The Greatness of Xerxes and Mordecai
1 King Xerxes imposed taxes on the people of the coastal regions of his empire as well as on those of the interior. 2 His power and virtue, as well as the wealth and splendor of his empire, are recorded in the official records of the kings of Persia and Media. 3 Mordecai was second in rank only to King Xerxes himself. He was a great man in the empire and was honored by his fellow Jews. He was greatly loved, for he sought the welfare of his people.
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Mordecai Remembers His Dream
4 Then Mordecai said, “God has caused all these things to happen! 5 And I am reminded of the dream I had about all of this. Every detail of the dream has come true: 6 the small spring that became a river, the dawn that turned into sunlight, and the abundance of water. The river is Esther, whom the king married and made his queen. 7 The two dragons represent Haman and me. 8 The nations are all those who have gathered together to destroy the Jews. 9 My nation is Israel, which cried out to God for help and was saved. The Lord saved his people! He rescued us from all these evils and performed great miracles and wonders that have never happened among other nations. 10 That is because God prepared one destiny for his own people and another for all other nations. 11 Then came the day and the hour when these two destinies were to be decided; the time had come for God to make a decision about the nations. 12 God remembered his chosen people and gave the verdict in their favor. 13 So each year for all time to come God's people will gather together in his presence on the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month of Adar, and celebrate with joy and happiness.”
Postscript
14 During the fourth year of the reign of Ptolemy and Cleopatra, a man named Dositheus, who claimed to be a levitical priest, brought the preceding letter about the Purim festival. He was accompanied by his son Ptolemy, and they declared that the letter was genuine and that it had been translated by Lysimachus, son of Ptolemy, a member of a Jerusalem family.
4 Then Mardocheus said, God hath done these things.
5 For I remember a dream which I saw concerning these matters, and nothing thereof hath failed.
6 A little fountain became a river, and there was light, and the sun, and much water: this river is Esther, whom the king married, and made queen:
7 And the two dragons are I and Aman.
8 And the nations were those that were assembled to destroy the name of the Jews:
9 And my nation is this Israel, which cried to God, and were saved: for the Lord hath saved his people, and the Lord hath delivered us from all those evils, and God hath wrought signs and great wonders, which have not been done among the Gentiles.
10 Therefore hath he made two lots, one for the people of God, and another for all the Gentiles.
11 And these two lots came at the hour, and time, and day of judgment, before God among all nations.
12 So God remembered his people, and justified his inheritance.
13 Therefore those days shall be unto them in the month Adar, the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the same month, with an assembly, and joy, and with gladness before God, according to the generations for ever among his people.