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1. After the death of Xerxes, the kingdom came to be transferred
to his son Cyrus, whom the Greeks called Artaxerxes. When this
man had obtained the government over the Persians, the whole
nation of the Jews, with their wives and children, were in
danger of perishing; the occasion whereof we shall declare in a
little time; for it is proper, in the first place, to explain
somewhat relating to this king, and how he came to marry a Jewish
wife, who was herself of the royal family also, and who is
related to have saved our nation; for when Artaxerxes had taken
the kingdom, and had set governors over the hundred twenty and
seven provinces, from India even unto Ethiopia, in the third year
of his reign, he made a costly feast for his friends, and for the
nations of Persia, and for their governors, such a one as was
proper for a king to make, when he had a mind to make a public
demonstration of his riches, and this for a hundred and fourscore
days; after which he made a feast for other nations, and for
their ambassadors, at Shushan, for seven days. Now this feast was
ordered after the manner following: He caused a tent to be
pitched, which was supported by pillars of gold and silver, with
curtains of linen and purple spread over them, that it might
afford room for many ten thousands to sit down. The cups with
which the waiters ministered were of gold, and adorned with
precious stones, for pleasure and for sight. He also gave order
to the servants that they should not force them to drink, by
bringing them wine continually, as is the practice of the
Persians, but to permit every one of the guests to enjoy himself
according to his own inclination. Moreover, he sent messengers
through the country, and gave order that they should have a
remission of their labors, and should keep a festival many days,
on account of his kingdom. In like manner did Vashti the queen
gather her guests together, and made them a feast in the palace.
Now the king was desirous to show her, who exceeded all other
women in beauty, to those that feasted with him, and he sent some
to command her to come to his feast. But she, out of regard to
the laws of the Persians, which forbid the wives to be seen by
strangers, did not go to the king and though he oftentimes
sent the eunuchs to her, she did nevertheless stay away, and
refused to come, till the king was so much irritated, that he
brake up the entertainment, and rose up, and called for those
seven who had the interpretation of the laws committed to them,
and accused his wife, and said that he had been affronted by her,
because that when she was frequently called by him to his feast,
she did not obey him once. He therefore gave order that they
should inform him what could be done by the law against her. So
one of them, whose name was Memucan, said that this affront was
offered not to him alone, but to all the Persians, who were in
danger of leading their lives very ill with their wives, if they
must be thus despised by them; for that none of their wives would
have any reverence for their husbands, if they had" such an
example of arrogance in the queen towards thee, who rulest over
all." Accordingly, he exhorted him to punish her, who had been
guilty of so great an affront to him, after a severe manner; and
when he had so done, to publish to the nations what had been
decreed about the queen. So the resolution was to put Vashti
away, and to give her dignity to another woman.
2. But the king having been fond of her, did not well bear a
separation, and yet by the law he could not admit of a
reconciliation; so he was under trouble, as not having it in his
power to do what he desired to do. But when his friends saw him
so uneasy, they advised him to cast the memory of his wife, and
his love for her, out of his mind, but to send abroad over all
the habitable earth, and to search out for comely virgins, and to
take her whom he should best like for his wife, because his
passion for his former wife would be quenched by the introduction
of another, and the kindness he had for Vashti would be withdrawn
from her, and be placed on her that was with him. Accordingly, he
was persuaded to follow this advice, and gave order to certain
persons to choose out of the virgins that were in his kingdom
those that were esteemed the most comely. So when a great number
of these virgins were gathered together, there was found a damsel
in Babylon, whose parents were both dead, and she was brought up
with her uncle Mordecai, for that was her uncle's name. This
uncle was of the tribe of Benjamin, and was one of the principal
persons among the Jews. Now it proved that this damsel, whose
name was Esther, was the most beautiful of all the rest, and that
the grace of her countenance drew the eyes of the spectators
principally upon her. So she was committed to one of the eunuchs
to take the care of her; and she was very exactly provided with
sweet odors, in great plenty, and with costly ointments, such as
her body required to be anointed withal; and this was used for
six months by the virgins, who were in number four hundred. And
when the eunuch thought the virgins had been sufficiently
purified, in the fore-mentioned time, and were now fit to go to
the king's bed, he sent one to be with the king ever day. So when
he had accompanied with her, he sent her back to the eunuch; and
when Esther had come to him, he was pleased with her, and fell in
love with the damsel, and married her, and made her his lawful
wife, and kept a wedding feast for her on the twelfth month of
the seventh year of his reign, which was called Adar. He also
sent angari, as they are called, or messengers, unto every
nation, and gave orders that they should keep a feast for his
marriage, while he himself treated the Persians and the Medes,
and the principal men of the nations, for a whole month, on
account of this his marriage. Accordingly, Esther came to his
royal palace, and he set a diadem on her head. And thus was
Esther married, without making known to the king what nation she
was derived from. Her uncle also removed from Babylon to Shushan,
and dwelt there, being every day about the palace, and inquiring
how the damsel did, for he loved her as though she had been his
own daughter.
