Nibshan, the city of Salt, and En Gedi – a total of six cities and their towns.

Their assigned land included Zorah, Eshtaol, Ir Shemesh,

But an empty man will become wise, when a wild donkey’s colt is born a human being. ¹ 

In each city there were shields and spears; he strongly fortified them. ¹  Judah and Benjamin belonged to him.

One nation was crushed by another, and one city by another, for God caused them to be in great turmoil. ¹ 

He appointed judges throughout the land and in each of the fortified cities of Judah. ¹ 

These days were to be remembered and to be celebrated in every generation and in every family, every province, and every city. The Jews were not to fail to observe these days of Purim; the remembrance of them was not to cease among their descendants.

“You have with you the sons of your master, chariots and horses, a fortified city, and weapons. So when this letter arrives, ¹ 

In every city throughout Judah he set up high places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the Lord God of his ancestors.

The destroyer will come against every town. Not one town will escape. The towns in the valley will be destroyed. The cities on the high plain will be laid waste. ¹  I, the Lord, have spoken! ² 

Whatever someone among the Levites might redeem – the sale of a house which is his property in a city – must revert in the jubilee, ¹  because the houses of the cities of the Levites are their property in the midst of the Israelites.

As for the descendants of Aaron, the priests who lived in the outskirts of all their cities, ¹  men were assigned ²  to disburse portions to every male among the priests and to every Levite listed in the genealogical records.

Let our leaders take steps ¹  on behalf of all the assembly. Let all those in our towns who have married foreign women come at an appointed time, and with them the elders of each town and its judges, until the hot anger of our God is turned away from us in this matter.”

The king thereby allowed the Jews who were in every city to assemble and to stand up for themselves – to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any army of whatever people or province that should become their adversaries, including their women and children, ¹  and to confiscate their property.

Throughout every province and throughout every city where the king’s edict and his law arrived, the Jews experienced happiness and joy, banquets and holidays. Many of the resident peoples ¹  pretended ²  to be Jews, because the fear of the Jews had overcome them. ³