Reading the Megillah

1. The Megillah is read on the eleventh, the twelfth, the thirteenth, the fourteenth, and the fifteenth [of Adar], never earlier and never later. Cities that have been walled since the days of Joshua son of Nun read on the fifteenth; villages and large towns read on the fourteenth, except that villages move the reading up to the day of assembly.

2. How so? If the fourteenth [of Adar] falls on Monday, the villages and large towns read on that day and the walled places on the next day. If it falls on Tuesday or on Wednesday, the villages move the reading up to the day of assembly, the large towns read on that day, and the walled places on the next day. If it falls on Thursday, the villages and large towns read on that day and the walled places on the next day. If it falls on Friday, the villages move the reading up to the day of assembly and the large towns and walled places read on that day. If it falls on the Sabbath, the villages and large towns move the reading up to the day of assembly, and the walled places read on the next day. If it falls on Sunday, the villages move the reading up to the day of assembly, the large towns read on that day, and the walled cities on the day following.