3. Now the king had made a law, that none of his own people
should approach him unless he were called, when he sat upon his
throne and men, with axes in their hands, stood round about his
throne, in order to punish such as approached to him without
being called. However, the king sat with a golden scepter in his
hand, which he held out when he had a mind to save any one of
those that approached to him without being called, and he who
touched it was free from danger. But of this matter we have
discoursed sufficiently.
4. Some time after this [two eunuchs], Bigthan and Teresh,
plotted against the king; and Barnabazus, the servant of one of
the eunuchs, being by birth a Jew, was acquainted with their
conspiracy, and discovered it to the queen's uncle; and Mordecai,
by the means of Esther, made the conspirators known to the king.
This troubled the king; but he discovered the truth, and hanged
the eunuchs upon a cross, while at that time he gave no reward ]:
to Mordecai, who had been the occasion of his preservation. He
only bid the scribes to set down his name in the records, and bid
him stay in the palace, as an intimate friend of the king.
5. Now there was one Haman, the son of Amedatha, by birth an
Amalekite, that used to go in to the king; and the foreigners and
Persians worshipped him, as Artaxerxes had commanded that such
honor should be paid to him; but Mordecai was so wise, and so
observant of his own country's laws, that he would not worship
the man When Haman observed this, he inquired whence he
came; and when he understood that he was a Jew, he had
indignation at him, and said within himself, that whereas the
Persians, who were free men, worshipped him, this man, who was no
better than a slave, does not vouchsafe to do so. And when he
desired to punish Mordecai, he thought it too small a thing to
request of the king that he alone might be punished; he rather
determined to abolish the whole nation, for he was naturally an
enemy to the Jews, because the nation of the Amalekites, of which
he was; had been destroyed by them. Accordingly he came to the
king, and accused them, saying, "There is a certain wicked
nation, and it is dispersed over all the habitable earth the was
under his dominion; a nation separate from others, unsociable,
neither admitting the same sort of Divine worship that others do,
nor using laws like to the laws of others, at enmity with thy
people, and with all men, both in their manners and practices.
Now, if thou wilt be a benefactor to thy subjects, thou wilt give
order to destroy them utterly, and not leave the least remains of
them, nor preserve any of them, either for slaves or for
captives." :But that the king might not be damnified by the loss
of the tributes which the Jews paid him, Haman promised to give
him out of his own estate forty thousand talents whensoever he
pleased; and he said he would pay this money very willingly, that
the kingdom might. be freed from such a misfortune.
