NAB

King Ahasuerus levied a tax on the land and on the islands of the sea.

All the acts of his power and valor, as well as a detailed account of the greatness of Mordecai, whom the king promoted, are recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia.

The Jew Mordecai was next in rank to King Ahasuerus, in high standing among the Jews, popular with many of his kindred, seeking the good of his people and speaking out on behalf of the welfare of all its descendants.

Then Mordecai said: “This is the work of God.

I recall the dream I had about these very things, and not a single detail has been left unfulfilled―

the tiny spring that grew into a river, and there was light, and sun, and many waters. The river is Esther, whom the king married and made queen.

The two dragons are myself and Haman.

The nations are those who assembled to destroy the name of the Jews,

but my people is Israel, who cried to God and was saved.
“The Lord saved his people and delivered us from all these evils. God worked signs and great wonders, such as have not occurred among the nations.

For this purpose he arranged two lots: one for the people of God, the second for all the other nations.

These two lots were fulfilled in the hour, the time, and the day of judgment before God and among all the nations.

God remembered his people and rendered justice to his inheritance.

“Gathering together with joy and happiness before God, they shall celebrate these days on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month Adar throughout all future generations of his people Israel.”

In the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, Dositheus, who said he was a priest and Levite, and his son Ptolemy brought the present letter of Purim, saying that it was genuine and that Lysimachus, son of Ptolemy, of the community of Jerusalem, had translated it.