Hello, and welcome
to His Words are Life.
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I'm Kelly Mowrer, and today
we're going to be continuing
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in the book of
Esther. But before we start,
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Let's pray together. Dear
God, thank you for the story of
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Esther and for the lessons
that you have for each of us.
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As we hear now, please send
the Holy Spirit to bring comfort
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to our hearts that you
have the power to deliver us
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even from the darkest of
circumstances. Thank you so much
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for loving us and
we love you. Amen.
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We're reading in the story
of Esther about how a decree has
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gone out that all of
the Jews should be murdered.
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And Mordecai has told Esther
that she needs to go in before
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the king and plead for
the life of her people;
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even though the king has not
yet, up unto this point realized
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that his queen is a Jew. And
as I thought about this story
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of Esther and what we're read
so far, it occurred to me that
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there are lessons for us - many
wonderful lessons for us in the
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story, even though in our
times the role of women and the
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practices of the court of
the king seem foreign to us, or
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seem something unreal.
In Esther's life, she sought
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council from wise
councilors and she followed it.
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And that's an example for us.
And even more importantly we're
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right up to the point we're
going to pick up this story
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just before Esther
went in before the king
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without permission,
which is punishable by death,
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unless the king extended
his sceptre. Before taking this
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step, Esther prayed and
she asked her people to pray
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with her. And that is also a
lesson that each of us can take
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into our lives that in whatever
we're facing, make it a matter
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of prayer before we take
that bold step. Esther and
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the Israelites fasted
and prayed for three days.
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And then she went before
the king and the king did extend
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her favor and his sceptre, and
were going to pick up the story
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now in the book of
Esther, chapter 5, verse 3.
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This is the King James Version.
Then said the king unto her,
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What wilt thou, queen
Esther? and what is thy request?
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it shall be given thee,
even to the half of the kingdom.
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And Esther answered, If it seem
good unto the king, let the king
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and Haman come this day unto
the banquet that I have prepared
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for him. Then the king
said, Cause Haman to make haste,
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that he may do as Esther
hath said. So the king and Haman
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came to the banquet
that Esther had prepared.
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And the king said unto
Esther at the banquet of wine,
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What is thy petition?
and it shall be granted thee:
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and what is thy request? even to
half of the kingdom it shall be
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performed. Then answered Esther
and said, My petition and my
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request is; If I have found
favor in the sight of the king,
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and if it please the king to
grant my petition and to perform
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my request, let the king and
Haman come to the banquet that I
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shall prepare for them, and
I will do tomorrow as the king
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hath said. Then went Haman
forth that day joyful and with
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a glad heart: but when Haman
saw Mordecai in the king's gate,
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that he stood not up, nor
moved for him, he was full
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of indignation against Mordecai.
Nevertheless Haman refrained
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himself and when he came
home, he sent and called for his
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friends, and Zeresh his wife.
And Haman told them of the glory
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of his riches and the multitude
of his children, and all the
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things wherein the king had
promoted him, and how he had
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advanced him above the princes
and servants of the king.
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Haman said moreover, Yea Esther
the queen did let no man come in
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with the king unto the banquet
that she had prepared but myself
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and tomorrow am I invited
unto her also with the king.
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Yet all this availeth me nothing
so long as I see Mordecai
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the Jew sitting at the king's
gate. Then said Zeresh his wife
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and all his friends unto
him, Let a gallows be made of
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fifty cubits high, and tomorrow
speak thou unto the king
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that Mordecai may be hanged
thereon: then go thou in merrily
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with the king unto the banquet.
And the thing pleased Haman;
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and he caused the
gallows to be made.
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Continuing in Esther,
chapter 6, and this is the
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King James Version. On
that night could not the king
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sleep, and he commanded to
bring the book of records of the
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chronicles; and they
were read before the king.
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And it was found written, that
Mordecai had told of Bigthana
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and Teresh, two of the king's
chamberlains, the keepers of the
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door, who sought to lay
hand on the king Ahasuerus.
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And the king said, What
honor and dignity hath been done
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to Mordecai for this? Then
said the kings servants that
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ministered unto him,
There is nothing done for him.
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And the king said, Who is in
the court? Now Haman was come
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into the outward court of the
king's house to speak unto the
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king to hang Mordecai on
the gallows that he had prepared
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for him. And the king's servants
said unto him, Behold, Haman
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standeth in the court. And
the king said, Let him come in.
