Liber Esther

Esther, chapter 9, Vulgate and King James Version

Chapter 9 Vulgate

   1 Igitur duodecimi mensis - id est Adar - tertia decima die, quando verbum et edictum regis explendum erat, et hostes Iudaeorum sperabant quod dominarentur ipsis, versa vice Iudaei superaverunt adversarios suos.
   2 Congregatique sunt per singulas civitates, ut extenderent manum contra inimicos et persecutores suos; nullusque ausus est resistere, eo quod omnes populos invaserat formido eorum.
   3 Nam et omnes provinciarum principes et satrapae et procuratores omnisque dignitas, quae singulis locis ac operibus praeerat, sustinebant Iudaeos timore Mardochaei,
   4 quem principem esse palatii et plurimum posse cognoverant; fama quoque nominis eius crescebat cotidie et per cunctorum ora volitabat.
   5 Itaque percusserunt Iudaei omnes inimicos suos plaga gladii et necis et interitus, reddentes eis, quod sibi paraverant facere.
   6 In Susan quingentos viros interfecerunt, extra decem filios Aman Agagitae hostis Iudaeorum, quorum ista sunt nomina:
   7 Pharsandatha et Delphon et Esphatha
   8 et Phoratha et Adalia et Aridatha
   9 et Phermesta et Arisai et Aridai et Iezatha.
   10 Quos cum occidissent, praedas de substantiis eorum tangere noluerunt.
   11 Statimque numerus eorum, qui occisi erant in Susan, ad regem relatus est.
   12 Qui dixit reginae: "In urbe Susan interfecerunt et deleverunt Iudaei quingentos viros et decem filios Aman. Quantam putas eos exercuisse caedem in universis provinciis? Quid ultra postulas et quid vis, ut fieri iubeam?".
   13 Cui illa respondit: "Si regi placet, detur potestas Iudaeis, qui in Susan sunt, ut sicut hodie fecerunt, sic et cras faciant, et decem filii Aman in patibulo suspendantur".
   14 Praecepitque rex, ut ita fieret. Statimque in Susan pependit edictum, et decem filii Aman suspensi sunt.
   15 Congregatis igitur Iudaeis, qui in Susan erant, quarta decima die mensis Adar, interfecti sunt in Susan trecenti viri, nec eorum ab illis direpta substantia est.
   16 Reliqui autem Iudaei per omnes provincias, quae dicioni regis subiacebant, congregati pro animabus suis steterunt, ut requiescerent ab hostibus, ac interfecerunt de persecutoribus suis septuaginta quinque milia, sed nullus de substantiis eorum quidquam contigit.
   17 Dies autem tertius decimus mensis Adar, dies apud omnes interfectionis fuit, et quarta decima die requieverunt. Quem constituerunt esse diem epularum et laetitiae.
   18 At hi, qui in urbe Susan congregati sunt, tertio decimo et quarto decimo die eiusdem mensis in caede versati sunt, quinto decimo autem die requieverunt; et idcirco eundem diem constituerunt sollemnem epularum atque laetitiae.
   19 Hi vero Iudaei, qui in oppidis non muratis ac villis morabantur, quartum decimum diem mensis Adar conviviorum et gaudii decreverunt, ita ut exsultent in eo et mittant sibi mutuo partes epularum. Illi autem, qui in urbibus habitant, agunt etiam quintum decimum diem mensis Adar cum gaudio et convivio et ut diem festum, in quo mittunt sibi mutuo partes epularum.
   19a Et satrapae provinciarum et principes et scribae regis honorificabant Deum, quia timor Mardochaei eos invaserat. Factum erat enim, ut praeceptum regis in toto regno nominaretur.
   20 Scripsit itaque Mardochaeus omnia haec et litteris comprehensa misit ad omnes Iudaeos, qui in omnibus regis provinciis morabantur, tam in vicino positis quam procul,
   21 ut quartam decimam et quintam decimam diem mensis Adar pro festis susciperent et, revertente semper anno, sollemni honore celebrarent
   22 secundum dies, in quibus requieverunt Iudaei ab inimicis suis, et mensem, qui de luctu atque tristitia in hilaritatem gaudiumque ipsis conversus est, essentque istae dies epularum atque laetitiae, et mitterent sibi invicem ciborum partes et pauperibus munuscula largirentur.
   23 Susceperuntque Iudaei in sollemnem ritum cuncta, quae eo tempore facere coeperant, et quae Mardochaeus litteris facienda mandaverat.
   24 Aman enim filius Amadathi stirpis Agag, adversarius omnium Iudaeorum, cogitavit contra eos malum, ut deleret illos, et misit Phur, id est sortem, ut eos conturbaret atque deleret.
   25 Sed postquam ingressa est Esther ad regem, mandavit ille simul cum litteris, ut malum, quod iste contra Iudaeos cogitaverat, reverteretur in caput eius, et suspenderentur ipse et filii eius in patibulo.
   26 Atque ex illo tempore dies isti appellati sunt Phurim propter nomen Phur. Propter cuncta illa, quae in hac epistula continentur,
   27 et propter ea, quae de his viderant et quae eis acciderant, statuerunt et in sollemnem ritum numquam mutandum susceperunt Iudaei super se et semen suum et super cunctos, qui religioni eorum voluerint copulari, ut duos hos dies secundum praeceptum et tempus eorum singulis annis celebrarent.
   28 Isti dies memorarentur et celebrarentur per singulas generationes in singulis cognationibus, provinciis et civitatibus, nec esset ulla civitas, in qua dies Phurim non observarentur a Iudaeis et ab eorum progenie.
   29 Scripseruntque Esther regina filia Abihail et Mardochaeus Iudaeus omni studio ad confirmandam hanc secundam epistulam Phurim.
   30 Et miserunt ad omnes Iudaeos, qui in centum viginti septem provinciis regis Asueri versabantur, verba pacis et veritatis,
   31 statuentes dies Phurim pro temporibus suis, sicut constituerant Mardochaeus et Esther, et sicut illi statuerant pro seipsis et pro semine suo, praecepta ieiuniorum et clamorum.
   32 Et mandatum Esther confirmavit praecepta Phurim et scriptum est in libro.

Source: Bibliorum Sacrorum Editio, Sacrosanti Oecumenici Concilii Vaticani II, Ratione Habita, Iussu Pauli PP. VI Recognita, Auctoritate Ioannis Pauli PP. II Promulgata, Editio Typica Altera

King James Version

   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.