WEBVTT 00:00:00.520 --> 00:00:03.700 Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're 00:00:03.700 --> 00:00:05.740 taking this journey together to read the Bible 00:00:05.740 --> 00:00:08.740 in a year. Today we'll be starting the book of 00:00:08.740 --> 00:00:12.839 Esther with chapters 1 through 3. Chapter 1. 00:00:13.380 --> 00:00:16.120 Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus. 00:00:16.219 --> 00:00:20.699 This was the Ahasuerus who reigned over 127 provinces 00:00:20.699 --> 00:00:24.079 from India to Ethiopia. In the days when King 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:27.219 Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which 00:00:27.219 --> 00:00:30.550 was in Shushan the citadel. that in the third 00:00:30.550 --> 00:00:33.049 year of his reign he made a feast for all his 00:00:33.049 --> 00:00:35.670 officials and servants, the powers of Persia 00:00:35.670 --> 00:00:38.329 and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the 00:00:38.329 --> 00:00:41.189 provinces being before him, when he showed the 00:00:41.189 --> 00:00:43.670 riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor 00:00:43.670 --> 00:00:47.750 of his excellent majesty for many days, 180 days 00:00:47.750 --> 00:00:50.530 in all. And when these days were completed, the 00:00:50.530 --> 00:00:53.289 king made a feast lasting seven days for all 00:00:53.289 --> 00:00:55.509 the people who were present in Shushan the citadel, 00:00:55.710 --> 00:00:58.479 from great to small. in the court of the garden 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:01.039 of the king's palace. There were white and blue 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:04.060 linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen 00:01:04.060 --> 00:01:07.019 and purple on silver rods and marble pillars, 00:01:07.280 --> 00:01:10.159 and the couches were of gold and silver on a 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:13.640 mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and 00:01:13.640 --> 00:01:16.200 white and black marble. And they served drinks 00:01:16.200 --> 00:01:18.980 in golden vessels, each vessel being different 00:01:18.980 --> 00:01:21.500 from the other, with royal wine in abundance, 00:01:21.739 --> 00:01:24.969 according to the generosity of the king. In accordance 00:01:24.969 --> 00:01:27.530 with the law, the drinking was not compulsory, 00:01:27.609 --> 00:01:30.290 for so the king had ordered all the officers 00:01:30.290 --> 00:01:32.709 of his household that they should do according 00:01:32.709 --> 00:01:36.069 to each man's pleasure. Queen Vashti also made 00:01:36.069 --> 00:01:38.609 a feast for the women in the royal palace which 00:01:38.609 --> 00:01:42.030 belonged to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day, 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:44.430 when the heart of the king was merry with wine, 00:01:44.650 --> 00:01:49.150 he commanded Mehoman, Bista, Harbona, Bicta, 00:01:49.150 --> 00:01:53.799 Abacta. Zitar and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:56.340 in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen 00:01:56.340 --> 00:01:59.120 Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown, 00:01:59.319 --> 00:02:02.219 in order to show her beauty to the people and 00:02:02.219 --> 00:02:04.400 the officials, for she was beautiful to behold. 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:07.459 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's 00:02:07.459 --> 00:02:10.300 command brought by his eunuchs. Therefore the 00:02:10.300 --> 00:02:12.919 king was furious, and his anger burned within 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:15.819 him. Then the king said to the wise men who understood 00:02:15.819 --> 00:02:18.949 the times, For this was the king's manner toward 00:02:18.949 --> 00:02:22.270 all who knew law and justice, those closest to 00:02:22.270 --> 00:02:26.789 him being Karshina, Shitar, Admata, Tarshish, 00:02:27.050 --> 00:02:31.169 Meriz, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes 00:02:31.169 --> 00:02:34.189 of Persia and Media, who had access to the king's 00:02:34.189 --> 00:02:36.969 presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom. 00:02:37.210 --> 00:02:39.930 What shall we do to Queen Vashti according to 00:02:39.930 --> 00:02:42.219 law? because she did not obey the command of 00:02:42.219 --> 00:02:44.960 king Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs. 00:02:45.099 --> 00:02:47.620 And Memucan answered before the king and the 00:02:47.620 --> 00:02:50.560 princes, Queen Vashti has not only wronged the 00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:53.560 king, but also all the