20 Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 to enjoin them that they should keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month Adar yearly, 22 as the days in which the Jews had rest from their enemies, and the month which was turned to them from sorrow to gladness, and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, and of sending presents of food to one another, and gifts to the needy. 23 The Jews accepted the custom that they had begun, as Mordecai had written to 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 this became known to the king, he commanded by letters that his wicked plan, which he had planned against the Jews, should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.

26 Therefore they called these days "Purim", from the word "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 to them, 27 the Jews established and imposed on themselves, on their descendants, and on all those who joined themselves to them, so that it should not fail that they would keep these two days according to what was written and according to its appointed time 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 their memory perish from their offspring.

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 He sent letters to all the Jews in the hundred twenty-seven provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus with words of peace and truth, 31 to confirm these days of Purim in their appointed times, as Mordecai the Jew and Esther the queen had decreed, and as they had imposed upon themselves and their descendants in the matter of the fastings and their mourning. 32 The commandment of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.

20 末底改把这些事记录下来， 并且送文书给亚哈随鲁各省远近所有的犹大人，

21 嘱咐他们每年都要守亚达月十四、十五两日。

22 以这月的两日， 为犹大人脱离仇敌， 得享安宁的日子， 是转忧为喜， 转哀为乐的吉日， 叫他们在这两日饮宴欢乐， 大家互赠礼物， 也赒济穷人。

23 于是， 犹大人承诺要守他们起初所守的， 也承诺要遵守末底改写给他们的。

24 原本犹大人的敌人， 亚甲族哈米大他的儿子哈曼曾经设谋陷害犹大人， 要消灭他们； 他弄卜"普珥"， 就是抽签， 为要打击和消灭犹大人。

25 但这事呈到王面前以后， 王使用文书降旨吩咐， 使哈曼计谋的恶事， 就是他设谋陷害犹大人的事归到他自己的头上， 又使人把他和他的众子挂在木架上。

26 因此， 犹大人照着"普珥"的名字， 称这两日为普珥节； 所以他们因这信上的话， 又因他们所看见和所遭遇的事，

27 犹大人就立了定例， 承诺他们自己和他们的后裔， 以及所有与他们联合的人， 每年都要按着所写的和指定的两日守这节日， 永不可废止。

28 使人在各省各城， 家家户户， 世世代代， 都记念、遵守这两日， 使这普珥节的日子在犹大人中， 永不废止。

29 亚比孩的女儿王后以斯帖和犹大人末底改以全权写了这第二封信， 嘱咐犹大人守这普珥节。

30 他用和平和诚实的话， 把文书送给亚哈随鲁国中一百二十七省所有的犹大人，

31 劝他们按着规定的时期， 照着犹大人末底改和王后以斯帖所嘱咐的， 也照着他们在禁食和哀求的时候为自己与后裔所承诺的， 守这普珥节。

32 以斯帖的命令确定了普珥节； 这命令也记录在史记上。