20 En Mordegai het hierdie dinge opgeskrywe en briewe gestuur aan al die Jode wat in al die provinsies van koning Ahasv,ros was, die wat naby en die wat ver was,

21 om vir hulle vas te stel dat hulle al jare die veertiende dag van die maand Adar en die vyftiende daarvan moes vier --

22 as die dae waarop die Jode rus gekry het van hulle vyande, en die maand wat vir hulle van kommer in vrolikheid en van rou in 'n feesdag verander is -- dat hulle daar dae van maaltyd en vrolikheid van moes maak en om mekaar lekkernye en aan die armes gawes te stuur.

23 En die Jode het as insetting aangeneem wat hulle begin het om te doen en wat Mordegai aan hulle geskryf het.

24 Want Haman, die seun van Hammed ta, die Agagiet, teëstander van al die Jode, het 'n plan beraam teen die Jode om hulle uit te roei, en die Pur, dit is die lot, gewerp om hulle te vernietig en hulle uit te roei.

25 Maar toe dit voor die koning kom, het hy skriftelik bevel gegee dat sy goddelose plan wat hy teen die Jode uitgedink het, op sy eie hoof moes neerkom; en hulle het hom en sy seuns aan die galg opgehang.

26 Daarom noem hulle die dae Purim, na die naam Pur. Hierom, vanweë al die woorde van daardie brief en wat hulle self daarvan gesien het en wat hulle oorgekom het,

27 het die Jode vasgestel en as insetting aangeneem vir hulle en hulle nageslag en vir almal wat hulle by hulle sou aansluit, sodat dit onherroeplik sou wees, dat hulle die twee dae al jare sou hou volgens die voorskrif daaromtrent en op die bepaalde tyd;

28 en dat die dae herdenk en gehou moet word in al die geslagte, families, provinsies en stede, en dat die Purim-dae onder die Jode nie afgeskaf mag word nie en die gedagtenis daaraan onder hulle nageslag nie mag ophou nie.

29 En koningin Ester, die dogter van Ab¡gail, en die Jood Mordegai het met alle nadruk geskrywe om hierdie tweede brief oor die Purim krag te verleen.

30 En hy het briewe gestuur aan al die Jode in die honderd sewe en twintig provinsies, die koninkryk van Ahasv,ros, woorde van vrede en trou,

31 om die Purim-dae op hulle bepaalde tye vas te stel soos die Jood Mordegai en koningin Ester dit vir hulle verorden het, en soos hulle vir hulself en hul nageslag die voorskrifte aangaande die vastyd en die daarby behorende weeklag vasgestel het.

32 En die bevel van Ester het die voorskrifte vir hierdie Purim vasgestel, en dit is in 'n boek geskrywe.

20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, 21 to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, 22 as the days wherein the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a good day; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. 23 And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them; 24 because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them; 25 but when the matter came before the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked device, which he had devised against the Jews, should return upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

26 Wherefore they called these days Purim, after the name of Pur. Therefore because of all the words of this letter, and of that which they had seen concerning this matter, and that which had come unto them, 27 the Jews ordained, and took upon them, and upon their seed, and upon all such as joined themselves unto them, so that it should not fail, that they would keep these two days according to the writing thereof, and according to the appointed time thereof, every year; 28 and that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city; and that these days of Purim should not fail from among the Jews, nor the remembrance of them perish from their seed.

29 Then Esther the queen, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew, wrote with all authority to confirm this second letter of Purim. 30 And he sent letters unto all the Jews, to the hundred twenty and seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined them, and as they had ordained for themselves and for their seed, in the matter of the fastings and their cry. 32 And the commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.