princes, and all the people 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:56.240 who are in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus. 00:02:56.280 --> 00:02:58.919 For the queen's behavior will become known to 00:02:58.919 --> 00:03:01.500 all women, so that they will despise their husbands 00:03:01.500 --> 00:03:04.740 in their eyes, when they report king Ahasuerus 00:03:04.740 --> 00:03:07.539 commanded queen Vashti to be brought in before 00:03:07.539 --> 00:03:10.430 him, but she did not come. This very day, the 00:03:10.430 --> 00:03:12.669 noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to 00:03:12.669 --> 00:03:14.990 all the king's officials that they have heard 00:03:14.990 --> 00:03:17.409 of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will 00:03:17.409 --> 00:03:20.129 be excessive contempt and wrath. If it pleases 00:03:20.129 --> 00:03:22.710 the king, let a royal decree go out from him, 00:03:22.789 --> 00:03:25.289 and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians 00:03:25.289 --> 00:03:28.210 and the Medes, so that it will not be altered, 00:03:28.469 --> 00:03:31.990 that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus, 00:03:32.009 --> 00:03:34.650 and let the king give her royal position to another 00:03:34.650 --> 00:03:37.250 who is better than she. When the king's decree 00:03:37.689 --> 00:03:40.030 which he will make is proclaimed throughout all 00:03:40.030 --> 00:03:43.590 his empire, for it is great, all wives will honor 00:03:43.590 --> 00:03:46.270 their husbands, both great and small. And the 00:03:46.270 --> 00:03:48.710 reply pleased the king and the princes, and the 00:03:48.710 --> 00:03:51.750 king did according to the word of Memucan. Then 00:03:51.750 --> 00:03:53.990 he sent letters to all the king's provinces, 00:03:54.229 --> 00:03:57.409 to each province in its own script, and to every 00:03:57.409 --> 00:04:00.129 people in their own language, that each man should 00:04:00.129 --> 00:04:02.710 be master in his own house, and speak in the 00:04:02.710 --> 00:04:08.449 language of his own people. Chapter 2 After these 00:04:08.449 --> 00:04:11.449 things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided, 00:04:11.629 --> 00:04:14.449 he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and 00:04:14.449 --> 00:04:16.970 what had been decreed against her. Then the king's 00:04:16.970 --> 00:04:19.670 servants who attended him said, Let beautiful 00:04:19.670 --> 00:04:22.509 young virgins be sought for the king, and let 00:04:22.509 --> 00:04:24.829 the king appoint officers in all the provinces 00:04:24.829 --> 00:04:27.189 of his kingdom, that they may gather all the 00:04:27.189 --> 00:04:29.649 beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, 00:04:29.850 --> 00:04:32.370 into the women's quarters, under the custody 00:04:32.370 --> 00:04:35.410 of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian of the 00:04:35.410 --> 00:04:37.959 women. and let beauty preparations be given them. 00:04:38.079 --> 00:04:40.240 Then let the young woman who pleases the king 00:04:40.240 --> 00:04:43.399 be queen instead of Vashti. This thing pleased 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:46.000 the king, and he did so. In Shushan the citadel 00:04:46.000 --> 00:04:49.259 there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, 00:04:49.379 --> 00:04:52.600 the son of Jireh, the son of Shimei, the son 00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:55.939 of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away 00:04:55.939 --> 00:04:58.399 from Jerusalem with the captives who had been 00:04:58.399 --> 00:05:02.339 captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, 00:05:02.399 --> 00:05:05.399 the king of Babylon, had carried away. And Mordecai 00:05:05.399 --> 00:05:08.920 had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his 00:05:08.920 --> 00:05:11.300 uncle's daughter, for she had neither father 00:05:11.300 --> 00:05:14.240 nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. 