Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today we'll be starting the book of
Esther with chapters 1 through 3. Chapter 1.
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus.
This was the Ahasuerus who reigned over 127 provinces
from India to Ethiopia. In the days when King
Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which
was in Shushan the citadel. that in the third
year of his reign he made a feast for all his
officials and servants, the powers of Persia
and Media, the nobles, and the princes of the
provinces being before him, when he showed the
riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor
of his excellent majesty for many days, 180 days
in all. And when these days were completed, the
king made a feast lasting seven days for all
the people who were present in Shushan the citadel,
from great to small. in the court of the garden
of the king's palace. There were white and blue
linen curtains fastened with cords of fine linen
and purple on silver rods and marble pillars,
and the couches were of gold and silver on a
mosaic pavement of alabaster, turquoise, and
white and black marble. And they served drinks
in golden vessels, each vessel being different
from the other, with royal wine in abundance,
according to the generosity of the king. In accordance
with the law, the drinking was not compulsory,
for so the king had ordered all the officers
of his household that they should do according
to each man's pleasure. Queen Vashti also made
a feast for the women in the royal palace which
belonged to King Ahasuerus. On the seventh day,
when the heart of the king was merry with wine,
he commanded Mehoman, Bista, Harbona, Bicta,
Abacta. Zitar and Carcas, seven eunuchs who served
in the presence of King Ahasuerus, to bring Queen
Vashti before the king, wearing her royal crown,
in order to show her beauty to the people and
the officials, for she was beautiful to behold.
But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's
command brought by his eunuchs. Therefore the
king was furious, and his anger burned within
him. Then the king said to the wise men who understood
the times, For this was the king's manner toward
all who knew law and justice, those closest to
him being Karshina, Shitar, Admata, Tarshish,
Meriz, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes
of Persia and Media, who had access to the king's
presence, and who ranked highest in the kingdom.
What shall we do to Queen Vashti according to
law? because she did not obey the command of
king Ahasuerus brought to her by the eunuchs.
And Memucan answered before the king and the
princes, Queen Vashti has not only wronged the
king, but also all the princes, and all the people
who are in all the provinces of king Ahasuerus.
For the queen's behavior will become known to
all women, so that they will despise their husbands
in their eyes, when they report king Ahasuerus
commanded queen Vashti to be brought in before
him, but she did not come. This very day, the
noble ladies of Persia and Media will say to
all the king's officials that they have heard
of the behavior of the queen. Thus there will
be excessive contempt and wrath. If it pleases
the king, let a royal decree go out from him,
and let it be recorded in the laws of the Persians
and the Medes, so that it will not be altered,
that Vashti shall come no more before King Ahasuerus,
and let the king give her royal position to another
who is better than she. When the king's decree
which he will make is proclaimed throughout all
his empire, for it is great, all wives will honor
their husbands, both great and small. And the
reply pleased the king and the princes, and the
king did according to the word of Memucan. Then
he sent letters to all the king's provinces,
to each province in its own script, and to every
people in their own language, that each man should
be master in his own house, and speak in the
language of his own people. Chapter 2 After these
things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided,
he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and
what had been decreed against her. Then the king's
servants who attended him said, Let beautiful
young virgins be sought for the king, and let
the king appoint officers in all the provinces
of his kingdom, that they may gather all the
beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel,
into the women's quarters, under the custody
of Hegai the king's eunuch, custodian of the
women. and let beauty preparations be given them.
Then let the young woman who pleases the king
be queen instead of Vashti. This thing pleased
the king, and he did so. In Shushan the citadel
there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai,
the son of Jireh, the son of Shimei, the son
of Kish, a Benjamite. Kish had been carried away
from Jerusalem with the captives who had been
captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar,
the king of Babylon, had carried away. And Mordecai
had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his
uncle's daughter, for she had neither father
nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful.
