In the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:

yea, this day do princesses of Persia and Media, who have heard the word of the queen, say so to all heads of the king, even according to the sufficiency of contempt and wrath.

During the year before each young woman’s turn to go to King Ahasuerus, the harem regulation required her to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.

So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

In the first month, that is, the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of king Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, to the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar.

Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to morrow am I invited unto her also with the king.

the king said unto Esther on the second day, when he had drunken wine, "What is thy petition queen Esther, that it may be given thee? And what requirest thou? Yea, ask even half of the empire, and it shall be done."

And the king Ahasuerus saith, yea, he saith to Esther the queen, 'Who is he -- this one? and where is this one? -- he whose heart hath filled him to do so?'

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.

Yea, in Shusan the palace, did the Jews slay and destroy five hundred men.

to impose on them to keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth [day], {every year},

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