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015 story 15 Esther

Esther 1 (abbreviated)

Queen Vashti Deposed

1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes (Ahasuerus), the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provincesstretching from ndia to !ush (Ethiopia)" # and in the third $ear of his

reign he gave a ban%uet for all his nobles and officials& ' or a full

1* da$s he displa$ed the vast wealth of his +ingdom and the

splendor and glor$ of his maest$& 7 -ine was served in goblets of

gold, each one different from the other, and the ro$al wine was

abundant, in +eeping with the +ing.s liberalit$& / 0ueen ashti alsogave a ban%uet for the women in the ro$al palace of ing Xerxes&

1* 3n the seventh da$, when ing Xerxes was in high spirits from

wine, he commanded the seven eunuchs who served him 11 to

bring before him 0ueen ashti, wearing her ro$al crown, in order to

displa$ her beaut$ to the people and nobles, for she was lovel$ to

loo+ at& 12 4ut when the attendants delivered the +ing.s command,

0ueen ashti refused to come& Then the +ing became furious and

burned with anger&

1# 5ince it was customar$ for the +ing to consult experts in

matters of law and ustice, he spo+e with the wise men who

understood the times& 16 According to law, what must be done to

0ueen ashti8 he as+ed& 5he has not obe$ed the command of

ing Xerxes& 19 Then :emucan replied in the presence of the +ing

and the nobles, 0ueen ashti has done wrong, not onl$ against the

+ing but also against all the nobles and the peoples of all the

provinces of ing Xerxes& 17 or the %ueen.s conduct will become+nown to all the women, and so the$ will despise their husbands

and sa$, .ing Xerxes commanded 0ueen ashti to be brought

before him, but she would not come&. 1 This ver$ da$ the ;ersian

and :edian women of the nobilit$ who have heard about the

%ueen.s conduct will respond to all the +ing.s nobles in the same

wa$& There will be no end of disrespect and discord&

1/ Therefore, if it pleases the +ing, let him issue a ro$al decree

and let it be written in the laws of ;ersia and :edia, which cannotbe repealed, that ashti is never again to enter the presence of ing

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Xerxes& Also let the +ing give her ro$al position to someone else

who is better than she& 2* Then when the +ing.s edict is proclaimed

throughout all his vast realm, all the women will respect their

husbands, from the least to the greatest&

21 The +ing and his nobles were pleased with this advice, so the

+ing did as :emucan proposed&

Esther 2

Esther Made Queen

1

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approval more than an$ of the other virgins& 5o he set a ro$al

crown on her head and made her %ueen instead of ashti& 1 And

the +ing gave a great ban%uet, sther.s ban%uet, for all his nobles

and officials&

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

21 Buring the time :ordecai was sitting at the +ing.s gate,

4igthana and Teresh, two of the +ing.s officers who guarded the

doorwa$, became angr$ and conspired to assassinate ing Xerxes&

22 4ut :ordecai found out about the plot and told 0ueen sther,

who in turn reported it to the +ing, giving credit to :ordecai& 2# And

when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two

officials were hanged on a gallows& All this was recorded in the boo+

of the annals in the presence of the +ing&

Esther 3

Haman's !ot to Destroy the "e#s

1 After these events, ing Xerxes honored Hamanson of

=ammedatha, elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher

than that of all the other nobles& 2 All the ro$al officials at the +ing.s

gate +nelt down and paid honor to =aman, for the +ing hadcommanded this concerning him& 4ut :ordecai would not +neel

down or pa$ him honor&

# Then the ro$al officials at the +ing.s gate as+ed :ordecai, -h$

do $ou disobe$ the +ing.s command8 ' Ba$ after da$ the$ spo+e to

him but he refused to compl$& Therefore the$ told =aman about it

to see whether :ordecai.s behavior would be tolerated, for he had

told them he was a @ew&

6 -hen =aman saw that :ordecai would not +neel down or pa$

him honor, he was enraged& 9 Cet having learned who :ordecai.s

people were, he scorned the idea of +illing onl$ :ordecai& nstead

=aman loo+ed for a wa$ to destro$ all :ordecai.s people, the @ews,

throughout the whole +ingdom of Xerxes&

Then =aman said to ing Xerxes, There is a certain people

dispersed and scattered among the peoples in all the provinces of

$our +ingdom whose customs are different from those of all otherpeople and who do not obe$ the +ing.s laws> it is not in the +ing.s