6. When Haman had made this petition, the king both forgave him
the money, and granted him the men, to do what he would with
them. So Haman, having gained what he desired, sent out
immediately a decree, as from the king, to all nations, the
contents whereof were these: "Artaxerxes, the great king, to the
rulers of the hundred twenty and seven provinces, from India to
Ethiopia, sends this writing. Whereas I have governed many
nations, and obtained the dominions of all the habitable earth,
according to my desire, and have not been obliged to do any thing
that is insolent or cruel to my subjects by such my power, but
have showed myself mild and gentle, by taking care of their peace
and good order, and have sought how they might enjoy those
blessings for all time to come. And whereas I have been kindly
informed by Haman, who, on account of his prudence and justice,
is the first in my esteem, and in dignity, and only second to
myself, for his fidelity and constant good-will to me, that there
is an ill-natured nation intermixed with all mankind, that is
averse to our laws, and not subject to kings, and of a different
conduct of life from others, that hateth monarchy, and of a
disposition that is pernicious to our affairs, I give order that
all these men, of whom Haman our second father hath informed us,
be destroyed, with their wives and children, and that none of
them be spared, and that none prefer pity to them before
obedience to this decree. And this I will to be executed on the
fourteenth day of the twelfth month of this present year, that so
when all that have enmity to us are destroyed, and this in one
day, we may be allowed to lead the rest of our lives in peace
hereafter." Now when this decree was brought to the cities, and
to the country, all were ready for the destruction and entire
abolishment of the Jews, against the day before mentioned; and
they were very hasty about it at Shushan, in particular.
Accordingly, the king and Haman spent their time in feasting
together with good cheer and wine, but the city was in disorder.
7. Now when Mordecai was informed of what was done, he rent his
clothes, and put on sackcloth, and sprinkled ashes upon his head,
and went about the city, crying out, that "a nation that had been
injurious to no man was to be destroyed." And he went on saying
thus as far as to the king's palace, and there he stood, for it
was not lawful for him to go into it in that habit. The same
thing was done by all the Jews that were in the several cities
wherein this decree was published, with lamentation and mourning,
on account of the calamities denounced against them. But as soon
as certain persons had told the queen that Mordecai stood before
the court in a mourning habit, she was disturbed at this report,
and sent out such as should change his garments; but when he
could not be induced to put off his sackcloth, because the sad
occasion that forced him to put it on was not yet ceased, she
called the eunuch Acratheus, for he was then present, and sent
him to Mordecai, in order to know of him what sad accident had
befallen him, for which he was in mourning, and would not put off
the habit he had put on at her desire. Then did Mordecai inform
the eunuch of the occasion of his mourning, and of the decree
which was sent by the king into all the country, and of the
promise of money whereby Haman brought the destruction of their
nation. He also gave him a copy of what was proclaimed at
Shushan, to be carried to Esther; and he charged her to petition
the king about this matter, and not to think it a dishonorable
thing in her to put on a humble habit, for the safety of her
nation, wherein she might deprecate the ruin of the Jews, who
were in danger of it; for that Haman, whose dignity was only
inferior to that of the king, had accused the Jews, and had
irritated the king against them. When she was informed of this,
she sent to Mordecai again, and told him that she was not called
by the king, and that he who goes in to him without being called,
is to be slain, unless when he is willing to save any one, he
holds out his golden scepter to him; but that to whomsoever he
does so, although he go in without being called, that person is
so far from being slain, that he obtains pardon, and is entirely
preserved. Now when the eunuch carried this message from Esther
to Mordecai, he bade him also tell her that she must not only
provide for her own preservation, but for the common preservation
of her nation, for that if she now neglected this opportunity,
there would certainly arise help to them from God some other way,
but she and her father's house would be destroyed by those whom
she now despised. But Esther sent the very same eunuch back to
Mordecai [to desire him] to go to Shushan, and to gather the Jews
that were there together to a congregation, and to fast and
abstain from all sorts of food, on her account, and [to let him
know that] she with her maidens would do the same: and then she
promised that she would go to the king, though it were against
the law, and that if she must die for it, she would not refuse
it.
