Esther 9:15-29 Declaration
of Purim
Esther 9:15 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.18But 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.
A Second Victory on the
same days 2 Macc 15:8-36
2 Macc 15:8Wherefore he exhorted his people not to fear the
coming of the heathen against them, but to remember the help which in former
times they had received from heaven, and now to expect the victory and aid,
which should come unto them from the Almighty.9 And so comforting them out of
the law and the prophets, and withal putting them in mind of the battles that
they won afore, he made them more cheerful.10 And when he had stirred up their
minds, he gave them their charge, shewing them therewithall the falsehood of
the heathen, and the breach of oaths.11 Thus he armed every one of them, not so
much with defence of shields and spears, as with comfortable and good words:
and beside that, he told them a dream worthy to be believed, as if it had been
so indeed, which did not a little rejoice them.12 And this was his vision: That
Onias, who had been high priest, a virtuous and a good man, reverend in
conversation, gentle in condition, well spoken also, and exercised from a child
in all points of virtue, holding up his hands prayed for the whole body of the
Jews.13 This done, in like manner there appeared a man with gray hairs, and
exceeding glorious, who was of a wonderful and excellent majesty.14 Then Onias
answered, saying, This is a lover of the brethren, who prayeth much for the
people, and for the holy city, to wit, Jeremias the prophet of God.15 Whereupon
Jeremias holding forth his right hand gave to Judas a sword of gold, and in
giving it spake thus,16 Take this holy sword, a gift from God, with the which
thou shalt wound the adversaries.17 Thus being well comforted by the words of
Judas, which were very good, and able to stir them up to valour, and to
encourage the hearts of the young men, they determined not to pitch camp, but
courageously to set upon them, and manfully to try the matter by conflict,
because the city and the sanctuary and the temple were in danger.18 For the
care that they took for their wives, and their children, their brethren, and
folks, was in least account with them: but the greatest and principal fear was
for the holy temple.19 Also they that were in the city took not the least care,
being troubled for the conflict abroad.20 And now, when as all looked what
should be the trial, and the enemies were already come near, and the army was
set in array, and the beasts conveniently placed, and the horsemen set in
wings,
21 Maccabeus seeing the coming of the multitude, and the
divers preparations of armour, and the fierceness of the beasts, stretched out
his hands toward heaven, and called upon the Lord that worketh wonders, knowing
that victory cometh not by arms, but even as it seemeth good to him, he giveth
it to such as are worthy:22 Therefore in his prayer he said after this manner;
O Lord, thou didst send thine angel in the time of Ezekias king of Judea, and
didst slay in the host of Sennacherib an hundred fourscore and five thousand:23
Wherefore now also, O Lord of heaven, send a good angel before us for a fear
and dread unto them;24 And through the might of thine arm let those be stricken
with terror, that come against thy holy people to blaspheme. And he ended thus.
25 Then Nicanor and
they that were with him came forward with trumpets and songs.
26 But Judas and his
company encountered the enemies with invocation and prayer.
27 So that fighting
with their hands, and praying unto God with their hearts, they slew no less
than thirty and five thousand men: for through the appearance of God they were
greatly cheered.28 Now when the battle was done, returning again with joy, they
knew that Nicanor lay dead in his harness.29 Then they made a great shout and a
noise, praising the Almighty in their own language.30 And Judas, who was ever
the chief defender of the citizens both in body and mind, and who continued his
love toward his countrymen all his life, commanded to strike off Nicanor's
head, and his hand with his shoulder, and bring them to Jerusalem.31 So when he
was there, and called them of his nation together, and set the priests before
the altar, he sent for them that were of the tower,32 And shewed them vile
Nicanor's head, and the hand of that blasphemer, which with proud brags he had
stretched out against the holy temple of the Almighty.33 And when he had cut
out the tongue of that ungodly Nicanor, he commanded that they should give it
by pieces unto the fowls, and hang up the reward of his madness before the
temple.34 So every man praised toward the heaven the glorious Lord, saying,
Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled.35 He hanged also Nicanor's
head upon the tower, an evident and manifest sign unto all of the help of the
Lord.36 And they ordained all with a common
decree in no case to let that day pass without solemnity, but to celebrate the
thirtieth day of the twelfth month, which in the Syrian tongue is called Adar,
the day before Mardocheus' day.
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