Greek Esther 4:10View Full Chapter

¹⁰ In reply Esther ordered Hathach to tell Mordecai:

Greek Esther 4:12View Full Chapter

¹² When Hathach told Esther’s words to Mordecai,

Greek Esther 4:13View Full Chapter

¹³ he responded, “Go and tell Esther, ‘Don’t think for one minute that, unlike all the other Jews, you alone will be safe.

Greek Esther 4:15View Full Chapter

¹⁵ Esther sent back word to Mordecai:

Greek Esther 4:17View Full Chapter

¹⁷ So Mordecai left and did exactly what Esther had ordered him.

Addition C

Mordecai and Esther pray for deliverance

C Then, calling to mind all the works of the Lord, Mordecai pleaded with the Lord, ² saying, “Lord, Lord, you are the king who rules over all things. The universe is in your power, and there is no one to stop you when you have resolved to save Israel. ³ You made the heavens and the earth, and everything that is wonderful under heaven. ⁴ You are Lord of all, and there is no one who will oppose you, Lord.

⁵ “You know all things. You know, Lord, that it wasn’t out of disrespect, pride, or self-importance that I didn’t bow down before proud Haman. ⁶ To save Israel, I would have been glad to kiss the soles of his feet. ⁷ Rather, I did this to avoid setting the honor of any human being above God’s honor. I won’t bow down before anyone except you, my Lord. Nor will I do these things out of pride.

⁸ “Now, Lord God, King, God of Abraham, spare your people, because the enemy seeks our ruin. They desire to destroy what has been your possession from the beginning. ⁹ Don’t neglect your people, whom you delivered out of Egypt. ¹⁰ Listen to my appeal, and have mercy on the people who are your lot. Turn our mourning into feasting, that we might live and sing praises to your name, Lord. Don’t silence the voice of those who praise you.”

¹¹ And all Israel cried out with all their might, for death was staring right at them.

¹² Queen Esther, overcome by this contest with death, turned to the Lord for protection. ¹³ She took off her royal garments and put on mourning clothes. Instead of the finest spices, she smeared her head and body with ashes and dung, and humbled herself. Each place she had once joyfully beautified, she now covered with her tangled hair.

¹⁴ Then she begged the Lord God of Israel: “My Lord, you alone are our king. Help me! I have no one to help me but you, ¹⁵ and I am in great danger now. ¹⁶ From my birth, Lord, I have heard how you chose Israel from among the rest of the nations, and our fathers from their ancestors, to be an everlasting inheritance. I have heard how you did for them all that you had promised. ¹⁷ But now we have sinned before you, and you have delivered us into the power of our enemies ¹⁸ because we worshipped their gods. You are just, Lord. ¹⁹ Yet the enemies weren’t satisfied with our bitter slavery, so they shook hands with their idols in partnership. ²⁰ They plan to set aside the promises you made, to rob you of your inheritance, to silence those who praise you, and to stamp out the honor of your temple and your altar. ²¹ They want to open the mouths of the nations to praise the wonderful deeds of useless idols so that a human king might be honored forever.

²² “Don’t surrender your scepter, Lord, to things that don’t exist. Don’t let them mock our downfall. Instead, turn their scheme against them and make an example of the one who started this against us. ²³ Remember us, Lord, and reveal yourself in the time of our distress. Give me courage, king of the gods and ruler of every authority. ²⁴ When I speak, let my words be persuasive before the lion, and turn the king’s heart to hatred toward the one who is fighting against us, to bring his life to an end along with those who agree with him. ²⁵ Deliver us by your actions, and help me, I who am alone and have no one except you, Lord.

“You know all things. ²⁶ You know that I hate the honor of those who don’t follow your Law. I detest sharing the bed of this uncircumcised king or indeed of any foreigner. ²⁷ You know my trouble: I hate the crown that is on my head when I appear in public. I despise it as I would a menstrual rag, and I don’t wear it when I am in private. ²⁸ I, your servant, didn’t dine at Haman’s table. Nor did I honor the king’s banquet or drink wine that had been offered to the gods. ²⁹ From the day of my crowning until now, your servant hasn’t had any joy except in you, Lord, God of Abraham. ³⁰ All-powerful God, listen to the voice of those who despair, and deliver us from the hands of those who do wrong, and deliver me from my fear!”

Addition D

Esther appears before the king

D On the third day, when she had finished praying, she removed her mourning clothes and put on her royal robes. ² Calling on the all-seeing God and savior, she appeared in full view of the court. She took along with her two female servants, ³ delicately leaning on the one, ⁴ while the other followed behind, carrying her train.

⁵ She was blushing in the full bloom of her beauty, and her face was delightfully cheerful, but her heart was tense with fear.

⁶ When she had passed through all the doors, she stood in the presence of the king. He was seated on his royal throne, clothed in all his majesty—all in gold and precious stones—and was terrifying. ⁷ He lifted his face, which blazed gloriously, about to explode in anger, and looked at her. The queen collapsed. Her color turned pale, and she fell face forward onto the female servant who was walking ahead of her.

