And the letters were sent by runners into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to exterminate all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their possessions;

The runners went out, hastened by the king's command; and the decree was proclaimed in Shushan the palace. So the king and Haman sat down to drink. But the city of Shushan was perplexed.

So the king's scribes were called at that time, in the third month, which is the month Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and it was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded, to the Jews, the satraps, the governors, and the rulers of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces in all, to every province in its own writing, to every people in their own language, and to the Jews in their own writing and language.

By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and take their stand for their souls; to exterminate, kill, and destroy all the forces of any people or province that would be hostile to them, even little children and women, and to plunder their possessions,

A copy of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province and published for all people, so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.

then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance from the one slain to the surrounding cities.

And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with a flowing stream, which is neither plowed nor sown, and they shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley.

And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain person shall wash their hands in the stream over the heifer whose neck was broken.

Provide atonement, O Jehovah, for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and do not lay innocent blood to the charge of Your people Israel. And the blood shall be covered.

Now as soon as this letter comes to you, since your master's sons are with you, and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city also, and weapons,

But they were exceedingly afraid, and said, Behold, two kings have not stood before him; how then can we stand?

Then he wrote a second letter to them, saying: If you are for me and will obey my voice, take the heads of the men, your master's sons, and come to me at Jezreel by this time tomorrow. Now the king's sons, seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who were rearing them.