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So Haman came in. And the king
said unto him, What shall be
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done unto the man whom
the king delighteth to honor?
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Now Haman thought in his heart,
To whom would the king delight
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to do honor more than to myself?
And Haman answered the king,
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For the man whom the
king delighteth to honor,
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Let the royal apparel be brought
which the king useth to wear,
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and the horse that the king
rideth upon, and the crown royal
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which is set upon his head: And
let this apparel and horse be
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delivered to the hand of one of
the king's most noble princes,
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that they may array the man
withal whom the king delighteth
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to honor, and bring him on
horseback through the street
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of the city, and proclaim before
him, Thus shall it be done
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to the man whom the
king delighteth to honor.
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Then the king said to Haman,
Make haste, and take the apparel
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and the horse, as thou hast
said, and do even so to Mordecai
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the Jew, that sitteth at the
king's gate: let nothing fail
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of all that thou hast spoken.
Then took Haman the apparel
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and the horse, and arrayed
Mordecai, and brought him on
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horseback through the street of
the city, and proclaimed before
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him, Thus shall it be done unto
the man whom the king delighteth
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to honor. And Mordecai
came again to the king's gate.
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But Haman hasted to his house
mourning, and having his head
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covered. And Haman told Zeresh
his wife and all his friends
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everything that had befallen
him. Then said his wise men
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and Zeresh his wife unto him,
If Mordecai be of the seed of
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the Jews, before whom thou hast
begun to fall, thou shalt not
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prevail against him, but
shalt surely fall before him.
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And while they were yet talking
with him, came the king's
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chamberlains, and hasted to
bring Haman unto the banquet
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that Esther had prepared.
Continuing to read the story of
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of Esther, chapter 7.
This is the King James Version.
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So the king and Haman came
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to the banquet with Esther the
queen. And the king said again
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unto Esther on the second
day at the banquet of wine,
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What is thy petition, queen
Esther? and it shall be granted
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thee: and what is thy
request? it shall be performed
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even to the half of the kingdom.
Then Esther the queen answered
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and said, If I have found
favor in thy sight, O king,
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and if it please the
king, let my life be given me
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at my petition, and my people
at my request: For we are sold,
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I and my people, to be
destroyed, to be slain,
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and to perish. But if we
had been sold for bondmen and
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bondwomen, I had held my tongue,
although the enemy could not
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countervail the king's damage.
Then the king Ahasuerus answered
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and said unto Esther the queen,
Who is he, and where is he,
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that durst presume
in his heart to do so?
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And Esther said, The adversary
and enemy is this wicked Haman.
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Then Haman was afraid before the
king and the queen. And the king
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arising from the banquet of
wine in his wrath went into the
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palace garden: and Haman stood
up to make request for his life
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to Esther the queen; for he saw
that there was evil determined
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against him by the king. Then
the king returned out of the
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palace garden into the
place of the banquet of wine;
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and Haman had fallen upon
the bed whereon Esther was.
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Then said the king, Will he
force the queen also before me
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in the house? As the word
went out of the king's mouth,
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they covered
Haman's face. And Harbonah,
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one of the chamberlains, said
before the king, Behold also,
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the gallows fifty cubits
high, which Haman had made
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for Mordecai, who had
spoken good for the king,
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standeth in the house of Haman.
Then the king said, Hang him
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thereon. So they hanged
Haman on the gallows that he had
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prepared for Mordecai. Then
was the king's wrath pacified.
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Continuing with
Esther, chapter 8.
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On that day did the king
Ahasuerus give the house of
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Haman the Jew's enemy
unto Esther the queen.
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And Mordecai came before
the king; for Esther had told
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what he was unto her. And
the king took off his ring,
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which he had taken from Haman,
and gave it unto Mordecai.
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And Esther set Mordecai over the
house of Haman. And Esther spake
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yet again before the
king, and fell down at his feet,
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and besought him with tears to
put away the mischief of Haman
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the Agagite, and his device that
he had devised against the Jews.
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Then the king held out the
golden sceptre toward Esther.
