New American Standard Bible 1995

Esther 9:20-32

20Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day 1of the same month, annually, 22because on those days the Jews 2rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was 3turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a 4holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and 5sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and 6had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25But 7when it came 8to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter 9that his wicked scheme which he had 10devised against the Jews, 11should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the 12gallows. 26Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. 13And 14because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27the Jews established and 15made a custom for themselves and for their 16descendants and for 17all those who allied themselves with them, so that 18they would not fail 19to celebrate these two days according to their 20regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to 21fail from among the Jews, or their memory 22fade from their 23descendants.

29Then Queen Esther, 24daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm 25this second letter about Purim. 30He sent letters to all the Jews, 26to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their 27descendants with 28instructions 29for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32The command of Esther established these 30customs for 31Purim, and it was written in the book.

Read all of Esther 9

Notes

1. Esther 9:21 Lit in it ↩
2. Esther 9:22 Lit had rest from ↩
3. Esther 9:22 Ps 30:11 ↩
4. Esther 9:22 Lit good day ↩
5. Esther 9:22 Neh 8:12 ↩
6. Esther 9:24 Esth 3:7 ↩
7. Esther 9:25 Esth 7:4-10 ↩
8. Esther 9:25 Lit before the king, he ↩
9. Esther 9:25 Esth 3:6-15 ↩
10. Esther 9:25 Lit schemed ↩
11. Esther 9:25 Ps 7:16 ↩
12. Esther 9:25 Lit tree ↩
13. Esther 9:26 Lit Therefore because of all the words ↩
14. Esther 9:26 Esth 9:20 ↩
15. Esther 9:27 Lit received ↩
16. Esther 9:27 Lit seed ↩
17. Esther 9:27 Esth 8:17 ↩
18. Esther 9:27 Lit it should not pass away ↩
19. Esther 9:27 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
20. Esther 9:27 Lit writing ↩
21. Esther 9:28 Lit pass away ↩
22. Esther 9:28 Lit end ↩
23. Esther 9:28 Lit seed ↩
24. Esther 9:29 Esth 2:15 ↩
25. Esther 9:29 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
26. Esther 9:30 Esth 1:1 ↩
27. Esther 9:31 Lit seed ↩
28. Esther 9:31 Lit words ↩
29. Esther 9:31 Esth 4:3 ↩
30. Esther 9:32 Lit words ↩
31. Esther 9:32 Esth 9:26 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Esther 9