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1 Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)

2 The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.

3 And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.

5 Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.

6 And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed 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 Vajezatha,

10 The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.

11 On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.

12 And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

13 Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.

14 And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.

15 For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand.

16 But the other Jews that were in the king's provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,

17 On the thirteenth day of the month Adar; and on the fourteenth day of the same rested they, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

18 But the Jews that were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day thereof, and on the fourteenth thereof; and on the fifteenth day of the same they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwelt in the unwalled towns, made the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,

21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,

22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.

23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;

24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;

25 But when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

26 Wherefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. Therefore for all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and which had come unto them,

27 The Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so as it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to their writing, and according to their appointed time every year;

28 And that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the memorial of them perish from their seed.

29 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority, to confirm this second letter of Purim.

30 And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,

31 To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.

32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

<html><b>And the executive staff.</b> Those who were appointed to conduct the king’s affairs.</html>

<html><b>The ten sons of Haman.</b> I saw in Seder Olam: These are the ten who wrote a [false] accusation against Yehudah and Yerusholayim, as it is written in the Book of Ezra: “And during the reign of Achashveirosh, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the dwellers of Yehudah and Yerusholayim.”¹<i class=“footnote”>Ezra 4:6. </i> And what was the [purpose of the] accusation? To stop those who were coming up from the exile during the days of Koresh, who had started to build the Beis Hamikdosh, and the Cutheans slandered them and stopped them.²<i class=“footnote”>Seder Olam Rabbah 29. </i> But when Koresh died, and Achashveirosh reigned, and Haman was promoted, he [Haman] saw to it that those in Yerusholayim would not engage in the construction, so they [Haman’s ten sons] sent in the name of Achashveirosh to the princes of the other side of the river to stop them [from building]. <b>But they did not lay their hands on the spoils.</b> So that the king should not cast an envious eye on their money.³<i class=“footnote”>Alternatively, Esther’s ancestor, King Shaul had sinned by sparing Agag and by allowing the people to take some of Amoleik’s booty (I Shmuel 15:17-29). His misdeed was now rectified by killing Agag’s descendants, Haman and his sons, and by “not lay[ing] their hands on the spoils,” although they were permitted to do so. This is alluded to in the acrostic [שאול] formed by the first letters of the phrase ובבזה לא שלחו את. (Me’am Lo’ez) </i> </html>

<html><b>And let Haman’s ten sons be hung from a gallows.</b> Those who were slain.</html>

<html><b>The decree was proclaimed.</b> A statute was decreed by the king.</html>

<html><b>Unwalled.</b> Who do not reside in walled cities, [celebrate] on the fourteenth, and those who reside in walled cities [celebrate] on the fifteenth, like Shushan; and [these cities] must have been surrounded [by walls] since the days Yehoshua Bin Nun. So did our Rabbis expound and learn.⁴<i class=“footnote”>Maseches Megillah 2b. Shushan which was without a wall in the time of Yehoshua was accorded special status “because the miracle was performed there.” </i> <b>Sending.</b> This מִשְׁלֹחַ is a noun like מִשְׁמָר [guarding]⁵<i class=“footnote”>Nechemyah 12:24. </i> and מִשְׁמָע [hearing],⁶<i class=“footnote”>Yeshayah 11:3. </i> therefore the <i>shin</i> is vowelized softly [without a <i>dagesh</i>]. </html>

<html><b>Mordechai wrote.</b> This scroll [of Esther], as it is [i.e., in its present state].⁷<i class=“footnote”>To ensure the continued annual celebration of the Purim festival. </i> </html>

<html><b>For Haman, the son of Hamdasa.</b> Devised to terrify them and destroy them. </html>

<html><b>But when she came.</b> [When] Esther [came] to the king to appeal to him. <b>He directed in writing.</b> The king stated orally and commanded to write letters that his [Haman’s] wicked scheme should return upon his own head.</html>

<html><b>For this reason … because of all that is narrated in this letter.</b> These days were designated, and therefore it [the Megillah] was written for the future generations to know. <b>Why they saw fit.</b> Those who did these deeds, that they did them. <b>And what happened to them as a result.</b> What did Achashveirosh see that he used the sacred vessels, “and what happened to them as a result,” that Satan came and danced among them and slew Vashti. What did Haman see that he became jealous of Mordechai, “and what happened to him as a result,” that they hanged him and his sons. What did Mordechai see that he did not kneel or prostate himself, and what did Esther see that she invited Haman?⁸<i class=“footnote”>Maseches Megillah 19a. </i> </html>

<html><b>Anyone associated with them.</b> Proselytes who are destined to convert to Judaism.⁹<i class=“footnote”>They too were affected by Haman’s decree because he tried to destroy the nation they would embrace at a future time. </i> <b>As written.</b> That the Scroll [of Esther] should be written in the Ashuri script.¹⁰<i class=“footnote”>Ibid. </i> </html>

<html><b>Shall be recalled.</b> With the reading of the Scroll [of Esther].¹¹<i class=“footnote”>Talmud Yerushalmi Megillah 1:5. </i> <b>And observed.</b> [As days of] feasting¹²<i class=“footnote”>Ibid. </i> and rejoicing and a holiday, to give portions [of food to friends] and gifts [to the poor]. <b>By every family.</b> Gathers together and feast and drink together; and so they took upon themselves that the days of Purim would not be revoked.¹³<i class=“footnote”>Midrash Mishlei 9. </i> <b>Their memory.</b> The reading of the Scroll [of Esther]. <b>Should not depart.</b> The Aramaic translation of¹⁴<i class=“footnote”>There seems to be an error in Rashi’s text because Targum renders לא יסוף as לא ישתיצי. The suggested correct text omits the first two words “תרגום של” [=the Aramaic translation of] from Rashi’s text. (Sifsei Chachomim) </i> יִתּם [= will end], for the Targum of עַד תּם¹⁵<i class=“footnote”>Bamidbar 32:13. </i> is עַד דְּסָף [until it ended]. But it is impossible to say that it [יָסוּף] is derived from the same root as “lest you perish [תִּסָּפֶה]”¹⁶<i class=“footnote”>Bereishis 19:17. </i> or from the same root as “I may perish [אֶסָּפֶה] one day,”¹⁷<i class=“footnote”>I Shmuel 27:1. </i> for if it were so, Scripture should have written לֹּא יִסָּפֶה מִזַּרְעָם. </html>

<html><b>With all the power [of their position].</b> The power of the miracle of Achashveirosh,¹⁸<i class=“footnote”>Maseches Megillah 19a. </i> of Haman, of Mordechai and of Esther.¹⁹<i class=“footnote”>Each one was instrumental in the miracle. </i> <b>A second time.</b> In the second year they again sent letters that they should celebrate Purim.</html>

<html><b>On the basis of Esther’s request [these Purim matters] were perpetuated, etc.</b> Esther requested of the Sages of the generation to commemorate her and to write this book with the rest of the Scriptures, and that is the meaning of “and inscribed in the book.”²⁰<i class=“footnote”>Maseches Megillah 7a.</i></html>