Victory for the Jews

9 The ·order [edict; decree] the king had commanded was to be ·done [executed; carried out] on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month [^CMarch 7], the month of Adar. That was the day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to ·defeat [overpower] them, but ·that was changed [the opposite happened]. So the Jews themselves ·defeated [overpowered] ·those who hated them [their enemies]. ² The Jews ·met [assembled] in their cities in all the ·empire [^Lprovinces] of King ·Xerxes [^LAhasuerus] in order to ·attack [strike; ^Llay hands on] those who wanted to ·harm [destroy] them. No one ·was strong enough to fight [^Lcould stand] against them, because ·all the other people living in the empire were afraid of them [^Ldread of them fell on all the peoples]. ³ All the ·important men [nobles] of the ·states [provinces], the governors, ·captains of the soldiers [high officials], and the king’s officers helped the Jews, because they were afraid of Mordecai.