1   Therfore in the thirtenth day of the twelth moneth, which we haue said now before to be called Adar, when slaughter was prepared for al the Iewes, and their enemies gaped after their bloud,09Q0195 the case being changed to the contrarie, the Iewes began to be superiours, and ^note to reuenge them selues of their aduersaries. ^note

2   And they were gathered together in euerie citie, and towne, and place, to extend their hand against their enemies, and their persecutors. And none durst resist, because the feare of their greatnes did penetrate al peoples.

3   For both the iudges of the prouinces, and captaynes, and lieutenantes, and euerie dignitie, that was chiefe ouer euerie place and worke, extolled the Iewes for feare of Mardocheus:

4   whom they knew to be prince of the palace, and to be able to doe very much: the fame also of his name increased dayly, and flew abroad through al mens mouthes.

5   Therfore the Iewes stroke their enemies with a great slaughter, and slew them, repaying them that which they had prepared to doe to them:

6   in so much that in Susan also they killed fiue hundred men, besides the tenne sonnes of Aman the Agagite the enemie of the Iewes: whose names be these:

7   Pharsandatha, and Delphon, and Esphata,

8   and

Phoratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha.

9   and Phermesta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Iezatha.

10   Whom when they had slaine, they would not take prayes of their goodes.

11   And by and by the number of them that were killed in Susan, was brought to the king.

12   Who said to the queene: In the citie of Susan the Iewes haue killed fiue hundred men, besides the ^note ten sonnes of Aman: how great a slaughter thinkest thou doe they make in al the prouinces? what askest thou more, & what wilt thou that I c&obar;mand to be done?

13   To whom she answered: If it please the king, let there authoritie be geuen to the Iewes, that as they haue done to day in Susan, so also they may doe to morow, and that the tenne sonnes of Aman be hanged on gibbettes.

14   And the king commanded that it should be so done. And forthwith the edict hong in Susan, and the tenne sonnes of Aman were hanged.

15   The fourthtenth day of the moneth Adar the Iewes being gathered together, there were killed in Susan three hundred men: neither was their substance spoyled by them.

16   Yea and through al prouinces, which were subiect to the kings dominion, the Iewes stood for their liues, their enemies and persecutors being slayne: in so much that there was fully seuentie fiue thousand of them that were killed, and no man tooke any of their goodes.

17   And the thirtenth day of the moneth Adar was the first day with them al of the slaughter, & the fourtenth day they ceased to kil. ^note Which they ordayned to be solemne, so that in it at al times afterward they gaue them selues to good chere, mirth & bankets.

18   But they that made the slaughter in the citie of Susan, were occupied in the slaughter the thirtenth and fourtenth day of the same moneth: and in the fiftenth day they ceased to kil. And therfore they ordayned the same a solemne day of good cheere and ioyfulnes.

19   But those Iewes, that abode in townes not walled and villages, ordayned the fourtenth day of the moneth Adar for bankettes and ioy, so that they reioyse in it, and send one an other portions of bankets and meates.

20   Mardocheus therfore wrote al these things, and being comprised in letters sent them to the Iewes, that abode in al the kings prouinees, as wel those that lay neere, as far of,

21   that they should take ^note the fourtenth and fiftenth day of the moneth Adar for feastes, and the yeare alwayes returning should celebrate them with solemne honour:

22   because

in the same dayes the Iewes reuenged them selues of their enemies, and mourning and sorrow were turned into mirth and ioy, and that these should be dayes of good cheere and gladnesse, and they should send one to an other portions of meates, and should geue giftes to the poore.

23   And the Iewes receiued into a solemne rite al things, which they had begune to doe at that time, and which Mardocheus by letters had commanded to be done.

24   For Aman, the sonne of Amadathi of the stocke of Agag, the enemie and aduersarie of the Iewes, purposed euil against them, to kil them and destroy them: and he cast Phur, which in our language is turned, a lot.

25   And afterward Esther went in to the king, beseching that his endeuours might by the kings letters be made voyde: & the euil that he had intended against the Iewes, might returne vpon his owne head. Finally they hong both him and his sonnes vpon the gallowes,

26   and since that time these dayes are called Phurim, that is, of Lottes: because Phur, that is, a lot, was cast into the pot. And al things, that were done, are contayned in the volume of this epistle, that is, of this booke:

27   and the thinges that they susteyned, and that were afterward changed, the Iewes ^note tooke vpon them selues and their seede, and vpon al, that would be ioyned to theyr religion, that it should be lawful for none to passe without solemnitie these dayes: which the writing testifieth, and certaine times require, as yeares continually succede one an other.

28   These are daies, which no obliuion shal euer put out: and al prouinces in al the world shal celebrate through out al generations: neither is there any citie, wherein the daies of Phurim, that is, of lottes, must not be obserued of the Iewes, and of their progenie, which is bound to these ceremonies.

29   And Esther the queene the daughter of Abihail, and Mardocheus the Iew wrote also the second epistle, that with al diligence this day should be established solemne for the time to come.

30   and they sent to al the Iewes, that were in the hundred and seuen and twentie prouinces of king Assuerus, that they should haue peace, and receiue truth,

31   obseruing the Daies of lottes, and in their time should celebrate them with ioy: as Mardocheus and Esther had appoynted, and they tooke vpon them to be obserued of them selues, and of their seede, fastes, and cries, and the daies of Lottes,

32   and al thinges, which are conteyned in the historie of this booke, which is called Esther.

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