Esther 9:18-32
Lexham English Bible
18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth and on the fourteenth day, and rested on the fifteenth day. And they made it a day of feasting and joy. 19 Therefore the Jews in the rural areas, living in the rural towns, made the fourteenth month of Adar a day of joy and feasting, a festive day of giving gifts to each other.
The Feast of Purim
20 Mordecai wrote down these things and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all of the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 to impose on them to keep the fourteenth day of the month of Adar, and the fifteenth day, every year,[a] 22 as the day that the Jews found relief[b] from their enemies, and the month which changed for them from sorrow to joy, and from a mourning ceremony to a festive day;[c] to make them days of feasting and joy, and giving gifts to each other and to the poor. 23 And the Jews adopted what they had begun to do and what Mordecai had written to them.
24 For Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and he had cast pur, that is the lot, to rout them out and destroy them. 25 But when it came[d] to the attention of[e] the king, he gave orders in writing[f] that his evil plot that he had devised against the Jews should return on his head, and they hung him and his sons on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, because of the name Pur. Thus because of all the words of this letter, and of what they faced concerning this, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews established and adopted it for themselves and for their offspring, and for all who joined them. They did not neglect to observe[g] these two days every year as it was written and appointed to them. 28 These days are to be remembered and are to be kept in every generation, and in family, province, and city; and these days of Purim are not to be neglected among the Jews, and their memory shall not come to an end among their offspring.
29 So Queen Esther the daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew wrote in full authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. 30 He sent letters of words of peace and truth to all the Jews, to the one hundred and twenty-seven provinces[h] of Ahasuerus’ kingdom, 31 to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had imposed, and just as they had imposed on themselves and their offspring regulations of the fast and their lament. 32 And the command of Esther established these practices of Purim, and it was written on the scroll.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Esther 9:21 Literally “and every year and year”
- Esther 9:22 Literally “rested”
- Esther 9:22 Literally “a day of good”
- Esther 9:25 Or “she came”
- Esther 9:25 Literally “before”
- Esther 9:25 Literally “said with a scroll”
- Esther 9:27 Literally “to be doing”
- Esther 9:30 Hebrew “province”
Esther 9:18-32
International Standard Version
18 The Jewish people in Susa assembled on the thirteenth day and again on the fourteenth, and then rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and joy. 19 Therefore the Jewish people in the rural areas who live in unwalled towns make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for joy and feasting, and people send presents[a] to one another.
Official Instructions for Celebrating Purim
20 Mordecai wrote these instructions and sent letters to all the Jewish people in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 establishing that they should celebrate the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar every year, 22 as the days on which the Jewish people enjoyed relief[b] from their enemies. It was a month when things turned around for them, from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a holiday. They were to celebrate these days as days of feasting and joy, and they were to send presents[c] to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jewish people made a tradition[d] out of what they had begun to do and of what Mordecai had written to them, 24 since Hammedatha’s son Haman, the enemy of the Jewish people, had plotted against the Jewish people to destroy them, and he had cast the pur (that is, the lot) to determine when[e] to confuse and destroy them.
25 But when Esther came before the king, he ordered through a letter that the evil plot that Haman[f] had devised against the Jewish people be rescinded,[g] and that he and his sons be hanged on poles. 26 Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur. Because of all that was written in this letter, because of what they experienced in this matter, and because of what happened to them, 27 the Jewish people established this celebration, making it a tradition[h] for themselves, for their descendants, and for all who joined with them[i] that they should not fail to observe these two days each year, based on the written instructions, and at the prescribed time. 28 These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by each family in every province and town. These days of Purim should not be neglected by[j] the Jewish people, and that they should not be forgotten by their descendants.
Queen Esther Confirms the Instructions for Purim
29 Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew wrote with full authority confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters containing wishes for peace and stability were sent to all the Jewish people, to the 127 provinces of Ahasuerus’ kingdom, 31 establishing these days of Purim at the prescribed time, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established, and just as the Jewish people[k] had established for themselves and for their descendants. The letter included instructions for their fasting[l] and lamentations. 32 The order of Esther established these instructions for Purim, and it was officially recorded.[m]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Esther 9:19 Or portions of food
- Esther 9:22 Or the Jews rested
- Esther 9:22 Or portions of food
- Esther 9:23 Lit. the Jews accepted
- Esther 9:24 The Heb. lacks to determine when
- Esther 9:25 Lit. he
- Esther 9:25 Lit. be turned back on his own head
- Esther 9:27 Lit. people accepted it
- Esther 9:27 I.e. those who became Jews
- Esther 9:28 Lit. should not pass by
- Esther 9:31 Lit. they
- Esther 9:31 Lit. descendants, instructions for their fasting
- Esther 9:32 Lit. recorded in a record
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