1
Now in the twelfth month, that is, the month Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's commandment and his decree drew near to be put in execution, in the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have power over them, (though it was turned to the contrary, that the Jews had rule over them that hated them;)
2
The Jews gathered themselves together in their cities throughout all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such as sought their hurt: and no man could withstand them; for the fear of them fell upon all people.
3
And all the rulers of the provinces, and the lieutenants, and the deputies, and officers of the king, helped the Jews; because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.
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For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame went out throughout all the provinces: for this man Mordecai waxed greater and greater.
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Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them.
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And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men.
7
And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha,
8
And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha,
9
And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha,
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The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.
11
On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king.
12
And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.
13
Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do to morrow also according unto this day's decree, and let Haman's ten sons be hanged upon the gallows.
14
And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman's ten sons.
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.
18
But 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.
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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,
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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.
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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.
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And he sent the letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth,
31
To confirm these days of Purim in their times appointed, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had decreed for themselves and for their seed, the matters of the fastings and their cry.
32
And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
1
When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:
2
And when they had bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate the governor.
3
Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,
4
Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that.
5
And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself.
6
And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.
7
And they took counsel, and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.
8
Wherefore that field was called, The field of blood, unto this day.
9
Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him that was valued, whom they of the children of Israel did value;
10
And gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me.
11
And Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest.
12
And when he was accused of the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing.
13
Then said Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?
14
And he answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.
15
Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.
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And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas.
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Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?
18
For he knew that for envy they had delivered him.
19
When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.
20
But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask Barabbas, and destroy Jesus.
21
The governor answered and said unto them, Whether of the twain will ye that I release unto you? They said, Barabbas.
22
Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.
23
And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
24
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it.
25
Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
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Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
27
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto him the whole band of soldiers.
28
And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe.
29
And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand: and they bowed the knee before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews!
30
And they spit upon him, and took the reed, and smote him on the head.
31
And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him.
32
And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
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And when they were come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull,
34
They gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall: and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink.
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And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
36
And sitting down they watched him there;
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And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
38
Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left.
39
And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
40
And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross.
41
Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said,
42
He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.
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He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God.
44
The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.
45
Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47
Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48
And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49
The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50
Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51
And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52
And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53
And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54
Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
55
And many women were there beholding afar off, which followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto him:
56
Among which was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of Zebedee's children.
57
When the even was come, there came a rich man of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus' disciple:
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He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.
59
And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth,
60
And laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed.
61
And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.
62
Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,
63
Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.
64
Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first.
65
Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.
66
So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch.
