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;

For we have been sold, my people and I, to be annihilated, killed and destroyed. Had we been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept silent, although the enemy could never compensate for the king's loss.

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,

Then I will cause the voice of gladness to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride. For the land shall be desolate.

For thus says Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will cause the voice of mirth to cease out of this place before your eyes, and in your days, and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

Thus says Jehovah: Again there shall be heard in this place, which you say is desolate without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast;

the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those who shall say, Praise Jehovah of Hosts, for Jehovah is good, for His mercy is eternal; and the voice of those who shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of Jehovah. For I will cause the captives of the land to return, as at the first, says Jehovah.

The new wine mourns, the vine droops, all the merry-hearted sigh.

They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

There is a cry for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land has gone.

And I will put an end to the noise of your songs, and the sound of your harps shall be heard no more.

I will also put an end to all her joy, her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths, and all her solemn feasts.

The sound of harpists, musicians, flutists, and trumpeters shall by no means be heard in you anymore. No craftsman of any craft shall ever be found in you anymore, and the sound of a millstone shall by no means be heard in you anymore.

And the light of a lamp shall not ever shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not ever be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were led astray.

While the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain;

and the doors are shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and one rises up at the sound of a bird, and all the daughters of song are silenced;