New American Standard Bible 2020

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 grief into joy, and from mourning into a 4holiday; that they were to make them days of feasting and rejoicing, and 5sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.

23So 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 eliminate them, and 6had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and eliminate them. 25But 7when it came 8to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter 9that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews 10was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons were to be hanged on the wooden gallows. 26Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of 11Pur. 12And 13because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27the Jews established and 14made a custom for themselves, their 15descendants, and for 16all those who allied themselves with them, so that 17they would not fail 18to celebrate these two days according to their 19regulation 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 20be neglected by the Jews, or their memory 21fade from their 22descendants.

29Then Queen Esther, 23daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm 24this second letter about Purim. 30He sent letters to all the Jews, 25to 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 26descendants, with 27instructions 28for their times of fasting and their mourning. 32The command of Esther established these 29customs for 30Purim, 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 Ps 7:16 ↩
11. Esther 9:26 Akkadian for lot ↩
12. Esther 9:26 Lit Therefore because of all the words ↩
13. Esther 9:26 Esth 9:20 ↩
14. Esther 9:27 Lit received ↩
15. Esther 9:27 Lit seed ↩
16. Esther 9:27 Esth 8:17 ↩
17. Esther 9:27 Lit it would not pass away ↩
18. Esther 9:27 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
19. Esther 9:27 Lit writing ↩
20. Esther 9:28 Lit pass from the midst of ↩
21. Esther 9:28 Lit end ↩
22. Esther 9:28 Lit seed ↩
23. Esther 9:29 Esth 2:15 ↩
24. Esther 9:29 Esth 9:20, 21 ↩
25. Esther 9:30 Esth 1:1 ↩
26. Esther 9:31 Lit seed ↩
27. Esther 9:31 Lit words ↩
28. Esther 9:31 Esth 4:3 ↩
29. Esther 9:32 Lit words ↩
30. Esther 9:32 Esth 9:26 ↩

Notes

Commentaries on Esther 9