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ES T H ER 4
annihilated on a single day. This was scheduled to happen on March 7 of the next year.*
The property of the Jews would be given to those
who killed them.
14 A copy of this decree was to be issued as law
in every province and proclaimed to all peoples,
so that they would be ready to do their duty on
the appointed day. 15 At the king’s command, the
decree went out by swift messengers, and it was
also proclaimed in the fortress of Susa. Then the
king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city
of Susa fell into confusion.
Mordecai Requests Esther’s Help
When Mordecai learned about all that had
been done, he tore his clothes, put on burlap and ashes, and went out into the city, crying
with a loud and bitter wail. 2 He went as far as
the gate of the palace, for no one was allowed
to enter the palace gate while wearing clothes
of mourning. 3 And as news of the king’s decree reached all the provinces, there was great
mourning among the Jews. They fasted, wept,
and wailed, and many people lay in burlap
and ashes.
4 When Queen Esther’s maids and eunuchs
came and told her about Mordecai, she was
deeply distressed. She sent clothing to him to
replace the burlap, but he refused it. 5 Then Esther sent for Hathach, one of the king’s eunuchs
who had been appointed as her attendant. She
ordered him to go to Mordecai and find out what
was troubling him and why he was in mourning. 6 So Hathach went out to Mordecai in the
square in front of the palace gate.
7 Mordecai told him the whole story, including the exact amount of money Haman had
promised to pay into the royal treasury for the
destruction of the Jews. 8 Mordecai gave Hathach a copy of the decree issued in Susa that
4
• Will of God
E ST H E R 4 :1 3 -1 7
Esther and Mordecai believed that God
would deliver his people, but they did
more than sit around and wait for it to
happen. Although God is sovereign,
he works out his will through the gifts,
opportunities, and actions of his people.
Many people believe God’s promises,
but they hesitate to get involved.
Esther, however, decided to approach
the king, and Mordecai carried out
her instructions. Don’t wait for God’s
will to be accomplished without your
contribution. Get involved and enjoy the
results of sharing in God’s purposes.
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called for the death of all Jews. He asked Hathach to show it to Esther and explain the situation to her. He also asked Hathach to direct her
to go to the king to beg for mercy and plead for
her people. 9 So Hathach returned to Esther with
Mordecai’s message.
10 Then Esther told Hathach to go back and
relay this message to Mordecai: 11 “All the king’s
officials and even the people in the provinces
know that anyone who appears before the
king in his inner court without being invited
is doomed to die unless the king holds out his
gold scepter. And the king has not called for me
to come to him for thirty days.” 12 So Hathach*
gave Esther’s message to Mordecai.
13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t
think for a moment that because you’re in the
palace you will escape when all other Jews are
killed. 14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews will arise from
some other place, but you and your relatives
will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made
queen for just such a time as this?”
15 Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai:
16 “Go and gather together all the Jews of Susa
and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three
days, night or day. My maids and I will do the
same. And then, though it is against the law,
I will go in to see the king. If I must die, I must
die.” 17 So Mordecai went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.
Esther’s Request to the King
On the third day of the fast, Esther put on
her royal robes and entered the inner court
of the palace, just across from the king’s hall.
The king was sitting on his royal throne, facing the entrance. 2 When he saw Queen Esther
standing there in the inner court, he welcomed
her and held out the gold scepter to her. So Esther approached and touched the end of the
scepter.
3 Then the king asked her, “What do you want,
Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give
it to you, even if it is half the kingdom!”
4 And Esther replied, “If it please the king, let
the king and Haman come today to a banquet I
have prepared for the king.”
5 The king turned to his attendants and said,
“Tell Haman to come quickly to a banquet, as
Esther has requested.” So the king and Haman
went to Esther’s banquet.
6 And while they were drinking wine, the king
said to Esther, “Now tell me what you really
want. What is your request? I will give it to you,
even if it is half the kingdom!”
7 Esther replied, “This is my request and deepest wish. 8 If I have found favor with the king,
5
3:13 Hebrew on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the
month of Adar, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. The date
selected was March 7, 473 b.c.; also see note on 2:16. 4:12 As
in Greek version; Hebrew reads they.