20 Mordecai escreveu estas coisas e enviou cartas a todos os judeus que moravam em todas as províncias do rei Assuero, aos de perto e aos de longe, 21 ordenando-lhes que comemorassem o dia catorze do mês de adar e o dia quinze do mesmo mês, todos os anos, 22 como os dias em que os judeus se livraram dos seus inimigos, o mês em que a tristeza virou alegria e o luto se transformou em festa. E que esses fossem dias de festa e de alegria, de troca de presentes e dádivas aos pobres.

23 Assim, os judeus aceitaram como costume o que, naquele tempo, haviam feito pela primeira vez, segundo Mordecai lhes havia ordenado por escrito. 24 Porque Hamã, filho de Hamedata, o agagita, inimigo de todos os judeus, tinha planejado destruir os judeus; e tinha lançado o "Pur", isto é, sortes, para os assolar e destruir. 25 Mas Ester foi falar com o rei, e ele ordenou por cartas que o plano perverso de Hamã, que ele tinha elaborado contra os judeus, recaísse sobre a própria cabeça dele, e que ele e os seus filhos fossem enforcados. 26 Por isso, esses dias são chamados de "Purim", do nome "Pur". Daí, por causa de todas as palavras daquela carta, e do que testemunharam, e do que lhes havia acontecido, 27 os judeus decidiram que eles mesmos, os seus descendentes e todos os que viessem se juntar a eles não deixariam de comemorar estes dois dias segundo o que se havia escrito a respeito deles, no tempo marcado, todos os anos. 28 E que estes dias seriam lembrados e comemorados geração após geração, por todas as famílias, em todas as províncias e em todas as cidades, e que estes dias de Purim jamais iriam desaparecer entre os judeus, e que a memória deles jamais se extinguiria entre os seus descendentes.

29 Então a rainha Ester, filha de Abiail, e o judeu Mordecai escreveram, com toda a autoridade, uma segunda carta, para confirmar a carta de Purim. 30 Mandaram cartas a todos os judeus, às cento e vinte e sete províncias do reino de Assuero, com palavras amigáveis e sinceras, 31 para confirmar estes dias de Purim nos seus tempos determinados, como o judeu Mordecai e a rainha Ester lhes haviam ordenado, e como eles mesmos já o tinham estabelecido sobre si e sobre a sua descendência, a respeito do jejum e do seu lamento. 32 E o decreto de Ester estabeleceu estas particularidades de Purim; e se escreveu no livro.

20 And Mordecai wrote these things,and sent letters unto all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, near, and far off;

21 to establish for them, that they should continue to observe the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day thereof,always year by year;

22 according to the days wherein the Jews found rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned for them, from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a happy day,that they should make them days of banqueting and rejoicing, and of sending portions, every one to his neighbour, and gifts, unto the needy.

23 And the Jews took upon them that which they had begun to do,and that which Mordecai had written unto them;

24 because, Haman, son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews, to cause them to perish,and had cast Pur, the same, is the Lot, to terrify them, and to destroy them;

25 but, by going in before the king, he commanded by letter, that his wicked plot which he had plotted against the Jews, should return, upon his own head,and that he and his sons should be hanged upon the gallows.

26 For this cause, called they these days Purim, after the name Pur, for this cause,for all the words of this epistle,and what they had seen concerning such a matter, and what had reached unto them.

27 The Jews established and took upon themselvesand upon their seed, and upon all who should join themselves unto them, that it might not pass away, that they would continue to keep these two days, according to the writing concerning them and at their set time,always year by year.

28 And, these days, were to be remembered and to be kept, always from generation to generation, by every family, every province, and every city,that, these days of Purim, should not pass away, out of the midst of the Jews, and, the memorial of them, not cease from their seed.

29 Then wrote Esther the queen daughter of Abihail and Mordecai the Jew, with all authority,to confirm this second epistle concerning the Purim;

30 and he sent letters unto all the Jews, throughout the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus,words of peace and stability:

31 to establish these days of the Purim, in their set times, according as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had enjoined upon them, and according as they had enjoined upon their own soul, and upon their seed,the story of the fastings and of their outcry.

32 And, the command of Esther, confirmed the story of these Purim,and it was written in a book.