On the day Haman was hanged, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther Haman’s house. And Mordecai went before the king because Esther had told him who he was to her. The king took off his signet ring which he had given to and taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and he was set over the house of Haman.
Then Esther spoke to the king and wept and pleaded at his feet to avert the evil plan of Haman and the plot he had devised against the Jews. The king agreed and allowed them to write an edict and seal it with the king’s ring.
Mordecai set into motion the plan to revoke all that Haman had done and sent letters to all the provinces of the land saying that the king allowed the Jews to defend themselves and fight against anyone who came to attack them. The Jews were to be ready to take vengeance on their enemies that day.
This word spread throughout all the land and there was gladness and joy among the Jews. They feasted and had a holiday. Many of the people of the country declared themselves Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen on them.
The Jews gathered in the cities that wished to do harm to them to seek their vengeance; and there was none that could stand against them. The fear of the Jews spread throughout the land, and the fear of Mordecai for he was great in the king’s house. His fame spread through the land and he grew more and more powerful.
The Jews struck their enemies, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. In Susa, the Jews killed 500 men and the ten sons of Haman, but did not take any of the plunder. Haman’s sons were hung on the gallows and 300 more men were killed in Susa.
The king questioned if they had killed that many in Susa, what did it look like in the other provinces. But he still asked Queen Esther what she wanted and fulfilled her requests.
The rest of the Jews who were in the king’s provinces gathered to defend themselves against their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them. But still, they did not touch the plunder. Then they rested and feasted.
Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews in the provinces, obliging them to keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar, year by year; as the days the Jews got relief from their enemies and the month that turned their sorrows into gladness.
Those days would be for feasting and gladness, and sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. This was called the Feast of Purim.
At the end of the book it discussed how King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land, and all the acts of his power and the full account of Mordecai were written in the book of Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia.
Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews. He was popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all.