8. Accordingly, Mordecai did as Esther had enjoined him, and made
the people fast; and he besought God, together with them, not to
overlook his nation, particularly at this time, when it was going
to be destroyed; but that, as he had often before provided for
them, and forgiven, when they had sinned, so he would now deliver
them from that destruction which was denounced against them; for
although it was not all the nation that had offended, yet must
they so ingloriously be slain, and that he was himself the
occasion of the wrath of Haman, "Because," said he, "I did not
worship him, nor could I endure to pay that honor to him which I
used to pay to thee, O Lord; for upon that his anger hath he
contrived this present mischief against those that have not
transgressed thy laws." The same supplications did the multitude
put up, and entreated that God would provide for their
deliverance, and free the Israelites that were in all the earth
from this calamity which was now coming upon them, for they had
it before their eyes, and expected its coming. Accordingly,
Esther made supplication to God after the manner of her country,
by casting herself down upon the earth, and putting on her
mourning garments, and bidding farewell to meat and drink, and
all delicacies, for three days' time; and she entreated God to
have mercy upon her, and make her words appear persuasive to the
king, and render her countenance more beautiful than it was
before, that both by her words and beauty she might succeed, for
the averting of the king's anger, in case he were at all
irritated against her, and for the consolation of those of her
own country, now they were in the utmost danger of perishing; as
also that he would excite a hatred in the king against the
enemies of the Jews, and those that had contrived their future
destruction, if they proved to be contemned by him.
9. When Esther had used this supplication for three days, she put
off those garments, and changed her habit, and adorned herself as
became a queen, and took two of her handmaids with her, the one
of which supported her, as she gently leaned upon her, and the
other followed after, and lifted up her large train (which swept
along the ground) with the extremities of her fingers. And thus
she came to the king, having a blushing redness in her
countenance, with a pleasant agreeableness in her behavior; yet
did she go in to him with fear; and as soon as she was come over
against him, as he was sitting on his throne, in his royal
apparel, which was a garment interwoven with gold and precious
stones, which made him seem to her more terrible, especially when
he looked at her somewhat severely, and with a countenance on
fire with anger, her joints failed her immediately, out of the
dread she was in, and she fell down sideways in a swoon: but the
king changed his mind, which happened, as I suppose, by the will
of God, and was concerned for his wife, lest her fear should
bring some very ill thing upon her, and he leaped from his
throne, and took her in his arms, and recovered her, by embracing
her, and speaking comfortably to her, and exhorting her to be of
good cheer, and not to suspect any thing that was sad on account
of her coming to him without being called, because that law was
made for subjects, but that she, who was a queen, as well as he a
king, might be entirely secure; and as he said this, he put the
scepter into her hand, and laid his rod upon her neck, on account
of the law; and so freed her from her fear. And after she had
recovered herself by these encouragements, she said, "My lord, it
is not easy for me, on the sudden, to say what hath happened, for
as soon as I saw thee to be great, and comely, and terrible, my
spirit departed from me, and I had no soul left in me." And while
it was with difficulty, and in a low voice, that she could say
thus much, the king was in a great agony and disorder, and
encouraged Esther to be of good cheer, and to expect better
fortune, since he was ready, if occasion should require it, to
grant her the half of his kingdom. Accordingly, Esther desired
that he and his friend Haman would come to her to a banquet, for
she said she had prepared a supper for him. He consented to it;
and when they were there, as they were drinking, he bid Esther to
let him know what she desired; for that she should not be
disappointed though she should desire the half of his kingdom.
But she put off the discovery of her petition till the next day,
if he would come again, together with Haman, to her banquet.
10. Now when the king had promised so to do, Haman went away very
glad, because he alone had the honor of supping with the king at
Esther's banquet, and because no one else partook of the same
honor with kings but himself; yet when he saw Mordecai in the
court, he was very much displeased, for he paid him no manner of
respect when he saw him. So he went home and called for his wife
Zeresh, and his friends, and when they were come, he showed them
what honor he enjoyed not only from the king, but from the queen
also, for as he alone had that day supped with her, together with
the king, so was he also invited again for the next day; yet,"
said he, "am I not pleased to see Mordecai the Jew in the court."
Hereupon his wife Zeresh advised him to give order that a gallows
should be made fifty cubits high, and that in the morning he
should ask it of the king that Mordecai might be hanged thereon.
So he commended her advice, and gave order to his servants to
prepare the gallows, and to place it in the court, for the
punishment of Mordecai thereon, which was accordingly prepared.
