The Jews Destroy Their Enemies
1 The first law that the king had made was to be followed on the thirteenth day of Adar, the twelfth month. This was the very day that the enemies of the Jews had hoped to do away with them. But the Jews turned things around, 2 and in the cities of every province they came together to attack their enemies. Everyone was afraid of the Jews, and no one could do anything to oppose them.
3 The leaders of the provinces, the rulers, the governors, and the court officials were afraid of Mordecai and took sides with the Jews. 4 Everyone in the provinces knew that the king had promoted him and had given him a lot of power.
5 The Jews took their swords and did away with their enemies, without showing any mercy. 6-10 They killed 500 people in Susa, but they did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Haman had been one of the worst enemies of the Jews, and ten of his sons were among those who were killed. Their names were Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vaizatha.
11 Later that day, someone told the king how many people had been killed in Susa. 12 Then he told Esther, “Five hundred people, including Haman's ten sons, have been killed in Susa alone. If that many were killed here, what must have happened in the provinces? Is there anything else you want done? Just tell me, and it will be done.”
13 Esther answered, “Your Majesty, please let the Jews in Susa fight to defend themselves tomorrow, just as they did today. And order the bodies of Haman's ten sons to be hanged in public.”
14 King Xerxes did what Esther had requested, and the bodies of Haman's sons were hung in Susa. 15 Then on the fourteenth day of Adar the Jews of the city got together and killed 300 more people. But they still did not take anything that belonged to their enemies.
16-17 On the thirteenth day of Adar, the Jews in the provinces had come together to defend themselves. They killed 75,000 of their enemies, but the Jews did not take anything that belonged to the ones they killed. Then on the fourteenth day of the month the Jews celebrated with a feast.
18 On the fifteenth day of the month the Jews in Susa held a holiday and celebrated, after killing their enemies on the thirteenth and the fourteenth. 19 This is why the Jews in the villages now celebrate on the fourteenth day of the month. It is a joyful holiday that they celebrate by feasting and sending gifts of food to each other.
The Festival of Purim
20 Mordecai wrote down everything that had happened. Then he sent letters to the Jews everywhere in the provinces 21 and told them:
Each year you must celebrate on both the fourteenth and the fifteenth of Adar, 22 the days when we Jews defeated our enemies. Remember this month as a time when our sorrow was turned to joy, and celebration took the place of crying. Celebrate by having parties and by giving to the poor and by sharing gifts of food with each other.
23 They followed Mordecai's instructions and set aside these two days every year as a time of celebration.
The Reason for the Festival of Purim
24 Haman was the son of Hammedatha and a descendant of Agag. He hated the Jews so much that he planned to destroy them, but he wanted to find out the best time to do it. So he cast lots.
25 Esther went to King Xerxes and asked him to save her people. Then the king gave written orders for Haman and his sons to be punished in the same terrible way that Haman had in mind for the Jews. So they were hanged. 26 Mordecai's letter had said that the Jews must celebrate for two days because of what had happened to them. This time of celebration is called Purim, which is the Hebrew word for the lots that were cast. 27 Now every year the Jews set aside these two days for having parties and celebrating, just as they were told to do. 28 From now on, all Jewish families must remember to celebrate Purim on these two days each year.
29 Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, wanted to give full authority to Mordecai's letter about the Festival of Purim, and with his help she wrote a letter about the feast. 30 Copies of this letter were sent to Jews in the 127 provinces of King Xerxes. In the letter they said:
We pray that all of you will live in peace and safety.
31 You and your descendants must always remember to celebrate Purim at the time and in the way that we have said. You must also follow the instructions that we have given you about mourning and going without eating.
32 These laws about Purim are written by the authority of Queen Esther.
Bajuta banokunda zwita zwabo
1 Ndizo mu zhuba le bugumi lina matatu le mwedzi we Ada, ndaulo ne nlayo zwa mambo, zwikabe zwakafanila shingikadziwa, zhuba ileli ndilo zhuba lakabe zwita zwe Bajuta zwigalabgwe kuti zowobe zwikunda Bajuta ndilo, koga likashanduka kube zhuba Bajuta labakabe bowokunda zwita zwabo. 2 Bajuta bakazwikubunganya mu mizi yabo yose imu mituthu yose ya Mambo Ahasurusi kuti ndizo bamukilane na ibabo banoshaka kubagwisa. Kwakabe kusina nthu ungamilana nabo ngobe be njudzi dzimwe bakabe bobatja kunotjenamisa. 3 Kakale makulukota e mituthu yose ne batungamili ne balauli ne makombgwa bakabhatsha Bajuta ngobe bakabe betja Modekayi. 4 Modekayi wakabe abe nkulu mu ng'umba ya mambo ngono tjilumbi tjitje tjikazibgwa mu mituthu yose ngobe simba lile lakabe lipaphidzika tjibaka ne tjibaka. 5 Ndizo Bajuta bakabulaya zwita zwabo zose nge thumo, be babhaya be balobesa, bathama sekwa banoda nge zwita zwabo. 6 Ku nzi nkulu Susa Bajuta bakabulaya balume bali mazana ali mashanu (500). 7-10 Mubali bakabulaya Pashandatha na Dalifoni na Asifatha na Poratha na Adaliya na Aridatha na Pamashita na Arisai na Aridayi na Vayizatha. Bose ibaba bali gumi bakololo ba Hamani nkololo wa Hamedatha tjita tje Bajuta. Koga kutapa iko bakasikukume. 11 Mu zhuba ilelo zwalo, mambo wakabikigwa mbalo ye balume bakabulawa mu nzi nkulu we Susa. 12 Kudwapo mambo kayenda kuna Nfumakadzi Esita ngono kandwa kati, “Mu nzi nkulu Susa, Bajuta babulaya balume bali mazana ali mashanu (500) ne bakololo bali gumi ba Hamani. Ngono dumbu, bathamani mu mimwe mituthu yangu yasala kene! Ngwenu ini tjaunoshaka? Leba koga unowotjipiwa. Ini tjaunokumbila kakale? Naitjo ndowokupa itjo.”
