The Greatness of Artaxerxes and Mordecai

1King Artaxerxes made everyone in his kingdom pay taxes, even those in lands across the sea. 2The record books of the kings of Persia and Media tell how strong and brave he was, and they also describe the wealth and glory of his kingdom. 3Next to the king himself, Mordecai was the highest official in the kingdom. The Jews all loved and honored him because he helped them in many ways.

Addition F

Mordecai Remembers His Dream

4-5Mordecai said:

I remember that I had a dream about these things, and God has made everything in it come true. 6In the dream I had, I saw a tiny stream become a mighty river, then I watched the sun rise and give its light. The river stood for Esther, because the king married her and crowned her queen. 7Haman and I were the two dragons. 8And just as I dreamed, the other nations came together to destroy the Jews. 9Our people cried out to the Lord God for help, and he performed miracles and saved us from all the evil things that were going to happen. No one had ever seen such powerful miracles before.

10Long ago God chose us to be his people, but he rejected the other nations. 11Then, when those nations were against us, God had to decide between us and them. 12God remembered that we were his people, and he decided that we were in the right. 13And so from now on, we Jews must observe the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar by coming together to worship him and to celebrate.

A Note about the Letter Concerning Purim

14[1] In the fourth year that Ptolemy and Cleopatra ruled Egypt, Dositheus and his son Ptolemy brought the letter about the Festival of Purim to Egypt. Dositheus claimed to be a priest from the Levi tribe, and he said that the letter was true and had been translated into Greek by Lysimachus son of Ptolemy, who lived in Jerusalem.

End of Addition F