And it came to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus, - the same, Ahasuerus that reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces:

that, when these days were fulfilled, the king made - for all the people that were present in Shusan the palace, both for great and small - a banquet, seven days, - in the court of the garden of the palace of the king:

And, the drinking, was according to the law, no one compelling, - for, so, had the king appointed unto every chief of his household, that every man, should do according to his pleasure.

According to law, what ought to be done, with Queen Vashti, - for that she hath not performed the command of King Ahasuerus, through the eunuchs?

If, unto the king, it seem good, let there go forth a royal declaration from before him, and let it be written among the laws of Persia and Media, so that it shall not pass away, - That Vashti, is not to come in, before King Ahasuerus, and, her royal estate, let the king give unto her neighbour, who is better than she.

So he sent letters, into all the provinces of the king, into every province according to she writing thereof, and unto every people according to their tongue, - That every man should he ruler in his own house, and issue his commands, according to the tongue of his people.

and, the maiden that is pleasing in the eyes of the king, let her be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing seemed good in the eyes of the king, and he did so.

And it came to pass, that he was bringing up Hadassah, the same, was Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, - and, the maiden, was of beautiful form and pleasing appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

So it came to pass, when the king's command and decree was heard, and there had been gathered together many maidens unto Shusan the palace, unto the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the house of the king, unto the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women;

Esther had not told of her people, nor of her kindred, - for, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, that she should not tell.

But, when the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai - who had taken her as his own daughter - to go in unto the king, she requested nothing, save what Hegai the king's eunuch who kept the women might direct, - but so it was, that Esther obtained favour in the eyes of all who beheld her.

And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favour and lovingkindness before him, above all the virgins, - so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen, instead of Vashti.

Wherefore art, thou, transgressing the command of the king? And it came to pass, when they had spoken unto him day by day, and he had not hearkened unto them, that they told Haman, to see whether the account of Mordecai would stand, for he had told them, that, he, was a Jew.

And, when Haman saw that Mordecai did not bend nor bow down unto him, then was Haman filled with wrath;

Then were called the scribes of the king, in the first month, on the thirteenth day therein, and it was written according to all that Haman commanded unto the satraps of the king, and unto the pashas, who were over every province, and unto the rulers of every people, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to the tongue thereof, - in the name of King Ahasuerus, was it written, and sealed with the signet- ring of the king.

A copy of the writing, to be delivered as an edict throughout every province, was published to all the peoples, - that they should be ready against this day.

When, Mordecai, came to know all that had been done, Mordecai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth, and ashes, - and went forth into the midst of the city, and cried out with an outcry loud and bitter;

And Mordecai told him all that had befallen him, - and an exact statement of the silver, that Haman had promised to weigh out unto the treasuries of the king, for the Jews, to destroy them.

All the servants of the king, and the people of the provinces of the king, do know, that, whatsoever man or woman shall go in unto the king - into the inter court - who hath not been called, one, is his law, to put him to death, saving any to whom the king may hold out the golden sceptre, who then shall live, - but, I, have not been called to go in unto the king, these thirty days.

So Mordecai departed, - and did according to all that Esther had charged upon him.

And it came to pass, on the third day, that Esther put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the house of the king, over against the house of the king, - and, the king, was sitting upon his royal seat, in the royal house, over against the opening of the house.

And it came to pass, when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his eyes, - and the king held out to Esther, the golden sceptre which was in his hand, so Esther drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.

Then said the king unto Esther, during the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, that it may be granted thee? - and what is thy request - -unto the half of the kingdom - that it may be performed?

Then went Haman forth on that day, joyful and of a merry heart, - but, when Haman saw Mordecai in the gate of the king, that he rose not up nor moved because of him, then was Haman filled with wrath against Mordecai.

Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let them make ready a gallows, of the height of fifty cubits, and, in the morning, speak thou unto the king, that they hang Mordecai thereon, then go with the king into the banquet joyfully. And the thing seemed good before Haman, and he made ready the gallows.

During that night, the sleep of the king fled, - and he commanded to bring in the book of remembrance, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.

And it was found written, how that Mordecai had told concerning Bigthana and Teresh, the two eunuchs of the king guarding the threshold, - who had sought to thrust forth a hand upon King Ahasuerus.

And Haman recounted unto Zeresh his wife, and unto all his friends, everything that had befallen him. Then said his wise men, and Zeresh his wife, unto him, If, of the seed of the Jews, is Mordecai before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt, utterly fall, before him.

Then said the king unto Esther, on the second day also, during the banquet of wine, What is thy petition, Queen Esther, that it may be granted thee? and what is thy request - unto the half of the kingdom - that it may be performed?

Now, the king, arising in his wrath from the banquet of wine, and going into the palace garden, Haman, stood to make request for his life from Esther the queen, for he saw that ruin, was determined against him, by the king.

Then said Harbonah - one of the eunuchs before the king - Yea lo! the gallows that Haman made ready for Mordecai, who had spoken well for the king, is standing in Haman's house, of a height of fifty cubits. Then said the king, Hang him thereon.

On that day, did King Ahasuerus give unto Esther the queen, the house of Haman, the adversary of the Jews, - and, Mordecai, came in before the king, for Esther had told, what he was to her.

For how can I endure to see the ruin that shall overtake my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?

Then were called the kings scribes at that time - in the third month, the same, is the month Siwan, on the twenty-third thereof, and it was written according to all that Mordecai commanded unto the Jews, and unto the satraps and pashas and rulers of the provinces, which are from India even unto Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, every province according to the writing thereof, and every people according to their tongue, - and unto the Jews, according to their writing, and according to their tongue;

That the king had granted unto the Jews who were in every city, to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to cause to perish - all the force of the people and province who should distress them, their little ones and women, - and to take the spoil of them as a prey:

A copy of the writing to be given, as an edict, throughout every province, was published to all the peoples, - and that the Jews be ready against that day, to avenge themselves on their enemies.

The runners that rode on the swift steeds used in the king's service, went forth, being urged forward and pressed on, by the word of the king, - and, the edict, was given in Shusan the palace.

And, in the twelfth month, the same, is the month Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the word of the king and his edict arrived to be put in execution, - on the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, though it, was changed, so that the Jews themselves should have power over them who hated them,

And, all the rulers of the provinces, and the satraps and the pashas, and the doers of business that pertained to the king, were extolling the Jews, - for the dread of Mordecai, had fallen upon them;

On that day, came in the number of the slain into Shusan the palace, before the king.

Then said the king unto Esther the queen, In Shusan the palace, have the Jews slain and caused to perish five hundred men, and the ten sons of Haman, - in the rest of the provinces of the king, what have they done? What, then, is thy petition, that it may be granted thee? and what is thy request further, that it may he performed?

Then said Esther, If, unto the king, it seem good, let it be granted, to-morrow also, unto the Jews who are in Shusan, to do according to the edict of to-day, - and that, the ten sons of Haman, be hanged upon the gallows.

And, the remainder of the Jews who were in the provinces of the king, assembled themselves together and stood for their life, and then had rest from their enemies, having slain of them that hated them seventy-five thousand, - but, on the spoil, thrust they not forth their hand:

to establish for them, that they should continue to observe the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day thereof, - always year by year;

according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day, - that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.

And the Jews took upon them that which they had begun to do, - and that which Mordecai had written unto them;

but, by Esther's going in before the king, he commanded by letter, that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews, should return, upon his own head, - and that he and his sons should be hanged upon the gallows.

The Jews established and took upon themselves - and upon their seed, and upon all who should join themselves unto them, that it might not pass away, that they would continue to keep these two days, according to the writing concerning them and at their set time, - always year by year.

And, these days, were to be remembered and to be kept, always from generation to generation, by every family, every province, and every city, - that, these days of Purim, should not pass away, out of the midst of the Jews, and, the memorial of them, not cease from their seed.