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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Esther 9 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/esther/9.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/esther/9-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</a> > Esther 9</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../esther/8.htm" title="Esther 8">◄</a> Esther 9 <a href="../esther/10.htm" title="Esther 10">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">The Jews Destroy Their Enemies</h3><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_1"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.1" class="v17_9_1">1</span>The first law that the king had made was to be followed on the thirteenth day of Adar,<a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.1!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> the twelfth month. This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to do away with them. But the Jews turned things around, </span><span class="v17_9_2"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.2" class="v17_9_2">2</span>and in the cities of every province they came together to attack their enemies. Everyone was afraid of the Jews, and no one could do anything to oppose them.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_3"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.3" class="v17_9_3">3</span>The leaders of the provinces, the rulers, the governors, and the court officials were afraid of Mordecai and took sides with the Jews. </span><span class="v17_9_4"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.4" class="v17_9_4">4</span>Everyone in the provinces knew that the king had promoted him and had given him a lot of power.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_5"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.5" class="v17_9_5">5</span>The Jews took their swords and did away with their enemies, without showing any mercy. </span><span class="v17_9_6"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.6-Esth.9.10" class="v17_9_6">6-10</span>They killed 500 people in Susa,<a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.6-Esth.9.10!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> but they did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Haman had been one of the worst enemies of the Jews, and ten of his sons were among those who were killed. Their names were Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_11"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.11" class="v17_9_11">11</span>Later that day, someone told the king how many people had been killed in Susa.<a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.11!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span><span class="v17_9_12"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.12" class="v17_9_12">12</span>Then he told Esther, “Five hundred people, including Haman's ten sons, have been killed in Susa alone. If that many were killed here, what must have happened in the provinces? Is there anything else you want done? Just tell me, and it will be done.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_13"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.13" class="v17_9_13">13</span>Esther answered, “Your Majesty, please let the Jews in Susa fight to defend themselves tomorrow, just as they did today. And order the bodies of Haman's ten sons to be hanged in public.”</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_14"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.14" class="v17_9_14">14</span>King Xerxes did what Esther had requested, and the bodies of Haman's sons were hung in Susa. </span><span class="v17_9_15"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.15" class="v17_9_15">15</span>Then on the fourteenth day of Adar the Jews of the city got together and killed 300 more people. But they still did not take anything that belonged to their enemies.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_16"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.16-Esth.9.17" class="v17_9_16">16-17</span>On the thirteenth day of Adar, the Jews in the provinces had come together to defend themselves. They killed 75,000 of their enemies, but the Jews did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Then on the fourteenth day of the month the Jews celebrated with a feast.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_18"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.18" class="v17_9_18">18</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.18!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> On the fifteenth day of the month the Jews in Susa held a holiday and celebrated, after killing their enemies on the thirteenth and the fourteenth. </span><span class="v17_9_19"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.19" class="v17_9_19">19</span>This is why the Jews in the villages now celebrate on the fourteenth day of the month. It is a joyful holiday that they celebrate by feasting and sending gifts of food to each other.</span></p><h3 class="s1">The Festival of Purim</h3><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_20"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.20" class="v17_9_20">20</span>Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. Then he sent letters to the Jews everywhere in the provinces </span><span class="v17_9_21"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.21" class="v17_9_21">21</span>and told them:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v17_9_21">Each year you must celebrate on both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of Adar, </span><span class="v17_9_22"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.22" class="v17_9_22">22</span>the days when we Jews defeated our enemies. Remember this month as a time when our sorrow was turned to joy, and celebration took the place of crying. Celebrate by having parties and by giving to the poor and by sharing gifts of food with each other.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_23"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.23" class="v17_9_23">23</span>They followed Mordecai's instructions and set aside these two days every year as a time of celebration.</span></p><h3 class="s1">The Reason for the Festival of Purim</h3><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_24"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.24" class="v17_9_24">24</span><a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.24!x.1" class="notelink x-link"><span></span></a> Haman was the son of Hammedatha and a descendant of Agag. He hated the Jews so much that he planned to destroy them, but he wanted to find out the best time to do it. So he cast lots.<a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.24!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_25"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.25" class="v17_9_25">25</span>Esther went to King Xerxes and asked him to save her people. Then the king gave written orders for Haman and his sons to be punished in the same terrible way that Haman had in mind for the Jews. So they were hanged. </span><span class="v17_9_26"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.26" class="v17_9_26">26</span>Mordecai's letter had said that the Jews must celebrate for two days because of what had happened to them. This time of celebration is called Purim,<a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.26!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> which is the Hebrew word for the lots that were cast. </span><span class="v17_9_27"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.27" class="v17_9_27">27</span>Now every year the Jews set aside these two days for having parties and celebrating, just as they were told to do. </span><span class="v17_9_28"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.28" class="v17_9_28">28</span>From now on, all Jewish families must remember to celebrate Purim on these two days each year.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v17_9_29"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.29" class="v17_9_29">29</span>Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, wanted to give full authority to Mordecai's letter about the Festival of Purim, and with his help she wrote a letter about the feast. </span><span class="v17_9_30"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.30" class="v17_9_30">30</span>Copies of this letter were sent to Jews in the 127 provinces of King Xerxes. In the letter they said:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v17_9_30">We pray that all of you will live in peace and safety.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v17_9_31"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.31" class="v17_9_31">31</span>You and your descendants must always remember to celebrate Purim at the time and in the way that we have said. You must also follow the instructions that we have given you about mourning and going without eating.<a href="#fn" id="link_Esth.9.31!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v17_9_32"><span class="reftext" id="Esth.9.32" class="v17_9_32">32</span>These laws about Purim are written by the authority of Queen Esther.</span></p> <a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">9.1 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Adar: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 3.7.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">9.6-10 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">in Susa: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Or “in the royal fortress in Susa.”</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">9.11 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">in Susa: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 9.6-10.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">9.24 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">cast lots: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 3.7.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">9.26 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">Purim: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">The Jewish festival of Purim got its name from “purim,” which is the Babylonian name for the lots that Haman used. Purim is celebrated each year on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, which is about the first of March.</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">9.31 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">going without eating: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">See the note at 4.3.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). 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