}

[=]_{I}8_{/}Recalling all that the Lord  had done, he prayed to him 
and said:
{R}_{I}9_{/}Lord, King and Master of all, everything is under your power; 
no one can withstand you in your will to save Israel.
{I}10_{/}You made heaven and earth and all the marvels under heaven. 
{I}11_{/}You are the Lord of all, no one can resist you, Lord.
{I}12_{/}You know all things, O Lord; you know that no insolence, no 
vainglory or arrogance prompted me to act thus, to refuse to bow 
down before the proud Haman. {R}_{I}13_{/}Readily would I have kissed his 
feet for Israel's safety.
[=]_{R}_{I}14_{/}But what I did, I did so as not to place human glory 
above the glory of God. I will not bow down to anyone except to 
you, O Lord. My refusal has not been out of pride.
{R}_{I}15_{/}And now, Lord God, King, God of Abraham, deliver your 
people! Our enemies plot our ruin; they are bent upon destroying 
the inheritance that was yours from the beginning.
[=]_{R}_{I}16_{/}Do not forsake your own inheritance which you redeemed 
out of Egypt for yourself.
[=]_{I}17_{/}Hear my supplication, have mercy on your inheritance. 
Turn our mourning into rejoicing, that we may live to sing praise 
to your name, O Lord. Do not silence the mouths of those who give 
you praise.
{R}_{I}18_{/}And Israel cried out with all their might, for they were 
faced with death.

{N}THE PRAYER OF ESTHER{/}

{1}14{/}

{R}_{I}1_{/}Seized with anguish in her  fear of death, Queen Esther 
likewise had recourse to the Lord. {I}2_{/}Taking off her splendid 
robes, she put on garments of distress and mourning. In place of 
expensive perfumes, she covered her head with dirt and ashes. 
Humbling her body severely, she put aside all her festive 
adornments and left her hair disheveled. {R}_{I}3_{/}Then she prayed to 
the Lord God of Israel:
{I}4_{/}My Lord, you who stand alone, come to my help; I am alone and 
have no help but you. Through my own choice I am endangering my 
life.
[=]_{R}_{I}5_{/}As a child I was wont to hear from the people of the land 
of my forebears that you, O Lord, chose Israel from among all 
peoples, and our fathers from among their ancestors to be your 
lasting heritage; that you did for them, all that you have 
promised.
{I}6_{/}But we have sinned, and for this you have handed us over to 
our enemies; [=]_{I}7_{/}we have worshiped their gods, but you, O 
Lord, are just.
{I}8_{/}Dissatisfied with our bitter servitude, they made a pact with 
their idols {I}9_{/}to abolish what you have decreed, to blot out your 
heritage, {R}_{I}10_{/}to shut the mouths that give you praise, to quench 
the glory of your Temple and your altar and instead to let the 
pagans sing the praise of worthless idols, and idolize forever a 
king of flesh.
{I}11_{/}Do not give up your scepter, O Lord, to non-existent beings. 
Never let them gloat over our ruin, but turn their designs against 
themselves and make an example of our chief enemy.
{R}_{I}12_{/}Remember us, Lord; reveal yourself in the time of our 
calamity. Give me courage, King of gods and master of all power. 
[=]_{I}13_{/}Make my words persuasive when I face the lion; turn his 
heart against our enemy, that the latter and his like may be 
brought to their end.
{I}14_{/}Save us by your hand; help me who am alone and have none but 
you, O Lord.
{I}15_{/}You know everything; you know how I hate honor if from the 
impious, how I loathe the bed of the uncircumcised and of any 
foreigner.
[=]_{I}16_{/}You know I am here under constraint, that I loathe the 
diadem about my brow when I appear in public; as a filthy rag I 
loathe it and do not wear it in private.
{I}17_{/}Your handmaid has never eaten at Haman's table, nor has taken 
pleasure in royal banquets, nor drunk the wine offered to their 
gods.
{R}_{I}18_{/}Neither has your handmaid found pleasure from the day of her 
promotion till now except in you, Lord God of Abraham.
{R}_{I}19_{/}O God, more powerful than all, hear the voice of those in 
despair; save us from the evil man's power, and deliver me from my 
fear.