But God laughed to scorn the wicked expectations of Haman; and as
he knew what the event would be, he was delighted at it, for that
night he took away the king's sleep; and as the king was not
willing to lose the time of his lying awake, but to spend it in
something that might be of advantage to his kingdom, he commanded
the scribe to bring him the chronicles of the former kings, and
the records of his own actions; and when he had brought them, and
was reading them, one was found to have received a country on
account of his excellent management on a certain occasion, and
the name of the country was set down; another was found to have
had a present made him on account of his fidelity: then the
scribe came to Bigthan and Teresh, the eunuchs that had made a
conspiracy against the king, which Mordecai had discovered; and
when the scribe said no more but that, and was going on to
another history, the king stopped him, and inquired "whether it
was not added that Mordecai had a reward given him?" and when he
said there was no such addition, he bade him leave off; and he
inquired of those that were appointed for that purpose, what hour
of the night it was; and when he was informed that it was already
day, he gave order, that if they found any one of his friends
already come, and standing before the court, they should tell
him. Now it happened that Haman was found there, for he was come
sooner than ordinary to petition the king to have Mordecai put to
death; and when the servants said that Haman was before the
court, he bid them call him in; and when he was come in, he said,
"Because I know that thou art my only fast friend, I desire thee
to give me advice how I may honor one that I greatly love, and
that after a manner suitable to my magnificence." Now Haman
reasoned with himself, that what opinion he should give it would
be for himself, since it was he alone who was beloved by the
king: so he gave that advice which he thought of all other the
best; for he said, "If thou wouldst truly honor a man whom thou
sayest thou dost love, give order that he may ride on horseback,
with the same garment on which thou wearest, and with a gold
chain about his neck, and let one of thy intimate friends go
before him, and proclaim through the whole city, that whosoever
the king honoreth obtaineth this mark of his honor." This was the
advice which Haman gave, out of a supposal that such a reward
would come to himself. Hereupon the king was pleased with the
advice, and said, "Go thou therefore, for thou hast the horse,
the garment, and the chain, ask for Mordecai the Jew, and give
him those things, and go before his horse and proclaim
accordingly; for thou art," said he, "my intimate friend, and
hast given me good advice; be thou then the minister of what thou
hast advised me to. This shall be his reward from us, for
preserving my life." When he heard this order, which was entirely
unexpected, he was confounded in his mind, and knew not what to
do. However, he went out and led the horse, and took the purple
garment, and the golden chain for the neck, and finding Mordecai
before the court, clothed in sackcloth, he bid him put that
garment off, and put the purple garment on. But Mordecai, not
knowing the truth of the matter, but thinking that it was done in
mockery, said, "O thou wretch, the vilest of all mankind, dost
thou thus laugh at our calamities?" But when he was satisfied
that the king bestowed this honor upon him, for the deliverance
he had procured him when he convicted the eunuchs who had
conspired against him, he put on that purple garment which the
king always wore, and put the chain about his neck, and got on
horseback, and went round the city, while Haman went before and
proclaimed, "This shall be the reward which the king will bestow
on every one whom he loves, and esteems worthy of honor." And
when they had gone round the city, Mordecai went in to the king;
but Haman went home, out of shame, and informed his wife and
friends of what had happened, and this with tears; who said, that
he would never be able to be revenged of Mordecai, for that God
was with him.
