THIS SERIES:
This sheet accompanies Isn't It Time for Rereading Exodus podcast and blog. Related free, downloadable booklet and links to the full paperback text are found at Rereading4Liberation.com. Subscribe to the podcast and contribute to discussion -- see Thinkific platform.
TEXT NOTES:
Wherever possible without changing the meaning, translations below are slightly adapted to avoid unnecessarily gendered language. Some old-fashioned expressions and grammatical forms are also updated.
(ל) וַיִּשְׁלַ֨ח סְפָרִ֜ים אֶל־כׇּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים אֶל־שֶׁ֨בַע וְעֶשְׂרִ֤ים וּמֵאָה֙ מְדִינָ֔ה מַלְכ֖וּת אֲחַשְׁוֵר֑וֹשׁ דִּבְרֵ֥י שָׁל֖וֹם וֶאֱמֶֽת׃
(30) Dispatches were sent to all the Jews [ha-yehudim] in the hundred and twenty-seven provinces of the realm of Ahasuerus with an ordinance of “equity and honesty [דִּבְרֵ֥י שָׁל֖וֹם וֶאֱמֶֽת, d'vrei shalom v'emet”]":
(טז) אֵ֥לֶּה הַדְּבָרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲשׂ֑וּ דַּבְּר֤וּ אֱמֶת֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ אֱמֶת֙ וּמִשְׁפַּ֣ט שָׁל֔וֹם שִׁפְט֖וּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶֽם׃ (יז) וְאִ֣ישׁ ׀ אֶת־רָעַ֣ת רֵעֵ֗הוּ אַֽל־תַּחְשְׁבוּ֙ בִּלְבַבְכֶ֔ם וּשְׁבֻ֥עַת שֶׁ֖קֶר אַֽל־תֶּאֱהָ֑בוּ כִּ֧י אֶת־כׇּל־אֵ֛לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׂנֵ֖אתִי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
(יח) וַיְהִ֛י דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת אֵלַ֥י לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יט) כֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת צ֣וֹם הָרְבִיעִ֡י וְצ֣וֹם הַחֲמִישִׁי֩ וְצ֨וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י וְצ֣וֹם הָעֲשִׂירִ֗י יִהְיֶ֤ה לְבֵית־יְהוּדָה֙ לְשָׂשׂ֣וֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָ֔ה וּֽלְמֹעֲדִ֖ים טוֹבִ֑ים וְהָאֱמֶ֥ת וְהַשָּׁל֖וֹם אֱהָֽבוּ׃ {פ}
(16) These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to one another, render true and perfect justice in your gates. (17) And do not contrive evil against one another, and do not love perjury, because all those are things that I hate—declares YHVH. (18) And the word of the YHVH-Tz'vaot ["...of hosts"] came to me, saying, (19) Thus said YHVH-Tz'vaot: The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth month, the fast of the seventh month, and the fast of the tenth month shall become occasions for joy and gladness, happy festivals for the House of Judah; but you must love honesty and integrity [וְהָאֱמֶ֥ת וְהַשָּׁל֖וֹם אֱהָֽבוּ׃ , v'ha-emet v'ha-shalom ahavu].