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best interest to tolerate them&/ f it pleases the +ing, let a decree

be issued to destro$ them, and will put ten thousand talents of

silver into the ro$al treasur$ for the men who carr$ out this

business&

1* 5o the +ing too+ his signet ring from his finger and gave it to

=aman, the enem$ of the @ews& 11 eep the mone$, the +ing said

to =aman, and do with the people as $ou please&

12 The$ wrote out in the script of each province and in the

language of each people all =aman.s orders to the +ing.s satraps,

the governors of the various provinces and the nobles of the various

peoples& These were written in the name of ing Xerxes himself and

sealed with his own ring& 1# Bispatches were sent b$ couriers to allthe +ing.s provinces with the order to destro$, +ill and annihilate all

the @ewsD$oung and old, women and little childrenDon a single

da$, the thirteenth da$ of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,

and to plunder their goods& The +ing and =aman sat down to drin+,

but the cit$ of 5usa was bewildered&

Esther $

Mordecai ersuades Esther to He!p

1 -hen :ordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his

clothes, put on sac+cloth and ashes, and went out into the cit$,

wailing loudl$ and bitterl$& 2 4ut he went onl$ as far as the +ing.s

gate, because no one clothed in sac+cloth was allowed to enter it& #

n ever$ province to which the edict and order of the +ing came,

there was great mourning among the @ews, #ith %astin&, weeping

and wailing& :an$ la$ in sac+cloth and ashes&

' -hen sther.s maids and eunuchs came and told her about:ordecai, she was in great distress& 5he sent clothes for him to put

on instead of his sac+cloth, but he would not accept them& 6 Then

sther summoned =athach, one of the +ing.s eunuchs assigned to

attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling

:ordecai and wh$&

9 5o =athach went out to :ordecai in the open s%uare of the cit$ in

front of the +ing.s gate& 7 :ordecai told him ever$thing that had

happened to him, including the exact amount of mone$ =aman hadpromised to pa$ into the ro$al treasur$ for the destruction of the

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@ews& =e also gave him a cop$ of the text of the edict for their

annihilation, which had been published in 5usa, to show to sther

and explain it to her, and he told him to urge her to go into the

+ing.s presence to beg for merc$ and plead with him for her people&

/ =athach went bac+ and reported to sther what :ordecai had

said& 1* Then she instructed him to sa$ to :ordecai, 11 All the

+ing.s officials and the people of the ro$al provinces +now that for

an$ man or woman who approaches the +ing in the inner court

without being summoned the +ing has but one law" that he be put

to death& The onl$ exception to this is for the +ing to extend the

gold scepter to him and spare his life& 4ut thirt$ da$s have passed

since was called to go to the +ing&

12 -hen sther.s words were reported to :ordecai, 1# he sent

bac+ this answer" Bo not thin+ that because $ou are in the +ing.s

house $ou alone of all the @ews will escape& 1' or if $ou remain

silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the @ews will arise from

another place, but $ou and $our father.s famil$ will perish& And who

+nows but that $ou have come to ro$al position for such a time as

this8

16 Then sther sent this repl$ to :ordecai" 19 Eo, gather togetherall the @ews who are in 5usa, and fast for me& Bo not eat or drin+

for three da$s, night or da$& and m$ maids will fast as $ou do&

-hen this is done, will go to the +ing, even though it is against

the law& And if perish, perish& 17 5o :ordecai went awa$ and

carried out all of sther.s instructions&

Esther 5

Esther's e(uest to the )in&

1 3n the third da$ sther put on her ro$al robes and stood in the

inner court of the palace, in front of the +ing.s hall& The +ing was

sitting on his ro$al throne in the hall, facing the entrance& 2 -hen

he saw 0ueen sther standing in the court, he was pleased with her

and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand& 5o sther

approached and touched the tip of the scepter& # Then the +ing

as+ed, -hat is it, 0ueen sther8 -hat is $our re%uest8 ven up to

half the +ingdom, it will be given $ou&

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' f it pleases the +ing, replied sther, let the +ing, together with

=aman, come toda$ to a ban%uet have prepared for him& 6

4ring =aman at once, the +ing said, so that we ma$ do what

sther as+s& 5o the +ing and =aman went to the ban%uet

sther had prepared& 9 As the$ were drin+ing wine, the +ing againas+ed sther, ?ow what is $our petition8 t will be given $ou& And

