23 September - Esther 1-5

Jude Thu Sep 06, 2018 7:45 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

ESTHER 1

1And it came to be in the days of Aḥashwĕrosh – he is the Aḥashwĕrosh who reigned from India to Kush, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces –

2in those days, when Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh sat on the throne of his reign, which was in the citadel of Shushan,

3that in the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his officials and servants. The power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces were before him,

4when he showed the riches of his esteemed reign and the splendour of his excellent greatness for many days, a hundred and eighty days.

5And when these days were completed, the sovereign made a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present in the citadel of Shushan, from great to small, in the courtyard of the garden of the sovereign’s palace.

6White and blue tapestries were fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on silver rods and marble columns – the couches were of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and black marble.

7And they served drinks in golden vessels, the vessels being different from one another, with much royal wine, according to the hand of the sovereign.

8And drinking was according to the law, no one was compelled, for so the sovereign had ordered all the officers of his house, that they should do according to each one’s pleasure.

9Sovereigness Vashti also made a feast for the women in the royal palace which Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh owned.

10On the seventh day, when the heart of the sovereign was glad with wine, he ordered Mehuman, Biztha, Ḥarḇona, Big̅tha, and Aḇag̅tha, Zĕthar, and Karkas, the seven eunuchs who were in attendance in the presence of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh,

11to bring Sovereigness Vashti before the sovereign, with her royal crown, in order to show her loveliness to the people and the officials, for she was lovely to look upon.

12But Sovereigness Vashti refused to come at the sovereign’s command brought by his eunuchs. And the sovereign was very wroth, and his rage burned within him.

13So the sovereign said to the wise men who understood the times (for in this way the sovereign’s matter came before all who knew law and right-ruling,

14and who were close to him: Karshena, Shĕthar, Aḏmatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memuḵan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the sovereign’s face, who sat first in the reign):

15“According to law, what is to be done to Sovereigness Vashti, because she did not perform the command of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, through the eunuchs?”

16And Memuḵan answered before the sovereign and the princes, “Sovereigness Vashti has misbehaved not only toward the sovereign, but also toward all the princes, and all the people who are in all the provinces of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh.

17“For the matter of the sovereigness shall go forth to all women, to make their husbands despised in their eyes, when they say, ‘Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh commanded Sovereigness Vashti to be brought in before him, but she did not come.’

18“And this day the princesses of Persia and Media shall say to all the sovereign’s officials that they have heard of the matter of the sovereigness – with plenty of scorn and wrath.

19“If it pleases the sovereign, 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 does not pass away, that Vashti shall come no more before Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh. And let the sovereign give her royal position to another who is better than she.

20“And the sovereign’s decree which he makes shall be proclaimed throughout all his rule, great as it is, and all the wives give esteem to their husbands, both great and small.”

21And the word was good in the eyes of the sovereign and the princes, and the sovereign did according to the word of Memuḵan.

22So he sent letters to all the sovereign’s provinces, to each province in its own writing, 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 people.

ESTHER 2

1After these events, when the wrath of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh had ceased, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

2Then the sovereign’s servants who attended him said, “Let lovely young maidens be sought for the sovereign,

3and let the sovereign appoint officers in all the provinces of his reign, and let them gather all the lovely young maidens to the citadel of Shushan, into the women’s quarters, under the hand of Hĕg̅ai the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the women, to give their preparations.

4“And let the young woman who pleases the sovereign be sovereigness instead of Vashti.” And the word pleased the sovereign, and he did so.

5In the citadel of Shushan there was a certain man, a Yehuḏite whose name was Mordeḵai son of Ya’ir, son of Shim‛i, son of Qish, a Binyamite,

6who had been exiled from Yerushalayim with the captives who had been exiled with Yeḵonyah sovereign of Yehuḏah, whom Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign of Baḇel had exiled.

7And it came to be that he was raising Haḏassah, that is Estĕr, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and of good appearance. And when her father and mother died, Mordeḵai took her as his own daughter.

8And it came to be, when the sovereign’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at the citadel of Shushan, into the hand of Hĕg̅ai, that Estĕr, too, was taken to the sovereign’s palace, into the hand of Hĕg̅ai, guardian of the women.

9And the young woman pleased him, and she received kindness from him. So he hastened to give her preparations and her portions, and gave her seven choice female servants from the sovereign’s palace. And he moved her and her female servants to the best place in the house of the women.

