20 Mordecai escreveu tudo o que havia acontecido e mandou cartas a todos os judeus que moravam em todas as províncias do reino, tanto aos de perto como aos de longe. 21 Nas cartas ele ordenou que todos os anos eles comemorassem os dias catorze e quinze do mês de adar, 22 pois foi nestes dias que os judeus se livraram dos seus inimigos, e foi neste mês que a tristeza e o luto se transformaram em alegria e festa. Portanto, que dessem banquetes e festas, mandassem comida uns aos outros e distribuíssem presentes aos pobres. 23 Assim os judeus, de acordo com o que Mordecai tinha escrito, começaram o costume de comemorar esses dias.

24 Hamã, filho de Hamedata, descendente de Agague e inimigo dos judeus, tinha planejado acabar com eles e tinha mandado tirar a sorte (chama-se isso de "purim") para resolver em que dia ia matá-los. 25 Mas Ester foi falar com o rei, e ele ordenou por escrito que o mal que Hamã havia planejado contra os judeus caísse sobre o próprio Hamã. Portanto, enforcaram Hamã e os seus filhos. 26 É por isso que esses dias feriados são chamados de "Purim", que é o plural da palavra "pur" .

Como resultado da carta de Mordecai e de tudo o que os judeus tinham visto e das coisas que aconteceram, 27 eles resolveram que eles mesmos, os seus descendentes e os que se convertessem ao Judaísmo seguiriam o costume de comemorar todos os anos esses dois dias, conforme Mordecai havia escrito. 28 Ficou resolvido que daí em diante toda família judaica, em todas as cidades das províncias do reino, comemoraria a Festa de Purim, para que os judeus lembrassem sempre do que havia acontecido. Nunca, em qualquer época, deixariam de comemorar essa festa.

29 A rainha Ester, filha de Abiail, também escreveu uma carta junto com o judeu Mordecai, dando todo o seu apoio à carta que Mordecai já havia escrito a respeito da Festa de Purim. 30 Cópias da carta foram mandadas a todos os judeus das cento e vinte e sete províncias do reino, desejando-lhes paz e prosperidade 31 e confirmando que a Festa de Purim devia ser comemorada nos dias marcados. Assim como haviam marcado para si mesmos e para os seus descendentes dias de festas e de jejum, eles deveriam seguir essas ordens do judeu Mordecai e da rainha Ester. 32 A ordem de Ester, confirmando as instruções para a comemoração de Purim, foi escrita num 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.