Episode 163: A kill-the-people-who-wanted-to-kill-the-Jews day

Esther 7-10

Haman is hanged on the gallows he built to hang Mordecai

7 ¹ The next day, the king and Haman went to Esther's dinner party. ² The king said to Esther,

What do you want, Esther?

I'll give you up to half my kingdom.

³ Esther said to the king, "If you like me, don't kill me or my people."

⁵ King Ahasuerus said to her, "Who's trying to kill you?"

⁶ Esther said, "Haman."

^7-8 The king was angry and went to the garden, while Haman fell down on Esther's bed.

When the king saw them, he said to Haman, "Are you trying to rape the queen in my own house?"

⁹ One of the king's servants said to the king,

Haman built a 50-cubit high gallows to hang Mordecai on.

¹⁰ The king said, "Hang Haman on the gallows instead."

So they did that. And the king was satisfied.

The king permits the Jews to kill those who might kill them

8 ^1-2 After hanging Haman, the king gave Haman's house to Esther and Haman's ring to Mordecai. ³ Esther fell down at the king's feet and begged him not to kill all the Jews (as Haman had convinced him to do). ⁴ The king gave her the golden scepter, so she stood up and said,

Do the opposite of what Haman convinced you to do.

⁷ The king said to Esther and Mordecai,

I've given Haman's house to Esther and hanged him on the gallows, because he mistreated the Jews.

⁹ Do whatever you like and seal it with my ring and name.

¹¹ So king gave the Jews in all the empire's provinces, from India to Ethiopia, permission to:

Kill everyone who planned to kill the Jews, along with their wives and children. (And take all their stuff.)

¹² Kill them all on one day: the day the first decree ordered all Jews to be killed -- the 13th day of the 12th month.

¹⁵ Mordecai left the king in royal apparel with a gold crown on his head.

^16-17 All the Jews were happy, and many people became Jews (because they were afraid of them).

The Jews slaughter more than 75,000 people

9 ¹ On the 13th day of the 12th month, the month of Adar, (the day that was supposed to be Kill-the-Jews Day, but turned out to be opposite), the Jews ruled over those who hated them. ² The Jews gathered throughout the provinces to kill whoever wanted to hurt them. Everyone was afraid of the Jews. ³ All the rulers helped the Jews, because they were afraid of Mordecai. ⁵ And the Jews slaughtered their enemies with the sword, doing to them as they would have done to the Jews. ⁶ In the Shushan palace, they killed 500 men. ¹⁰ And they killed Haman's ten sons.

¹² The king said to Esther,

The Jews have killed 500 men in the palace and the ten sons of Haman.

Are there any others that you'd like to kill?

Just ask, and they'll be killed too.

¹³ Esther said to the king, "I'd like you to hang Haman's ten sons upon the gallows."

¹⁴ So the king commanded Haman's ten (already dead) sons to be hung on the gallows.

¹⁵ Then the Jews killed another 300 men at Shushan. ¹⁶ And they killed another 75,000 in the provinces.

They celebrate the slaughter with a two-day party (Purim)

¹⁷ Then the Jews took a couple days off to party.

¹⁹ And the Jews made the 14th day of the month of Adar a day of gladness and feasting.

²⁵ And the king commanded that the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows (again}.

²⁶ That's why they called these days of partying "Purim".

Mordecai was great among Jews

10 ¹ King Ahasuerus declared the greatness of Mordecai. ³ And Mordecai was great among the Jews.