10Estĕr had not made known her people or her relatives, for Mordeḵai had commanded her not to make it known.

11And every day Mordeḵai walked about in front of the courtyard of the women’s quarters, to learn of Estĕr’s welfare and what is done to her.

12Now when the turn of each young woman came to go in to Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh after she had completed twelve months according to the regulations for the women – for the days of their preparation were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and with the preparations of women –

13thus prepared, the young woman went to the sovereign, and whatever she asked for was given to take with her from the house of the women to the sovereign’s palace.

14In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, into the hand of Sha‛ashgaz, the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the concubines. She would not come in to the sovereign again unless the sovereign delighted in her and called for her by name.

15And when the turn came for Estĕr, the daughter of Aḇihayil the uncle of Mordeḵai, who had taken her as his daughter, to come in to the sovereign, she sought no matter but what Hĕg̅ai the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the women, advised. And Estĕr found favour in the eyes of all who saw her.

16And Estĕr was taken to Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tĕḇĕth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17And the sovereign loved Estĕr more than all the women, and she found favour and kindness in his eyes more than all the maidens. And he set the royal crown upon her head and made her sovereigness instead of Vashti.

18And the sovereign made a great feast, the Feast of Estĕr, for all his officials and servants. And he proclaimed a release in the provinces and gave gifts according to the means of a sovereign.

19And when maidens were assembled a second time, Mordeḵai sat within the sovereign’s gate.

20Estĕr had not made known her relatives and her people yet, as Mordeḵai commanded her, for Estĕr obeyed the command of Mordeḵai as when she was being raised by him.

21In those days, while Mordeḵai sat within the sovereign’s gate, two of the sovereign’s eunuchs, Big̅than and Teresh, doorkeepers, were wroth and sought to lay hands on Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh.

22And the matter became known to Mordeḵai, who informed Sovereigness Estĕr, and Estĕr spoke to the sovereign in Mordeḵai’s name.

23And when the matter was searched into, it was confirmed, and both were impaled on a stake. And it was written in the book of the annals in the presence of the sovereign.

ESTHER 3

1After these events Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh promoted Haman, son of Hammeḏatha the Ag̅ag̅ite, and exalted him and seated him higher than all the princes with him.

2And all the sovereign’s servants who were in the sovereign’s gate bowed and did obeisance to Haman, for so the sovereign had commanded concerning him. But Mordeḵai would not bow or do obeisance.

3And the sovereign’s servants who were in the sovereign’s gate said to Mordeḵai, “Why do you disobey the sovereign’s command?”

4And it came to be, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman, to see whether the words of Mordeḵai would stand – for he had told them that he was a Yehuḏite.

5And when Haman saw that Mordeḵai did not bow or do obeisance, Haman was filled with wrath.

6But it was despicable in his eyes to lay hands on Mordeḵai alone, for they had informed him of the people of Mordeḵai. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Yehuḏim who were throughout all the reign of Aḥashwĕrosh, the people of Mordeḵai.

7In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, someone cast Pur – that is, the lot – before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Aḏar.

8Haman then told Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your reign, whose laws are different from all people, and they do not do the sovereign’s laws. Therefore it is not in the sovereign’s interest to let them remain.

9“If it pleases the sovereign, let a decree be written to destroy them, and let me pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who do the work, to bring it into the sovereign’s treasuries.”

10And the sovereign took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman, son of Hammeḏatha the Ag̅ag̅ite, the enemy of the Yehuḏim.

11And the sovereign said to Haman, “The silver and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you.”

12And the sovereign’s scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded – to the viceroys of the sovereign, and to the governors who were over each province, and to the officials of all people, to every province according to its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, and sealed with the sovereign’s signet ring.

13And the letters were sent by the runners into all the sovereign’s provinces, to cut off, to slay, and to destroy all the Yehuḏim, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Aḏar, and to plunder their possessions.

14A copy of the writing, to be made law in every province, was published for all people, to be ready for that day.

15The runners went out, hastened by the sovereign’s command, and the decree was given out in the citadel of Shushan. The sovereign and Haman then sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was in confusion.

ESTHER 4

1And Mordeḵai learned of all that had been done, and Mordeḵai tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

2And he went up to the front of the sovereign’s gate, for no one might enter the sovereign’s gate wearing sackcloth.

