Esther 9:20-28
Sorrow Turned to Joy
Read the passage
20Mordecai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Xerxes, both near and far,
21to establish among them an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar
22as the days on which the Jews gained rest from their enemies and the month in which their sorrow turned to joy and their mourning into a holiday. He wrote that these were to be days of feasting and joy, of sending gifts to one another and to the poor.
23So the Jews agreed to continue the custom they had started, as Mordecai had written to them.
24For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the Pur (that is, the lot) to crush and destroy them.
25But when it came before the king, he commanded by letter that the wicked scheme which Haman had devised against the Jews should come back upon his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows.
26Therefore these days are called Purim, from the word Pur. Because of all the instructions in this letter, and because of all they had seen and experienced,
27the Jews bound themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should not fail to celebrate these two days at the appointed time each and every year, according to their regulation.
28These days should be remembered and celebrated by every generation, family, province, and city, so that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews, nor should the memory of them fade from their descendants.
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Mordecai records the events and writes to the Jews in every province, near and far. He calls for an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth of Adar, remembering the days when they gained rest from their enemies and sorrow turned to joy.
The instructions reach beyond a meal at home: feasting and joy, gifts to one another, and gifts to the poor. People without much to spare must have a place in the celebration too.
Then the account explains the name. Haman had cast the Pur, the lot, to set the time for destroying the Jews. His scheme came back upon him.
Therefore these days are called Purim, from the word Pur.
The instrument used to choose a day of destruction supplies the name of a holiday remembering deliverance. Each year the name recalls the reversal.
The commitment reaches every generation, family, province, and city, including those who join the Jews. Their descendants are to know what happened, not simply inherit a date on a calendar. Remembering the rescue includes both telling its story and sharing its joy.
Questions
1 What does Mordecai send to the Jews throughout the empire?
AnswerLetters establishing an annual celebration of the events he has recorded. They are sent to Jews both near and far.
2 What are the two days to remember?
AnswerThe days when the Jews gained rest from their enemies, and their sorrow and mourning turned to joy.
3 Who should receive gifts during the celebration?
AnswerThey are to send gifts to one another and to the poor. Shared joy includes those who may lack the means to celebrate.
4 Why is the festival called Purim?
AnswerThe name comes from Pur, the lot Haman cast for their destruction. The holiday remembers how his plan was overturned.
What This Means for Us
When your family remembers help received in a hard season, let gratitude reach someone else. Share a meal, make a gift, or help a neighbor in need. Tell children the story in a way they can understand, with care for anyone still grieving. Remembering God's care need not pretend that the difficult parts of the story never happened.
Prayer
Father, thank you for help received in hard seasons. Make our gratitude generous, give those with little a share in our celebrations, and help us tell the next generation of your care. Amen.