{N}ESTHER APPEARS BEFORE THE KING{/}

{1}15{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}Ending her prayer on  the third day, Esther took off her 
penitential garments and put on her royal attire. {R}_{I}2_{/}Radiant in 
appearance after invoking the all-seeing God and Savior, she took 
her two maids with her, {I}3_{/}and leaned gently on one of them for 
support, {I}4_{/}while the other followed carrying her train. 
{I}5_{/}Although her heart was frozen with fear, she looked radiant in 
her perfect beauty, her face depicting love and joy.
{R}_{I}6_{/}After passing through all the doors, she found herself face 
to face with the king seated on his throne, awe-inspiring in the 
full array of his majesty, his robes all covered with gold and 
precious stones. {I}7_{/}As he looked up, his face flushed with 
majestic anger, the queen faltered, turned pale and leaned weakly 
upon the shoulder of the maid in front of her.
{R}_{I}8_{/}Then God changed the king's anger to gentleness. Alarmed, he 
sprang from his throne, took Esther in his arms until she had 
recovered and comforted her with soothing words. {R}_{I}9_{/}"What is it, 
Esther?" he said. "I am your brother. Take heart. [=]_{I}10_{/}You 
will not die, because our decree applies only to ordinary people. 
{I}11_{/}Come, speak to me." {I}12_{/}He raised the golden scepter, 
touched her neck with it, then embraced her saying, "Speak to me."
{R}_{I}13_{/}Esther spoke: "My lord, I saw you like an angel of God, and 
I trembled with fear before your majesty. {I}14_{/}For you are 
admirable, my Lord, and your appearance is awesome although you 
are full of kindness." {I}15_{/}But she fell fainting as she spoke. 
{R}_{I}16_{/}The king was deeply distressed, and his attendants tried to 
revive her.

{1}16{/}

[\u0095]_{R}_{I}1_{/}The text of the letter read as follows: "The great King 
Ahasuerus to the satraps, governors and all our loyal subjects in 
the one hundred twenty-seven provinces stretching from India to 
Ethiopia: Greetings!
{I}2_{/}The more some men are honored through the generosity of their 
patrons, the prouder they become. {I}3_{/}Gloating in their power and 
incapable of responsibility, they seek to injure our subjects and 
even plot against their own benefactors. {R}_{I}4_{/}They drive out 
gratitude from the human heart. Carried away by the arrogant 
boasts of men who know nothing of goodness, they think they will 
escape the justice of the all-seeing God.
{I}5_{/}It often happens also that those in authority, through the 
influence of friends entrusted with the administration of public 
affairs, become partly responsible for the shedding of innocent 
blood and are involved in causing irremediable misfortune. 
{I}6_{/}Even well-intentioned rulers are led astray by the trickery of 
the corrupt.
{I}7_{/}These evil practices of past times, as attested by the 
records, have been carried over to the present in the crimes 
perpetrated by unworthy officials. {R}_{I}8_{/}For the future, however, 
we will strive to make our kingdom a realm of peace for all {I}9_{/}by 
starting now to adopt new policies and by treating with the utmost 
justice all matters that come to our attention.
{I}10_{/}To give an example, Haman, son of Hammedatha, a Macedonian 
who is alien to Persian blood and devoid of our kindness, was 
treated hospitably by us. {R}_{I}11_{/}Enjoying the goodwill that we have 
towards every nation, he was even proclaimed our "father," before 
whom, as second in rank to the king, everyone bowed down. 
{R}_{I}12_{/}But his arrogance turned his head, and he schemed to deprive 
us of our kingdom and our life. {R}_{I}13_{/}He plotted for the 
destruction of Mordecai, our savior and constant benefactor, of 
Esther, our blameless royal partner, and of their entire race. 
{R}_{I}14_{/}In that way he hoped to make us defenseless and facilitate 
the transfer of rule by the Persians to the Macedonians.
{R}_{I}15_{/}'We find, however, that the Jews consigned to extinction by 
this accursed man are not evildoers but are governed by the most 
just of laws. {R}_{I}16_{/}They are, in fact, children of the Most High, 
the great living God, who has made our kingdom prosperous for us 
and for our ancestors.
{I}17_{/}You will, therefore, do well to ignore the letter sent by 
Haman, son of Hammedatha, {R}_{I}18_{/}for the man himself, together with 
his entire family, has been hanged at the gate of Susa. Thus 
speedily has God, who rules over all, given him the punishment he 
deserved.
{I}19_{/}Post a copy of this letter in every public place, give the 
Jews freedom to live by their own laws, {I}20_{/}and come to their aid 
in time of trial against those who plan to attack them on the 
thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar. {R}_{I}21_{/}For God, who 
rules over all, has turned this day from one of destruction into 
one of joy for his chosen people.
{I}22_{/}You should, therefore, celebrate this memorable day among 
your designated feasts with all rejoicing, {R}_{I}23_{/}so that both now 
and hereafter it may be for us and the loyal Persians a 
celebration of salvation, and for those who plot against us a 
reminder of destruction.
{I}24_{/}Every city and country, without exception, that fails to 
observe this decree shall be ruthlessly destroyed with sword and 
fire. It will then be ever left untrodden not only by men but by 
the beasts and birds as well.

