21. He made it a rule that Jews keep the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as special days each and every year.
22. They are the days on which the Jews finally put to rest the troubles with their enemies. The month is the one when everything turned around for them from sadness to joy, and from sad, loud crying to a holiday. They are to make them days of feasts and joyous events, days to send food gifts to each other and money gifts to the poor.
23. The Jews agreed to continue what they had already begun to do—just what Mordecai had written to them.
24. Indeed, Haman, Hammedatha the Agagite’s son, the enemy of all the Jews, had planned to destroy the Jews. He had servants throw pur (that is, the dice) to find the best month and day to trouble greatly and destroy them.