When her father and mother died, Mordecai took
her as his own daughter. So it was when the king's
command and decree were heard, and when many
young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel
under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also
was taken to the king's palace into the care
of Hegai the custodian of the women. now the
young woman pleased him and she obtained his
favour so he readily gave beauty preparations
to her besides her allowance then seven choice
maidservants were provided for her from the king's
palace and he moved her and her maidservants
to the best place in the house of the women Esther
had not revealed her people or family, for Mordecai
had charged her not to reveal it. And every day
Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women's
quarters to learn of Esther's welfare and what
was happening to her. Each young woman's turn
came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had
completed twelve months' preparation, according
to the regulations for the women, for thus were
the days of their preparation appointed. with
oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and
preparations for beautifying women thus prepared
each young woman went to the king and she was
given whatever she desired to take with her from
the women's quarters to the king's palace in
the evening she went and in the morning she returned
to the second house of the women to the custody
of shashgaz the king's eunuch who kept the concubines
she would not go into the king again unless the
king delighted in her and called for her by name
now when the turn came for esther the daughter
of abihail the uncle of mordecai who had taken
her as his daughter to go into the king she requested
nothing but what hegai the king's eunuch the
custodian of the women advised and esther obtained
favor in the sight of all who saw her so esther
was taken to king ahasuerus into his royal palace
in the tenth month which is the month of tibet
in the seventh year of his reign The king loved
Esther more than all the other women, and she
obtained grace and favor in his sight more than
all the virgins. So he set the royal crown upon
her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Then the king made a great feast, the feast of
Esther, for all his officials and servants, and
he proclaimed the holiday in the provinces and
gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.
When virgins were gathered together a second
time, Mordecai sat within the king's gate. Now
Esther had not revealed her family and her people,
just as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther
obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was
brought up by him. In those days while Mordecai
sat within the king's gate, two of the king's
eunuchs, Bictan and Teresh doorkeepers, became
furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
So the matter became known to Mordecai, who told
Queen Esther, And Esther informed the king in
Mordecai's name. And when an inquiry was made
into the matter, it was confirmed. And both were
hanged on a gallows. And it was written in the
book of the chronicles in the presence of the
king. After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted
Haman, the son of Hamidata, the Agagite, and
advanced him and set his seat above all the princes
who were with him. And all the king's servants
who were within the king's gate bowed and paid
homage to Haman. For so the king had commanded
concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow or
pay homage. Then the king's servants who were
within the king's gate said to Mordecai, Why
do you transgress the king's command? Now it
happened, when they spoke to him daily and he
would not listen to them, that they told it to
Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would
stand. For Mordecai had told them that he was
a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow
or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath.
But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone,
for they had told him of the people of Mordecai.
Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews
who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus,
the people of Mordecai. In the first month, which
is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of
King Ahasuerus, they cast per, that is, the lot,
before Haman to determine the day and the month.
until it fell on the twelfth month, which is
the month of Adar. Then Haman said to king Ahasuerus,
There is a certain people scattered and dispersed
among the people in all the provinces of your
kingdom. Their laws are different from all other
peoples, and they do not keep the king's laws.
Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let
them remain. If it pleases the king, let a decree
be written that they be destroyed. and i will
pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands
of those who do the work to bring it into the
king's treasuries so the king took his signet
ring from his hand and gave it to haman the son
of hamidata the agagite the enemy of the jews
and the king said to haman the money and the
people are given to you to do with them as seems
good to you Then the king's scribes were called
on the thirteenth day of the month, and a decree
was written according to all that Haman commanded,
to the king's satraps, to the governors who were
over each province, to the officials of all people,
to every province according to its script, and
to every people in their language. In the name
of king Ahasuerus it was written and sealed with
the king's signet ring, and the letters were
sent by couriers into all the king's provinces.
to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all the
Jews, both young and old, little children and
women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the
twelve month, which is the month of Adar, and
to plunder their possessions. A copy of the document
was to be issued as law in every province, being
published for all people, that they should be
ready for that day. The couriers went out, hastened
by the king's command, and a decree was proclaimed
in Shushan, the citadel. So the king and Haman
sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was
perplexed.