what is $our re%uest8 ven up to half the +ingdom, it will be

granted&

7 sther replied, :$ petition and m$ re%uest is this" f the +ing

regards me with favor and if it pleases the +ing to grant m$ petition

and fulfill m$ re%uest, let the +ing and =aman come tomorrow to

the ban%uet will prepare for them& Then will answer the +ing.s

%uestion&

Haman's a&e *&ainst Mordecai

/ =aman went out that da$ happ$ and in high spirits& 4ut when he

saw :ordecai at the +ing.s gate and observed that he neither rose

nor showed fear in his presence, he was filled with rage against

:ordecai& 1* ?evertheless, =aman restrained himself and went

home&

!alling together his friends and Feresh, his wife, 11 =aman

boasted to them about his vast wealth, his man$ sons, and all the

wa$s the +ing had honored him and how he had elevated him above

the other nobles and officials& 12 And that.s not all, =aman added&

.m the onl$ person 0ueen sther invited to accompan$ the +ing to

the ban%uet she gave& And she has invited me along with the +ing

tomorrow& 1# 4ut all this gives me no satisfaction as long as see

that @ew :ordecai sitting at the +ing.s gate&

1' =is wife Feresh and all his friends said to him, =ave a gallows

built, sevent$Gfive feet high, and as+ the +ing in the morning to

have :ordecai hanged on it& Then go with the +ing to the dinner

and be happ$& This suggestion delighted =aman, and he had the

gallows built&

Esther +

Mordecai Honored

1 That night the +ing could not sleep> so he ordered the boo+ ofthe chronicles, the record of his reign, to be brought in and read to

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him& 2 t was found recorded there that :ordecai had exposed

4igthana and Teresh, two of the +ing.s officers who guarded the

doorwa$, who had conspired to assassinate ing Xerxes&

# -hat honor and recognition has :ordecai received for this8 the+ing as+ed& ?othing has been done for him, his attendants

answered&

' The +ing said, -ho is in the court8 ?ow =aman had ust

entered the outer court of the palace to spea+ to the +ing about

hanging :ordecai on the gallows he had erected for him& 6 =is

attendants answered, =aman is standing in the court& 4ring

him in, the +ing ordered&

9 -hen =aman entered, the +ing as+ed him, -hat should be done

for the man the +ing delights to honor8

?ow =aman thought to himself, -ho is there that the +ing

would rather honor than me8 7 5o he answered the +ing, or the

man the +ing delights to honor, have them bring a ro$al robe the

+ing has worn and a horse the +ing has ridden, one with a ro$al

crest placed on its head& / Then let the robe and horse be entrusted

to one of the +ing.s most noble princes&

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the$ were still tal+ing with him, the +ing.s eunuchs arrived and

hurried =aman awa$ to the ban%uet sther had prepared&

Esther ,

Haman Han&ed

1 5o the +ing and =aman went to dine with 0ueen sther, 2 and as

the$ were drin+ing wine on that second da$, the +ing again as+ed,

0ueen sther, what is $our petition8 t will be given $ou& -hat is

$our re%uest8 ven up to half the +ingdom, it will be granted&

# Then 0ueen sther answered, f have found favor with $ou, 3

+ing, and if it pleases $our maest$, grant me m$ lifeDthis is m$

petition& And spare m$ peopleDthis is m$ re%uest& ' or and m$

people have been sold for destruction and slaughter and

annihilation& f we had merel$ been sold as male and female slaves,

would have +ept %uiet, because no such distress would ustif$

disturbing the +ing&

6 ing Xerxes as+ed 0ueen sther, -ho is he8 -here is the man

who has dared to do such a thing8

9 sther said, The adversar$ and enem$ is this vile =aman&Then =aman was terrified before the +ing and %ueen& 7 The

+ing got up in a rage, left his wine and went out into the palace

garden& 4ut =aman, realiIing that the +ing had alread$ decided his

fate, sta$ed behind to beg 0ueen sther for his life&

@ust as the +ing returned from the palace garden to the ban%uet

hall, =aman was falling on the couch where sther was reclining&

The +ing exclaimed, -ill he even molest the %ueen while she is

with me in the house8As soon as the word left the +ing.s mouth, the$ covered

=aman.s face& / Then =arbona, one of the eunuchs attending the

+ing, said, A gallows sevent$Gfive feet high stands b$ =aman.s

house& =e had it made for :ordecai, who spo+e up to help the

+ing& The +ing said, =ang him on itH 1* 5o the$ hanged

=aman on the gallows he had prepared for :ordecai& Then the

+ing.s fur$ subsided&

Esther -

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.he )in&'s Edict in /eha!% o% the "e#s

