16
And the rest of the Jews who were in the kingdom assembled, and helped one another, and obtained rest from their enemies: for they destroyed fifteen thousand of them on the thirteenth of Adar, but took no spoil.
17
And they rested on the fourteenth of the same month, and kept it as a day of rest with joy and gladness.
18
And the Jews in the city Susa assembled also on the fourteenth and rested; and they kept also the fifteenth with joy and gladness.
19
On this account then the Jews dispersed in every foreign land keep the fourteenth of Adar a holy day with joy, sending portions each to his neighbour.
20
And Mardochaeus wrote these things in a book, and sent them to the Jews, as many as were in the kingdom of Artaxerxes, both them that were near and them that were afar off,
21
to establish these joyful days, and to keep the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar;
22
for on these days the Jews obtained rest from their enemies; and the month, which was Adar, in which a change was made for them, from mourning to joy, and from sorrow to a good day, to spend the whole of it good days of feasting and gladness, sending portions to their friends, and to the poor.
23
And the Jews consented accordingly as Mardochaeus wrote to them,
24
how Aman the son of Amadathes the Macedonian fought against them, how he made a decree and cast lots to destroy them utterly;
25
also how he went in to the king, telling to hang Mardochaeus: but all the calamities he tried to bring upon the Jews came upon himself, and he was hanged, and his children.
26
Therefore these days were called Phrurae, because of the lots; (for in their language they are called Phrurae;) because of the words of this letter, and all they suffered on this account, and all that happened to them.