00:05:14.480 --> 00:05:17.420 When her father and mother died, Mordecai took 00:05:17.420 --> 00:05:20.500 her as his own daughter. So it was when the king's 00:05:20.500 --> 00:05:23.339 command and decree were heard, and when many 00:05:23.339 --> 00:05:25.959 young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel 00:05:25.959 --> 00:05:29.319 under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:31.759 was taken to the king's palace into the care 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:34.319 of Hegai the custodian of the women. now the 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:36.500 young woman pleased him and she obtained his 00:05:36.500 --> 00:05:39.439 favour so he readily gave beauty preparations 00:05:39.439 --> 00:05:42.879 to her besides her allowance then seven choice 00:05:42.879 --> 00:05:46.000 maidservants were provided for her from the king's 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.759 palace and he moved her and her maidservants 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:52.259 to the best place in the house of the women Esther 00:05:52.259 --> 00:05:55.639 had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai 00:05:55.639 --> 00:05:58.639 had charged her not to reveal it. And every day 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:01.300 Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women's 00:06:01.300 --> 00:06:04.040 quarters to learn of Esther's welfare and what 00:06:04.040 --> 00:06:06.699 was happening to her. Each young woman's turn 00:06:06.699 --> 00:06:10.319 came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:13.300 completed twelve months' preparation, according 00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:15.939 to the regulations for the women, for thus were 00:06:15.939 --> 00:06:19.910 the days of their preparation appointed. with 00:06:19.910 --> 00:06:22.490 oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and 00:06:22.490 --> 00:06:26.009 preparations for beautifying women thus prepared 00:06:26.009 --> 00:06:29.110 each young woman went to the king and she was 00:06:29.110 --> 00:06:31.790 given whatever she desired to take with her from 00:06:31.790 --> 00:06:34.470 the women's quarters to the king's palace in 00:06:34.470 --> 00:06:36.689 the evening she went and in the morning she returned 00:06:36.689 --> 00:06:39.430 to the second house of the women to the custody 00:06:39.430 --> 00:06:43.149 of shashgaz the king's eunuch who kept the concubines 00:06:43.149 --> 00:06:46.029 she would not go into the king again unless the 00:06:46.029 --> 00:06:49.410 king delighted in her and called for her by name 00:06:49.410 --> 00:06:52.069 now when the turn came for esther the daughter 00:06:52.069 --> 00:06:55.379 of abihail the uncle of mordecai who had taken 00:06:55.379 --> 00:06:58.600 her as his daughter to go into the king she requested 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:01.540 nothing but what hegai the king's eunuch the 00:07:01.540 --> 00:07:04.379 custodian of the women advised and esther obtained 00:07:04.379 --> 00:07:07.279 favor in the sight of all who saw her so esther 00:07:07.279 --> 00:07:10.360 was taken to king ahasuerus into his royal palace 00:07:10.360 --> 00:07:13.560 in the tenth month which is the month of tibet 00:07:13.560 --> 00:07:16.529 in the seventh year of his reign The king loved 00:07:16.529 --> 00:07:19.069 Esther more than all the other women, and she 00:07:19.069 --> 00:07:21.689 obtained grace and favor in his sight more than 00:07:21.689 --> 00:07:24.550 all the virgins. So he set the royal crown upon 00:07:24.550 --> 00:07:27.449 her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 00:07:27.610 --> 00:07:30.410 Then the king made a great feast, the feast of 00:07:30.410 --> 00:07:33.209 Esther, for all his officials and servants, and 00:07:33.209 --> 00:07:35.430 he proclaimed the holiday in the provinces and 00:07:35.430 --> 00:07:38.529 gave gifts according to the generosity of a king. 00:07:38.889 --> 00:07:41.089 When virgins were gathered together a second 00:07:41.089 --> 00:07:44.300 time, Mordecai sat within the king's gate. Now 00:07:44.300 --> 00:07:46.939 Esther had not revealed her family and her people, 00:07:47.060 --> 00:07:50.220 just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther 00:07:50.220 --> 00:07:52.720 obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:55.660 brought up by him. In those days while Mordecai 00:07:55.660 --> 00:07:58.319 sat within the king's gate, two of the king's 00:07:58.319 --> 00:08:01.740 eunuchs, Bictan and Teresh doorkeepers, became 00:08:01.740 --> 00:08:04.759 furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 00:08:04.779 --> 00:08:07.420 So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told 00:08:07.420 --> 00:08:09.889 Queen Esther, And Esther informed the king in 00:08:09.889 --> 00:08:12.930 Mordecai's name. And when an inquiry was made 00:08:12.930 --> 00:08:15.449 into the matter, it was confirmed. And both were 00:08:15.449 --> 00:08:18.269 hanged on a gallows. And it was written in the 00:08:18.269 --> 00:08:20.470 book of the chronicles in the presence of the 00:08:20.470 --> 00:08:26.589 king. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted 00:08:26.589 --> 00:08:30.589 Haman, the son of Hamidata, the Agagite, and 00:08:30.589 --> 00:08:33.309 advanced him and set his seat above all the princes 00:08:33.309 --> 00:08:35.769 who were with him. And all the king's servants 00:08:35.769 --> 00:08:38.610 who were within the king's gate bowed and paid 00:08:38.610 --> 00:08:41.250 homage to Haman. For so the king had commanded 00:08:41.250 --> 00:08:44.490 concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or 00:08:44.490 --> 00:08:47.190 pay homage. Then the king's servants who were 00:08:47.190 --> 00:08:49.610 within the king's gate said to Mordecai, Why 00:08:49.610 --> 00:08:52.129 do you transgress the king's command? Now it 00:08:52.129 --> 00:08:54.289 happened, when they spoke to him daily and he 00:08:54.289 --> 00:08:56.590 would not listen to them, that they told it to 00:08:56.590 --> 00:08:59.370 Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would 00:08:59.370 --> 00:09:02.250 stand. For Mordecai had told them that he was 00:09:02.250 --> 00:09:05.340 a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow 00:09:05.340 --> 00:09:08.059 or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 00:09:08.299 --> 00:09:11.720 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, 00:09:11.919 --> 00:09:14.379 for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. 00:09:14.620 --> 00:09:17.080 Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews 00:09:17.080 --> 00:09:19.940 who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:23.120 the people of Mordecai. In the first month, which 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:25.759 is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of 00:09:25.759 --> 00:09:29.139 King Ahasuerus, they cast per, that is, the lot, 00:09:29.360 --> 00:09:31.799 before Haman to determine the day and the month. 00:09:32.110 --> 00:09:34.570 until it fell on the twelfth month, which is 00:09:34.570 --> 00:09:37.730 the month of Adar. Then Haman said to king Ahasuerus, 00:09:37.830 --> 00:09:40.330 There is a certain people scattered and dispersed 00:09:40.330 --> 00:09:43.029 among the people in all the provinces of your 00:09:43.029 --> 00:09:45.970 kingdom. Their laws are different from all other 00:09:45.970 --> 00:09:48.309 peoples, and they do not keep the king's laws. 00:09:48.570 --> 00:09:51.149 Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let 00:09:51.149 --> 00:09:53.990 them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree 00:09:53.990 --> 00:09:57.269 be written that they be destroyed. and i will 00:09:57.269 --> 00:10:00.090 pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands 00:10:00.090 --> 00:10:02.950 of those who do the work to bring it into the 00:10:02.950 --> 00:10:05.710 king's treasuries so the king took his signet 00:10:05.710 --> 00:10:08.450 ring from his hand and gave it to haman the son 00:10:08.450 --> 00:10:11.649 of hamidata the agagite the enemy of the jews 00:10:11.649 --> 00:10:14.309 and the king said to haman the money and the 00:10:14.309 --> 00:10:17.029 people are given to you to do with them as seems 00:10:17.029 --> 00:10:19.879 good to you Then the king's scribes were called 00:10:19.879 --> 00:10:22.159 on the thirteenth day of the month, and a decree 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:24.720 was written according to all that Haman commanded, 00:10:25.019 --> 00:10:28.120 to the king's satraps, to the governors who were 00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:30.879 over each province, to the officials of all people, 00:10:31.019 --> 00:10:33.860 to every province according to its script, and 00:10:33.860 --> 00:10:36.759 to every people in their language. In the name 00:10:36.759 --> 00:10:39.659 of king Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with 00:10:39.659 --> 00:10:42.379 the king's signet ring, and the letters were 00:10:42.379 --> 00:10:44.679 sent by couriers into all the king's provinces. 00:10:45.230 --> 00:10:48.190 to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the 00:10:48.190 --> 00:10:51.750 Jews, both young and old, little children and 00:10:51.750 --> 00:10:54.929 women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the 00:10:54.929 --> 00:10:57.830 twelve month, which is the month of Adar, and 00:10:57.830 --> 00:11:01.350 to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document 00:11:01.350 --> 00:11:04.769 was to be issued as law in every province, being 00:11:04.769 --> 00:11:07.009 published for all people, that they should be 00:11:07.009 --> 00:11:10.350 ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened 00:11:10.350 --> 00:11:12.789 by the king's command, and a decree was proclaimed 00:11:12.789 --> 00:11:16.200 in Shushan, the citadel. So the king and Haman 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:19.259 sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was 00:11:19.259 --> 00:11:20.220 perplexed.