1 That same da$ ing Xerxes gave 0ueen sther the estate of

=aman, the enem$ of the @ews& And :ordecai came into the

presence of the +ing, for sther had told how he was related to her&

2 The +ing too+ off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from

=aman, and presented it to :ordecai& And sther appointed him

over =aman.s estate&

# sther again pleaded with the +ing, falling at his feet and

weeping& 5he begged him to put an end to the evil plan of =aman

the Agagite, which he had devised against the @ews& ' Then the

+ing extended the gold scepter to sther and she arose and stood

before him&

6 f it pleases the +ing, she said, and if he regards me with favor

and thin+s it the right thing to do, and if he is pleased with me, let

an order be written overruling the dispatches that =aman devised

and wrote to destro$ the @ews in all the +ing.s provinces& 9 or how

can bear to see disaster fall on m$ people8 =ow can bear to see

the destruction of m$ famil$8

7 ing Xerxes replied to 0ueen sther and to :ordecai the @ew,

4ecause =aman attac+ed the @ews, have given his estate to

sther, and the$ have hanged him on the gallows& ?ow write

another decree in the +ing.s name in behalf of the @ews as seems

best to $ou, and seal it with the +ing.s signet ringDfor no document

written in the +ing.s name and sealed with his ring can be revo+ed&

/ At once the ro$al secretaries were summonedD& The$ wrote out

all :ordecai.s orders to the @ews, and to the satraps, governors and

nobles of the 127 provinces stretching from ndia to !ush& 1*

:ordecai wrote in the name of ing Xerxes, sealed the dispatches

with the +ing.s signet ring, and sent them b$ mounted couriers, who

rode fast horses especiall$ bred for the +ing&

11 The +ing.s edict granted the @ews in ever$ cit$ the right to

assemble and protect themselves> to destro$, +ill and annihilate an$

armed force of an$ nationalit$ or province that might attac+ them

and their women and children> and to plunder the propert$ of their

enemies& && And the cit$ of 5usa held a o$ous celebration& 19 or

the @ews it was a time of happiness and o$, gladness and honor& 17

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n ever$ province and in ever$ cit$, wherever the edict of the +ing

went, there was o$ and gladness among the @ews, with feasting

and celebrating& And man$ people of other nationalities became

@ews because fear of the @ews had seiIed them&

Esther

.riumph o% the "e#s

1 3n the thirteenth da$ of the twelfth month, the month of Adar,

the edict commanded b$ the +ing was to be carried out& 3n this da$

the enemies of the @ews had hoped to overpower them, but now the

tables were turned and the @ews got the upper hand over those who

hated them& 6 The @ews struc+ down all their enemies with the

sword, +illing and destro$ing them, and the$ did what the$ pleased

to those who hated them& 9 n the citadel of 5usa, the @ews +illed

and destro$ed five hundred men& &&4ut the$ did not la$ their hands

on the plunder&

19 :eanwhile, the remainder of the @ews who were in the +ing.s

provinces also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from

their enemies& The$ +illed sevent$Gfive thousand of them but did

not la$ their hands on the plunder&

urim Ce!erated

1/ That is wh$ rural @ewsDthose living in villagesDobserve the

fourteenth of the month of Adar as a da$ of o$ and feasting, a da$

for giving presents to each other&

2* :ordecai recorded these events& =e wrote them to observe the

da$s as da$s of feasting and o$ and giving presents of food to one

another and gifts to the poor&

;osted b$ iviansteven (read m$ publications on 5cribd)

!omment (copied from others)"

Esther #as a "e# %rom the trie o% /enamin .he name

Esther means 'star' Esther #as a!so 4no#n as Hadassah

#hich means 'Myrt!e' Myrt!e ranches si&ni%y peace and

than4s&ivin&

An annual feast, the feast of ;urim was set up in memor$ of thedeliveranceof the @ews around 4& !& '7/&

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sther was a person of faith, goodness, devotion and courage&

sther was devoted to her cousin, :ordecai, and obedient to his

teachings& Her mora! and pure re!ation #ith her cousin &ave

her &race in %ront o% od& !hastit$ ( hol$ life) is a must to beselected b$ Eod for a leading role in the world& =er grace and herbeaut$ gave her favor amongst all that she came in contact with&

sther lifted up in the e$es of Eod became an instrument for Eod&

4ecause of her devotion and willingness to listen to the voice of Eod

she was able to prevent the devastation and destruction of her

people&

Eod never forgets our labour of love (=ebrews 9"1*)&

sther eventuall$ agrees to appeal to the ing& ;rior to this she

as+s :ordecai to organiIe a time of fasting for her& 5he is well

aware that she needs Eod.s favour if she is to succeed&

asting is a godl$ exercise which bring us closer to Eod&

Eod.s timing is alwa$s best& -e need to wait for Eod.s timing in

doing things& t is dangerous to ump out before time&

sther saved the @ews& =er life teaches us these vital lessons

1 .here is a preparation time

5he allowed herself to be prepared for the tas+& Eod.s preparation

time can sometimes be long and uneventful& :oses spent '* $ears

in the desert loo+ing after sheep before coming to deliver the

sraelites& The refining of our characters is ver$ essential to Eod.s

plan for our life& Eod cannot use a proud woman (or man)&

2 6e need the %avour o% odsther found favour with the ing and so did :ordecai& ven @esus

grew in favour with Eod and man (

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released& Eod will move in =is time when we remain faithful and

alert to =is leading&

$ 7our ac4&round does not hinder your %uture #ith od

sther was an orphan& Eod still exalted her and used her& 5ome of@esus. disciples were fishermen, tax collectors and one was a

doctor& Cour bac+ground does not determine what Eod can do with

$ou& Cour faith does&