3And in every province where the sovereign’s command and decree came, there was great mourning among the Yehuḏim, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing. And many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4And Estĕr’s young women and eunuchs came and told her, and the sovereigness was deeply pained, and sent garments to Mordeḵai to wear, and to take away his sackcloth from him, but he refused.

5And Estĕr called Hathaḵ, one of the sovereign’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordeḵai, to learn what and why this was.

6And Hathaḵ went out to Mordeḵai, to an open space of the city, in front of the sovereign’s gate.

7And Mordeḵai told him all that befell him, and all about the silver that Haman promised to pay into the sovereign’s treasuries to destroy the Yehuḏim.

8And he gave him a copy of the written decree to destroy them, which was given at Shushan, to show it to Estĕr and explain it to her, and to command her to go in to the sovereign to make supplication to him, and plead before him for her people.

9And Hathaḵ came and told Estĕr the words of Mordeḵai.

10And Estĕr spoke to Hathaḵ, and gave him a command for Mordeḵai,

11“All the sovereign’s servants and the people of the sovereign’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the sovereign, who has not been called, he has but one law: to be put to death, except the one to whom the sovereign holds out the golden sceptre, who then shall live. But I have not been called to come in to the sovereign these thirty days.”

12And they declared to Mordeḵai the words of Estĕr.

13And Mordeḵai commanded them to answer Estĕr, “Do not think within yourself to escape in the sovereign’s palace any more than all the other Yehuḏim.

14“For if you keep entirely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Yehuḏim from another place, while you and your father’s house perish. And who knows whether you have come to the reign for such a time as this?”

15And Estĕr commanded to reply to Mordeḵai,

16“Go, gather all the Yehuḏim who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I too, and my young women shall fast in the same way, then I shall go to the sovereign, which is against the law. And if I shall perish, I shall perish!”

17Mordeḵai then went away and did according to all that Estĕr commanded him.

ESTHER 5

1And Mordeḵai learned of all that had been done, and Mordeḵai tore his garments and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried out with a loud and bitter cry.

2And he went up to the front of the sovereign’s gate, for no one might enter the sovereign’s gate wearing sackcloth.

3And in every province where the sovereign’s command and decree came, there was great mourning among the Yehuḏim, and fasting, and weeping, and wailing. And many lay in sackcloth and ashes.

4And Estĕr’s young women and eunuchs came and told her, and the sovereigness was deeply pained, and sent garments to Mordeḵai to wear, and to take away his sackcloth from him, but he refused.

5And Estĕr called Hathaḵ, one of the sovereign’s eunuchs whom he had appointed to attend her, and she gave him a command concerning Mordeḵai, to learn what and why this was.

6And Hathaḵ went out to Mordeḵai, to an open space of the city, in front of the sovereign’s gate.

7And Mordeḵai told him all that befell him, and all about the silver that Haman promised to pay into the sovereign’s treasuries to destroy the Yehuḏim.

8And he gave him a copy of the written decree to destroy them, which was given at Shushan, to show it to Estĕr and explain it to her, and to command her to go in to the sovereign to make supplication to him, and plead before him for her people.

9And Hathaḵ came and told Estĕr the words of Mordeḵai.

10And Estĕr spoke to Hathaḵ, and gave him a command for Mordeḵai,

11“All the sovereign’s servants and the people of the sovereign’s provinces know that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the sovereign, who has not been called, he has but one law: to be put to death, except the one to whom the sovereign holds out the golden sceptre, who then shall live. But I have not been called to come in to the sovereign these thirty days.”

12And they declared to Mordeḵai the words of Estĕr.

13And Mordeḵai commanded them to answer Estĕr, “Do not think within yourself to escape in the sovereign’s palace any more than all the other Yehuḏim.

14“For if you keep entirely silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Yehuḏim from another place, while you and your father’s house perish. And who knows whether you have come to the reign for such a time as this?”

15And Estĕr commanded to reply to Mordeḵai,

16“Go, gather all the Yehuḏim who are present in Shushan, and fast for me, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I too, and my young women shall fast in the same way, then I shall go to the sovereign, which is against the law. And if I shall perish, I shall perish!”

17Mordeḵai then went away and did according to all that Estĕr commanded him.