11. Now while these men were thus talking one to another,
Esther's eunuchs hastened Haman away to come to supper; but one
of the eunuchs, named Sabuchadas, saw the gallows that was fixed
in Haman's house, and inquired of one of his servants for what
purpose they had prepared it. So he knew that it was for the
queen's uncle, because Haman was about to petition the king that
he might be punished; but at present he held his peace. Now when
the king, with Haman, were at the banquet, he desired the queen
to tell him what gifts she desired to obtain, and assured her
that she should have whatsoever she had a mind to. She then
lamented the danger her people were in; and said that "she and
her nation were given up to be destroyed, and that she, on that
account, made this her petition; that she would not have troubled
him if he had only given order that they should be sold into
bitter servitude, for such a misfortune would not have been
intolerable; but she desired that they might be delivered from
such destruction." And when the king inquired of her whom was the
author of this misery to them, she then openly accused Haman, and
convicted him, that he had been the wicked instrument of this,
and had formed this plot against them. When the king was hereupon
in disorder, and was gone hastily out of the banquet into the
gardens, Haman began to intercede with Esther, and to beseech her
to forgive him, as to what he had offended, for he perceived that
he was in a very bad case. And as he had fallen upon the queen's
bed, and was making supplication to her, the king came in, and
being still more provoked at what he saw, "O thou wretch," said
he, "thou vilest of mankind, dost thou aim to force in wife?" And
when Haman was astonished at this, and not able to speak one word
more, Sabuchadas the eunuch came in and accused Haman, and said,"
He found a gallows at his house, prepared for Mordecai; for that
the servant told him so much upon his inquiry, when he was sent
to him to call him to supper." He said further, that the gallows
was fifty cubits high: which, when the king heard, he determined
that Haman should be punished after no other manner than that
which had been devised by him against Mordecai; so he gave order
immediately that he should be hung upon those gallows, and be put
to death after that manner. And from hence I cannot forbear to
admire God, and to learn hence his wisdom and his justice, not
only in punishing the wickedness of Haman, but in so disposing
it, that he should undergo the very same punishment which he had
contrived for another; as also because thereby he teaches others
this lesson, that what mischiefs any one prepares against
another, he, without knowing of it, first contrives it against
himself.
12. Wherefore Haman, who had immoderately abused the honor he had
from the king, was destroyed after this manner, and the king
granted his estate to the queen. He also called for Mordecai,
(for Esther had informed him that she was akin to him,) and gave
that ring to Mordecai which he had before given to Haman. The
queen also gave Haman's estate to Mordecai; and prayed the king
to deliver the nation of the Jews from the fear of death, and
showed him what had been written over all the country by Haman
the son of Ammedatha; for that if her country were destroyed, and
her countrymen were to perish, she could not bear to live herself
any longer. So the king promised her that he would not do any
thing that should be disagreeable to her, nor contradict what she
desired; but he bid her write what she pleased about the Jews, in
the king's name, and seal it with his seal, and send it to all
his kingdom, for that those who read epistles whose authority is
secured by having the king's seal to them, would no way
contradict what was written therein. So he commanded the king's
scribes to be sent for, and to write to the nations, on the Jews'
behalf, and to his lieutenants and governors, that were over his
hundred twenty and seven provinces, from India to Ethiopia. Now
the contents of this epistle were these: "The great king
Artaxerxes to our rulers, and those that are our faithful
subjects, sendeth greeting. Many men there are who, on
account of the greatness of the benefits bestowed on them, and
because of the honor which they have obtained from the wonderful
kind treatment of those that bestowed it, are not only injurious
to their inferiors, but do not scruple to do evil to those that
have been their benefactors, as if they would take away gratitude
from among men, and by their insolent abuse of such benefits as
they never expected, they turn the abundance they have against
those that are the authors of it, and suppose they shall lie
concealed from God in that case, and avoid that vengeance which
comes from him. Some of these men, when they have had the
management of affairs committed to them by their friends, and
bearing private malice of their own against some others, by
deceiving those that have the power, persuade them to be angry at
such as have done them no harm, till they are in danger of
perishing, and this by laying accusations and calumnies: nor is
this state of things to be discovered by ancient examples, or
such as we have learned by report only, but by some examples of
such impudent attempts under our own eyes; so that it is not fit
to attend any longer to calumnies and accusations, nor to the
persuasions of others, but to determine what any one knows of
himself to have been really done, and to punish what justly
deserves it, and to grant favors to such as are innocent. This
hath been the case of Haman, the son of Ammedatha, by birth an
Amalekite, and alien from the blood of the Persians, who, when he
was hospitably entertained by us, and partook of that kindness
which we bear to all men to so great a degree, as to be called my
father, and to be all along worshipped, and to have honor paid
him by all in the second rank after the royal honor due to
ourselves, he could not bear his good fortune, nor govern the
magnitude of his prosperity with sound reason; nay, he made a
conspiracy against me and my life, who gave him his authority, by
endeavoring to take away Mordecai, my benefactor, and my savior,
and by basely and treacherously requiring to have Esther, the
partner of my life, and of my dominion, brought to destruction;
for he contrived by this means to deprive me of my faithful
friends, and transfer the government to others: but since I
perceived that these Jews, that were by this pernicious fellow
devoted to destruction, were not wicked men, but conducted their
lives after the best manner, and were men dedicated to the
worship of that God who hath preserved the kingdom to me and to
my ancestors, I do not only free them from the punishment which
the former epistle, which was sent by Haman, ordered to be
inflicted on them, to which if you refuse obedience, you shall do
well; but I will that they have all honor paid to them.
