Moreover, I will takefrom them the voiceof joyand the voiceof gladness,the voiceof the bridegroomand the voiceof the bride,the soundof the millstonesand the lightof the lamp.
Letterswere sentby couriersto allthe king'sprovincesto destroy,to killand to annihilateallthe Jews,bothyoungand old,womenand children,in oneday,the thirteenth[day] of the twelfthmonth,whichis the monthAdar,and to seizetheir possessionsas plunder.
for we have been sold,I and my people,to be destroyed,to be killedand to be annihilated.Now ifwe had only been soldas slaves,men and women,I would have remainedsilent,for the troublewould not be commensuratewith the annoyanceto the king."
In them the kinggrantedthe Jewswhowere in eachand everycity[the right] to assembleand to defendtheir lives,to destroy,to killand to annihilatethe entirearmyof any peopleor provincewhich might attackthem, includingchildrenand women,and to plundertheir spoil,
"Takethe millstonesand grindmeal.Removeyour veil,stripoffthe skirt,Uncoverthe leg,crossthe rivers.
For thussaysthe LORDof hosts,the Godof Israel:"Behold,I am going to eliminatefrom thisplace,before your eyesand in your time,the voiceof rejoicingand the voiceof gladness,the voiceof the groomand the voiceof the bride.
"So gladnessand joyare takenawayFrom the fruitfulfield,even from the landof Moab.And I have made the wineto ceasefrom the winepresses;Noone will tread[them] with shouting,The shoutingwill not be shouts[of joy].
"Then I will make to ceasefrom the citiesof Judahand from the streetsof Jerusalemthe voiceof joyand the voiceof gladness,the voiceof the bridegroomand the voiceof the bride;for the landwill becomea ruin.
The joyof our heartshas ceased;Our dancinghas been turnedinto mourning.
"So I will silencethe soundof your songs,and the soundof your harpswill be heardnomore.
"I will also putan endto allher gaiety,Her feasts,her newmoons,her sabbathsAnd allher festalassemblies.
