Hello, and welcome
to His Words are Life.
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I'm Kelly Mowrer, and thank
you for joining with me today
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to read God's Word together.
Before we start, let's pray.
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Dear Lord, as we listen today
and read today the story of
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Queen Esther, may those events
of long ago bring fresh wisdom
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to what we're facing now. Please
send the Holy Spirit to guide
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our thoughts and our ears as
we listen. Thank you so much for
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loving us and we
love you so much. Amen.
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We had just begun the story
when we were last together.
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And in this account King
Ahasuerus is giving a great
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feast, and has commanded his
wife, queen Vashti, to appear
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and she has refused. And so
the king asked his counselors,
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What shall we do with
queen Vashti? and one of his
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counselors is giving the king
some advice and he's saying,
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We need to make sure that a
message goes forth, not just
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in your court to queen Vashti;
but to all the kingdom that this
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type of disobedience won't be
allowed. And, so the counselor
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has advised the king that a
decree be made because queen
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Vashti disobeyed, that she will
come no more into the presence
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of the king. We're going to
pick it up in the middle of this
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counsel, in Esther,
chapter 1, verse 20.
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This is the King James Version.
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And when the king's decree which
he shall make shall be published
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throughout all his
empire, - for it is great -
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all the wives shall
give to their husbands honor,
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both to great and small.
And the saying pleased the king
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and the princes and the
king did according to the word
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of Memucan: for he sent letters
into all the king's provinces,
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into every province according
to the writing thereof,
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and to every people after their
language, that every man should
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bear rule in his own house,
and that it should be published
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according to the
language of every people.
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Continuing to read in the
book of Esther, chapter 2.
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This is the King James Version.
After these things, when the
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wrath of king Ahasuerus was
appeased, he remembered Vashti,
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and what she had done, and
what was decreed against her.
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Then said the king's servants
that ministered unto him,
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Let there be fair young
virgins sought for the king.
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And let the king appoint
officers in all the provinces
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of his kingdom, that they
may gather together all the fair
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young virgins unto Shushan
the palace, to the house of
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the women, unto the custody
of Hegai the king's chamberlain,
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keeper of the women; and let
their things for purification
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be given them. And let the
maiden which pleaseth the king
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be queen instead of Vashti.
And the thing pleased the king;
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and he did so. Now in Shushan
the palace there was a certain
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Jew, whose name was Mordecai,
the son of Jair, the son of
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Shimei, the son
of Kish, a Benjamite;
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who had been carried away from
Jerusalem with the captivity
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which had been carried away
with Jeconiah king of Judah,
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whom Nebuchadnezzar the king
of Babylon had carried away.
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And he brought up Hadassah,
that is Esther, his uncle's
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daughter: for she had
neither father nor mother,
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and the maid was
fair and beautiful;
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whom Mordecai, when her
father and mother were dead,
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took for his own daughter. So
it came to pass, when the king's
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commandment and his decree
was heard, and when many maidens
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were gathered together
unto Shushan the palace,
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to the custody of Hegai, that
Esther was brought also unto
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the king's house, to the custody
of Hegai, keeper of the women.
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And the maiden pleased him,
and she obtained kindness of him
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and he speedily gave her things
of purification with such things
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as belonged to her, and seven
maidens, which were meet to be
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given her, out of the king's
house: and he preferred her
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and her maids unto the best
place of the house of the women.
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Esther had not shewed
her people nor her kindred:
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for Mordecai had charged
her that she should not shew it.
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And Mordecai walked every day
before the court of the women's
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house, to know how Esther did,
and what should become of her.
