Verse 26 explains the reason these days are called Purim. Purim is the plural of the word pur (see comment on 3.7). Since the words Purim and pur are words with no meaning for most readers today, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible translates the beginning of this verse as follows: “That is why these days are called ‘Fate,’ from the word ‘Fate,’ ” and then it places an explanation of the word “Purim” in a footnote. Most versions, however, retain the original names. Since this festival is still celebrated in Jewish communities to this day, and since it is still known by the same name, it is best to retain Purim in the translation.

Good News Translation restructures the second part of the verse by combining and shortening some of the apparent repetition to make a more simple sentence. In doing this it also eliminates some of the author’s emphasis that is achieved by restating an essentially similar idea three different ways. The author refers first to “all the words of the letter,” then he refers to what the Jews “had seen,” and lastly to “what had happened to them.” The translator may need to restructure the syntax of this and the following verse, but details that were included by the author should not be omitted.

In the words because of all that was written in this letter, this letter does not mean the biblical book of Esther but the letters that Mordecai wrote to all the Jews (verse 20 above). Translators may want to make explicit, as Good News Translation does, that the letter mentioned was the letter written by Mordecai.

The second occurrence of the word therefore connects to the beginning of verse 27 (“therefore … the Jews ordained…”). The words because of all … and of what had befallen them form a parenthetical statement.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on Esther (The Hebrew Text). (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .