9:23–10:3E sther155gained relief from their enemies, when their sorrow was turned into gladness and their mourning into joy.So the Jews accepted Mordecai’s proposal and adopted this annual custom. Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews, hadplotted to crush and destroy them on the date determined by casting lots(the lots were called purim). But when Esther came before the king, heissued a decree causing Haman’s evil plot to backfire, and Haman and hissons were impaled on a sharpened pole. That is why this celebration iscalled Purim, because it is the ancient word for casting lots.So because of Mordecai’s letter and because of what they had experienced, the Jews throughout the realm agreed to inaugurate this traditionand to pass it on to their descendants and to all who became Jews. Theydeclared they would never fail to celebrate these two prescribed days atthe appointed time each year. These days would be remembered and keptfrom generation to generation and celebrated by every family throughoutthe provinces and cities of the empire. This Festival of Purim would nevercease to be celebrated among the Jews, nor would the memory of whathappened ever die out among their descendants.Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai theJew, wrote another letter putting the queen’s full authority behind Mordecai’s letter to establish the Festival of Purim. Letters wishing peace andsecurity were sent to the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of the empireof Xerxes. These letters established the Festival of Purim—an annual celebration of these days at the appointed time, decreed by both Mordecai theJew and Queen Esther. (The people decided to observe this festival, justas they had decided for themselves and their descendants to establish thetimes of fasting and mourning.) So the command of Esther confirmed thepractices of Purim, and it was all written down in the records.King Xerxes imposed a tribute throughout his empire, even to the distantcoastlands. His great achievements and the full account of the greatnessof Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are recorded in The Book ofthe History of the Kings of Media and Persia. Mordecai the Jew became theprime minister, with authority next to that of King Xerxes himself. He wasvery great among the Jews, who held him in high esteem, because he continued to work for the good of his people and to speak up for the welfareof all their descendants.ImmerseChronicles_NLT.indd 1556/21/2017 10:01:39 AM
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