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Now when every maid's turn
was come to go in to the king
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Ahasuerus, after that she
had been 12 months, according to
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the manner of the
women, (for so were the days
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of their purifications
accomplished, to wit,
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6 months with oil of Myrrh,
and 6 months with sweet odours,
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and with other things for
the purifying of the women;)
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Then thus came every
maiden unto the king; whatsoever
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she desired was given her
to go with her out of the house
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of the women, unto the king's
house. In the evening she went,
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and on the morrow she
returned into the second house
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of the women, to the
custody of Shaashgaz, the king's
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chamberlain, which kept the
concubines. She came in unto the
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king no more, except
the king delighted in her,
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and that she were called
by name. Now when the turn of
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Esther, the daughter of
Abihail the uncle of Mordecai,
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who had taken her for his
daughter, was come to go in
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unto the king, she
required nothing but what Hegai,
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the king's chamberlain,
the keeper of the women,
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appointed. And Esther obtained
favor in the sight of all them
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that looked upon her. So
Esther was taken unto the king
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Ahasuerus into his
house royal in the 10th month,
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which is the month Tebeth,
in the 7th year of his reign.
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And the king loved Esther above
all the women, and she obtained
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grace and favor in his
sight more than all the virgins;
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so that he set the royal crown
upon her head, and made her
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queen instead of Vashti.
Then the king made a great feast
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unto all his princes and his
servants, even Esther's feast;
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and he made a release to
the provinces, and gave gifts,
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according to the state of
the king. And when the virgins
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were gathered together the 2nd
time, then Mordecai sat in the
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king's gate. Esther had not
yet shewed her kindred nor her
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people; as Mordecai had
charged her: for Esther did the
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commandment of Mordecai,
like as when she was brought up
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with him. In those days, when
Mordecai sat in the king's gate,
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two of the king's chamberlains,
Bigthan and Teresh, of those
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which kept the door, were
wroth, and sought to lay hand
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on the king Ahasuerus. And
the thing was known to Mordecai,
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who told it unto Esther
the queen; and Esther certified
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the king thereof in Mordecai's
name. And when inquisition
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was made of the matter, it was
found out; therefore they were
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both hanged on a tree: and it
was written in the book of the
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chronicles before the king.
We're continuing with Esther,
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chapter 3, and this is
the King James Version.
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After these things did king
Ahasuerus promote Haman the son
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of Hammedatha the Agagite, and
advanced him, and set his seat
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above all the
princes that were with him.
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And all the king's servants,
that were in the king's gate,
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bowed, and reverenced Haman:
for the king had so commanded
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concerning him. But Mordecai
bowed not, nor did him reverence
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Then the king's servants
which were in the king's gate,
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said unto Mordecai, Why
transgressest thou the king's
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commandment? Now it came to pass
when they spake daily unto him,
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and he hearkened not unto
them, that they told Haman,
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to see whether
Mordecai's matters would stand:
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for he had told them that
he was Jew. And when Haman saw
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that Mordecai bowed
not, nor did him reverence,
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then was Haman full of wrath.
And he thought scorn to lay
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hands on Mordecai alone; for
they had shewed him the people
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of Mordecai: wherefore Haman
sought to destroy all the Jews
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that were throughout the
whole kingdom of Ahasuerus,
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even the people of Mordecai.
In the first month, that is,
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the month Nisan, in the
12th year of king Ahasuerus,
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they cast Pur, that is, the lot,
before Haman from day to day,
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and from month to month,
to the 12th month, that is
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the month Adar. And
Haman said unto king Ahasuerus,
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There is a certain people
scattered abroad and dispersed
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among the people in all
the provinces of thy kingdom;
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and their laws are diverse from
all people; neither keep they
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the king's laws: therefore
it is not for the king's profit
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to suffer them. If it please
the king, let it be written
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that they may be destroyed:
and I will pay 10,000 talents
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of silver to the hands of
those that have the charge of
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the business, to bring it
into the king's treasuries.
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And the king took his ring from
his hand and gave it unto Haman
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the son of Hammedatha
the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
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And the king said unto Haman,
The silver is given to thee,
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the people also, to do with
them as it seemeth good to thee.
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Then were the king's scribes
called on the 13th day of the
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first month, and there was
written according to all that
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Haman had commanded unto the
king's lieutenants, and to the
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governors over every province,
and to the rulers of every
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people of every province
according to the writing thereof
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and to every people after their
language; in the name of king
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Ahasuerus was it written,
and sealed with the king's ring.