13 Ngono Esita kashandula eti, “Apa kushathisa mambo, ndokumbila kuti Bajuta bamuke bashingikadze nlayo iwoyo wa nasi kakale, bakololo ba Hamani ibaba bali gumi basungiligwe mu thungamakole.” 14 Ndizo mambo kalaula kuti itjetjo tjishingwe. Ngono kukadusiwa ndaulo yakajalo mu Susa ndizo bana ba Hamani bakasungiligwa. 15 Bajuta bakabe bali mu Susa bakazwikubunganyabo mu zhuba le bugumi lina manna mu mwedzi we Ada ngono bakabulaya balume bali mazana ali matatu (300), koga kutapa iko bakasikuthame. 16-17 Mu zhuba le bugumi lina matatu le mwedzi we Ada, Bajuta bamwe bakabe basala mu mituthu mimwe ya mambo bakazwikubunganya kuti bazwigwile basununguke mu zwita zwabo. Bakabulaya zwita zwabo zwili zwiwulu zwili makumi ali kutendeka ana bushanu (75 000), koga kutapa iko bakasikuthame. Kudwapo mu zhuba le bugumi lina manna Bajuta bakanyaluluka ngono bakathama zhuba le nzano we kushatha. 18 Koga Bajuta bakabe bali mu Susa bakakubungana mu zhuba le bugumi lina matatu nele bugumi lina mashanu ngono bakanyaluluka mu zhuba le bugumi lina mashanu, muna ilelo zhuba bakathama nzano we kushatha. 19 Ndizo Bajuta banogala ku makanyi bethama zhuba le bugumi lina manna le mwedzi we Ada zhuba le kushatha, ne le kunyaluluka kakale ili zhuba le kupana zwipo zwakanaka zwe zojiwa.
Nzano we Shatho
20 Modekayi kakwala zwiyitikalo zose izwezwi, kudwapo katumila hwalo ku Bajuta bose bakabe bali mu mituthu yose ya Mambo Ahasurusi bapejo ne bakule, 21 ebabudza kuti bakafanila kuti gole ne gole bathame nzano we shatho mu zhuba le bugumi lina manna (14) ne mu zhuba le bugumi lina mashanu (15) le mwedzi we Ada, 22 iwo mazhuba akati Bajuta bakawana sununguko mu zwita zwabo kakale ili mwedzi wakati zhuba le tjililo likashanduka zhuba le shatho ne mpululu. Bakafanila kuti baathame mazhuba e nzano we shatho, mazhuba ekupa bamwe zwipo zwakanaka zwe zojiwa ne kukobana ne banosheta. 23 Ndizo Bajuta bakathama sekwa bakatanga bethama ne kulondolodza tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabaka kwaligwa ndi Modekayi.
24 Hamani we N'agati nkololo wa Hamedatha, tjita tje Bajuta bose, wakabe alukila Bajuta gwanga ngoposa hakata, kubona tjibaka tjakalingisana kubabulaya ne kubalobesa. 25 Esita wakati ayenda kuna Mambo Ahasurusi kankumbila kuti atjidze bathu babe, mambo wakadusa ndaulo nge nkwalo kuti maano a Hamani mabiibi aakabe alukila Bajuta athamigwe iye ne bakololo babe basungiligwe mu thungamakole. 26 Ngekwe kose kwakakwagwa mu lukwalo gwa Modekayi ne tjakabe tjakabalingisana bakadana mazhuba iyawa beti Purimu , Purimu ili dama lidwa mu dama linoyi Puri, 27 ndizo Bajuta ne zwizekugwana zwabo na bose bakazwishanganya nabo, bakazwimisila kuti banowolondolodza mazhuba iyawa gole ne gole sekwa kwakakwagwa. 28 Mazhuba iyawa akapelela ili kuti akafanila kumbulukigwa kakale alondolodziwe kudwa mu tjizekugwana kunoti ku tjizekugwana, mu nsha mmwe ne mmwe, ne mu ntuthu mmwe ne mmwe ne nzi nkulu mmwe ne mmwe. Kakale mazhuba iyawa e purimu azofanila lengudziwa kene Bajuta bakamisa kualondolodza.
29 Ndizo Nfumakadzi Esita nkololokadzi wa Abihaile na Modekayi we Njuta, kakwala lukwalo nge simba le bufumakadzi esisithila lukwalo gwe bubili gwakabe guleba ngekwe nzano we Purimu. 30 Hwalo dzakatumiligwa Bajuta bose ne ku mituthu ili zana lina makumi mabili ana ali kutendeka ye bushe gwa Ahasurusi, dzibayemulila mbakiso ne mbakililo, 31 ne kuti mazhuba e Purimu alondolodziwe tjibaka tjakabigwa sekwa Modekayi we Njuta ne Nfumakadzi Esita bakalaulila Bajuta, ngono ibo bakazwimisila kupitshila kulondolodza ikoku ku zwizekugwana zwabo koga sekwa bakazwimisila kulondolodza misi yekuzwinyima zojiwa neye tjililo. 32 Ndizo zila dze kulondolodza nzano we Purimu dzakazhadzisiwa ne Nfumakadzi Esita ngono dzikakwagwa pasi.