Esther 9:18-32
New American Standard Bible
18 But the Jews who were in Susa (A)assembled on the thirteenth and (B)the fourteenth [a]of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth [b]day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19 Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in (C)the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a [c](D)holiday for rejoicing and feasting and (E)sending portions of food to one another.
The Feast of Purim Instituted
20 Then 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, 21 obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day [d]of the same month, annually, 22 because on those days the Jews [e]rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was (F)turned for them from grief into joy, and from mourning into a [f]holiday; that they were to make them days of feasting and rejoicing, and (G)sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to eliminate them, and (H)had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and eliminate them. 25 But (I)when it came [g]to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter (J)that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews (K)was to return on his own head, and that he and his sons were to be hanged on the wooden gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of [h]Pur. [i]And (L)because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and [j]made a custom for themselves, their [k]descendants, and for (M)all those who allied themselves with them, so that [l]they would not fail (N)to celebrate these two days according to their [m]regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28 So 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 [n]be neglected by the Jews, or their memory [o]fade from their [p]descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, (O)daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm (P)this second letter about Purim. 30 He sent letters to all the Jews, (Q)to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31 to 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 [q]descendants, with [r]instructions (R)for their times of fasting and their mourning. 32 The command of Esther established these [s]customs for (S)Purim, and it was written in the book.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Esther 9:18 Lit in it
- Esther 9:18 Lit in it
- Esther 9:19 Lit rejoicing and feasting and a good day and sending
- Esther 9:21 Lit in it
- Esther 9:22 Lit had rest from
- Esther 9:22 Lit good day
- Esther 9:25 Lit before the king, he
- Esther 9:26 Akkadian for lot
- Esther 9:26 Lit Therefore because of all the words
- Esther 9:27 Lit received
- Esther 9:27 Lit seed
- Esther 9:27 Lit it would not pass away
- Esther 9:27 Lit writing
- Esther 9:28 Lit pass from the midst of
- Esther 9:28 Lit end
- Esther 9:28 Lit seed
- Esther 9:31 Lit seed
- Esther 9:31 Lit words
- Esther 9:32 Lit words
Esther 9:18-32
New King James Version
The Feast of Purim
18 But the Jews who were at [a]Shushan assembled together (A)on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of [b]the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar (B)with gladness and feasting, (C)as a holiday, and for (D)sending presents to one another.
20 And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of (E)sending presents to one another and gifts to the (F)poor. 23 So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, 24 because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, (G)had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; 25 but (H)when [c]Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that [d]this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should (I)return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26 So they called these days Purim, after the name [e]Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of (J)this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would (K)join them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written instructions and according to the prescribed time, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city, that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, and that the memory of them should not perish among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, (L)the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this (M)second letter about Purim. 30 And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to (N)the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their (O)fasting and lamenting. 32 So the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim, and it was written in the book.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Esther 9:18 Or Susa
- Esther 9:18 Lit. it
- Esther 9:25 Lit. she or it
- Esther 9:25 Lit. his
- Esther 9:26 Lit. Lot
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