⁸ Then God changed the king’s spirit to tenderness. He leaped anxiously from his throne, and took her up in his arms until she was calm. He tried to comfort her with reassuring words, ⁹ saying to her: “What is it, Esther? I’m your brother. Take heart! ¹⁰ You won’t die, for the order only holds for ordinary people. ¹¹ Come with me!” ¹² He then lifted his gold scepter and placed it on her neck. He embraced her and said: “Speak to me.”

¹³ She said to him, “I saw you, Master, as if you were one of God’s angels, and my heart was struck with terror at the sight of your glory. ¹⁴ You inspire awe, Master, and your face is full of divine grace.” ¹⁵ But while she was speaking, she collapsed again. The king was distressed, and all his servants tried to comfort her.

Greek Esther 5:3View Full Chapter

Esther acts

³  Then the king said to her, “What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want? I’ll give you anything—even half the kingdom.”

Greek Esther 5:4View Full Chapter

⁴ Esther answered, “Today is a special day for me. If the king wishes, please come today with Haman for a special dinner that I will prepare.”

Greek Esther 5:5View Full Chapter

⁵ “Hurry, get Haman,” the king ordered, “so we can do what Esther says.” So the king and Haman came to the dinner that Esther spoke about.

Greek Esther 5:6View Full Chapter

⁶ As they sipped wine, the king asked, “Now, what is it you wish, Queen Esther? I’ll give it to you, if you just ask.”

Greek Esther 5:7View Full Chapter

⁷ Esther answered, “This is my wish and this is what I want:

Esther 1View Full Chapter

Queen Vashti

1 This is what happened back when Ahasuerus lived, the very Ahasuerus who ruled from India to Cush—one hundred twenty-seven provinces in all. ² At that time, Ahasuerus ruled the kingdom from his royal throne in the fortified part of Susa. ³ In the third year of his rule he hosted a feast for all his officials and courtiers. The leaders of Persia and Media attended, along with his provincial officials and officers. ⁴ He showed off the awesome riches of his kingdom and beautiful treasures as mirrors of how very great he was. The event lasted a long time—six whole months, to be exact! ⁵ After that the king held a seven-day feast for everyone in the fortified part of Susa. Whether they were important people in the town or not, they all met in the walled garden of the royal palace. ⁶ White linen curtains and purple hangings were held up by shining white and red-purple ropes tied to silver rings and marble posts. Gold and silver couches sat on a mosaic floor made of gleaming purple crystal, marble, and mother-of-pearl. ⁷ They served the drinks in cups made of gold, and each cup was different. The king made sure there was plenty of royal wine. ⁸ The rule about the drinks was “No limits!” The king had ordered everyone serving wine in the palace to offer as much as each guest wanted. ⁹ At the same time, Queen Vashti held a feast for women in King Ahasuerus’ palace.

¹⁰ On the seventh day, when wine had put the king in high spirits, he gave an order to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus personally. ¹¹ They were to bring Queen Vashti before him wearing the royal crown. She was gorgeous, and he wanted to show off her beauty both to the general public and to his important guests. ¹² But Queen Vashti refused to come as the king had ordered through the eunuchs. The king was furious, his anger boiling inside. ¹³ Now, when a need arose, the king would often talk with certain very smart people about the best way to handle it. They were people who knew both the kingdom’s written laws and what judges had decided about cases in the past. ¹⁴ The ones he talked with most often were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan. They were seven very important people in Persia and Media who, as the kingdom’s highest leaders, were in the king’s inner circle. So the king said to them, ¹⁵ “According to the law, what should I do with Queen Vashti since she didn’t do what King Ahasuerus ordered her through the eunuchs?”

¹⁶ Then Memucan spoke up in front of the king and the officials. “Queen Vashti,” he said, “has done something wrong not just to the king himself. She has also done wrong to all the officials and the peoples in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. ¹⁷ This is the reason: News of what the queen did will reach all women, making them look down on their husbands. They will say, ‘King Ahasuerus ordered servants to bring Queen Vashti before him, but she refused to come.’ ¹⁸ This very day, the important women of Persia and Media who hear about the queen will tell the royal officials the same thing. There will be no end of put-downs and arguments. ¹⁹ Now, if the king wishes, let him send out a royal order and have it written into the laws of Persia and Media, laws no one can ever change. It should say that Vashti will never again come before King Ahasuerus. It should also say that the king will give her royal place to someone better than she. ²⁰ When the order becomes public through the whole empire, vast as it is, all women will treat their husbands properly. The rule should touch everyone, whether from an important family or not.”

²¹ The king liked the plan, as did the other men, and he did just what Memucan said. ²² He sent written orders to all the king’s provinces. Each province received it written in its own alphabet and each people received it in its own language. It said that each husband should rule over his own house.