Accordingly, I have hanged up the man that contrived such things
against them, with his family, before the gates of Shushan; that
punishment being sent upon him by God, who seeth all things. And
I give you in charge, that you publicly propose a copy of this
epistle through all my kingdom, that the Jews may be permitted
peaceably to use their own laws, and that you assist them, that
at the same season whereto their miserable estate did belong,
they may defend themselves the very same day from unjust
violence, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is Adar;
for God hath made that day a day of salvation instead of a day of
destruction to them; and may it be a good day to those that wish
us well, and a memorial of the punishment of the conspirators
against us: and I will that you take notice, that every city, and
every nation, that shall disobey any thing that is contained in
this epistle, shall be destroyed by fire and sword. However, let
this epistle be published through all the country that is under
our obedience, and let all the Jews, by all means, be ready
against the day before mentioned, that they may avenge themselves
upon their enemies."
13. Accordingly, the horsemen who carried the epistles proceeded
on the ways which they were to go with speed: but as for
Mordecai, as soon as he had assumed the royal garment, and the
crown of gold, and had put the chain about his neck, he went
forth in a public procession; and when the Jews who were at
Shushan saw him in so great honor with the king, they thought his
good fortune was common to themselves also, and joy and a beam of
salvation encompassed the Jews, both those that were in the
cities, and those that were in the countries, upon the
publication of the king's letters, insomuch that many even of
other nations circumcised their foreskin for fear of the Jews,
that they might procure safety to themselves thereby; for on the
thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which according to the
Hebrews is called Adar, but according to the Macedonians,
Dystrus, those that carried the king's epistle gave them notice,
that the same day wherein their danger was to have been, on that
very day should they destroy their enemies. But now the rulers of
the provinces, and the tyrants, and the kings, and the scribes,
had the Jews in esteem; for the fear they were in of Mordecai
forced them to act with discretion. Now when the royal decree was
come to all the country that was subject to the king, it fell out
that the Jews at Shushan slew five hundred of their enemies; and
when the king had told Esther the number of those that were slain
in that city, but did not well know what had been done in the
provinces, he asked her whether she would have any thing further
done against them, for that it should be done accordingly: upon
which she desired that the Jews might be permitted to treat their
remaining enemies in the same manner the next day; as also that
they might hang the ten sons of Haman upon the gallows. So the
king permitted the Jews so to do, as desirous not to contradict
Esther. So they gathered themselves together again on the
fourteenth day of the month Dystrus, and slew about three hundred
of their enemies, but touched nothing of what riches they had.
Now there were slain by the Jews that were in the country, and in
the other cities, seventy-five thousand of their enemies, and
these were slain on the thirteenth day of the month, and the next
day they kept as a festival. In like manner the Jews that were in
Shushan gathered themselves together, and feasted on the
fourteenth day, and that which followed it; whence it is that
even now all the Jews that are in the habitable earth keep these
days festival, and send portions to one another. Mordecai also
wrote to the Jews that lived in the kingdom of Artaxerxes to
observe these days, and celebrate them as festivals, and to
deliver them down to posterity, that this festival might continue
for all time to come, and that it might never be buried in
oblivion; for since they were about to be destroyed on these days
by Haman, they would do a right thing, upon escaping the danger
in them, and on them inflicting punishment on their enemies, to
observe those days, and give thanks to God on them; for which
cause the Jews still keep the forementioned days, and call them
days of Phurim [or Purim.] And Mordecai became a great and
illustrious person with the king, and assisted him in the
government of the people. He also lived with the queen; so that
the affairs of the Jews were, by their means, better than they
could ever have hoped for. And this was the state of the Jews
under the reign of Artaxerxes.
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