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And the letters were sent
by posts unto all the kings
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provinces, to destroy, to kill,
and to cause to perish, all Jews
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both young and old,
little children and women,
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in one day, even upon the
13th day of the 12th month,
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which is the month Adar,
and to take the spoil of them
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for a prey. The copy of
the writing for a commandment
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to be given in every province
was published unto all people,
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that they should be
ready against that day.
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The posts went out,
being hastened by the king's
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commandment, and the decree
was given in Shushan the palace.
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And the king and
Haman sat down to drink;
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But the city of
Shushan was perplexed.
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Continuing the story in
Esther, chapter 4. This is the
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King James Version.
When Mordecai perceived
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all that was done, Mordecai
rent his clothes, and put on
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sackcloth with ashes, and went
out into the midst of the city,
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and cried with a
loud and a bitter cry;
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And came even before the king's
gate: for none might enter
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into the king's gate
clothed with sackcloth.
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And in every province,
whithersoever the King's
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commandment and his decree
came, there was great mourning
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among the Jews, and fasting,
and weeping, and wailing;
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and many lay in
sackcloth and ashes.
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So Esther's maids and her
chamberlains came and told it
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her. Then was the
queen exceedingly grieved;
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And she sent raiment to clothe
Mordecai, and to take away his
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sackcloth from him:
but he received it not.
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Then called Esther for Hatach,
one of the king's chamberlains,
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whom he had
appointed to attend upon her,
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and gave him a commandment to
Mordecai, to know what it was,
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and why it was. So
Hatach went forth to Mordecai
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unto the street of the city
which was before the king's gate
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and Mordecai told him of
all that had happened unto him,
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and of the sum of the money
that Haman had promised to pay
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to the king's treasuries
for the Jews, to destroy them.
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Also he gave him the copy of the
writing of the decree that was
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given at Shushan to destroy
them, to shew it unto Esther,
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and to declare it unto
her, and to charge her that she
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should go in unto the king,
to make supplication unto him,
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and to make request
before him for her people.
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And Hatach came and told
Esther the words of Mordecai.
00:12:23.62\00:12:27.28
Again, Esther spake unto Hatach
and gave him commandment unto
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Mordecai; all the king's
servants and the people of the
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king's provinces, do know that
whosoever, whether man or woman
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shall come unto the king
into the inner court, who is not
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called, there is one law
of his to put him to death,
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except such to whom the
king shall hold out the golden
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sceptre, that he may
live: but I have not been called
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to come in unto the
king these thirty days.
00:12:54.30\00:12:56.65
And they told to Mordecai
Esther's words. Then Mordecai
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commanded to answer Esther,
Think not with thy self that
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thou shalt escape in the king's
house, more than all the Jews.
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For if thou altogether holdest
thy peace at this time at this
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time, then shall there
enlargement and deliverance
00:13:14.31\00:13:18.09
arise to the Jews from another
place; but thou and thy father's
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house shall be destroyed:
and who knoweth whether thou art
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come to the kingdom for such
a time as this? Then Esther bade
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them return Mordecai this
answer, Go gather together
00:13:30.68\00:13:35.68
all the Jews that are present
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in Shushan, and fast
ye for me, and neither eat
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nor drink three days, night
or day: I also and my maidens
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will fast likewise; and so
will I go in unto the king,
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which is not according to the
law: and if I perish, I perish.
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So Mordecai went his way and
did according to all that Esther
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had commanded him. -
We're continuing in Chapter 5.
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Now it came to pass on the third
day, that Esther put on her
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royal apparel, and stood in the
inner court of the king's house:
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over against king's house:
and the king sat upon his royal
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throne in the royal house,
over against the gate of the
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house. And it was so, when
the king saw Esther the queen
00:14:17.60\00:14:21.02
standing in the court, that
she obtained favor in his sight:
00:14:21.05\00:14:24.91
and the king held out to Esther
the golden sceptre that was in
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his hand. So Esther drew
near, and touched the top
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of the sceptre. When
we come together again,
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We'll continue the story
of Esther. Until then may God
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keep us all. Goodbye
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