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So Esther arose, and
stood before the king, and said,
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If it please the king, and if
I have found favor in his sight,
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and the thing seem right before
the king, and I be pleasing
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in his eyes, let it be written
to reverse the letters devised
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by Haman, the son of Hammedatha
the Agagite, which he wrote to
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destroy the Jews which are
in all the king's provinces:
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or how can I endure to see
the evil that shall come unto my
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people? or how can I
endure to see the destruction
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of my kindred? Then the
king Ahasuerus said unto Esther
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the queen and to Mordecai the
Jew, Behold, I have given Esther
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the house of Haman, and him they
have hanged upon the gallows,
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because he laid his hand upon
the Jews. Write ye also for the
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Jews, as it liketh you, in
the king's name, and seal it
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with the king's ring: for the
writing which is written in the
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king's name, and sealed with the
kings ring, may no man reverse.
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Then were the king's scribes
called at that time in the 3rd
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month, that is, the month Sivan,
on the three and twentieth
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day thereof; and it was written
according to all that Mordecai
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commanded unto the Jews, and to
the lieutenants and the deputies
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and rulers of the provinces
which are from India unto
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Ethiopia, an hundred
twenty and seven provinces,
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unto every province according
to the writing thereof, and unto
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every people after their
language, and to the Jews
00:11:49.61\00:11:51.63
according to their
writing, and according to their
00:11:51.66\00:11:53.35
language. And he wrote
in the king Ahasuerus' name,
00:11:53.38\00:11:57.87
and sealed it with the king's
ring, and sent letters by posts
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on horseback, and riders
on mules, camels, and young
00:12:01.78\00:12:05.08
dromedaries: Wherein the king
granted the Jews which are in
00:12:05.11\00:12:09.68
every city to gather themselves
together, and to stand for their
00:12:09.71\00:12:14.22
life, to destroy, to slay, and
to cause to perish all the power
00:12:14.25\00:12:18.37
of the people and province
that would assault them,
00:12:18.40\00:12:21.56
both little ones and women,
and to take the spoil of them
00:12:21.59\00:12:24.79
for a prey, upon one day in all
the provinces of king Ahasuerus,
00:12:24.82\00:12:29.10
namely, upon the 13th day of the
12th month, which is the month
00:12:29.13\00:12:33.00
Adar. The copy of the writing
for a commandment to be given
00:12:33.03\00:12:36.81
in every province was published
unto all the people, and that
00:12:36.84\00:12:40.45
the Jews should be ready against
that day to avenge themselves
00:12:40.48\00:12:43.73
on their enemies. So the posts
that rode upon the mules and
00:12:43.76\00:12:48.30
camels went out, being hastened
and pressed on by the king's
00:12:48.33\00:12:52.27
commandment. And the decree
was given at Shushan the palace.
00:12:52.30\00:12:56.23
And Mordecai went out from the
presence of the king in royal
00:12:56.26\00:13:00.33
apparel of blue and white,
and with a great crown of gold,
00:13:00.36\00:13:03.26
and with a garment of fine linen
and purple: and the city of
00:13:03.29\00:13:06.67
Shushan rejoiced and was glad.
The Jews had light and gladness
00:13:06.70\00:13:12.76
and joy, and honor. And in every
province, and in every city,
00:13:12.79\00:13:17.78
withersoever the king's
commandment and his decree came,
00:13:17.81\00:13:21.37
the Jews had joy and gladness,
a feast and a good day.
00:13:21.40\00:13:26.12
And many of the people of the
land became Jews; for the fear
00:13:26.15\00:13:30.71
of the Jews fell upon them.
Continuing to read in Esther,
00:13:30.74\00:13:34.93
chapter 9. This is
the King James Version.
00:13:34.96\00:13:37.10
Now in the twelfth month, that
is, the month Adar, on the 13th
00:13:37.13\00:13:42.15
day of the same, when the king's
commandment and his decree
00:13:42.18\00:13:45.95
drew near to be put in execution
in the day that the enemies
00:13:45.98\00:13:51.03
of the Jews hoped to have power
over them, though it was turned
00:13:51.06\00:13:55.69
into the contrary, that
the Jews had rule over them
00:13:55.72\00:13:59.30
that hated them; the Jews
gathered themselves together
00:13:59.33\00:14:02.96
in their cities throughout
all the provinces of the king
00:14:02.99\00:14:05.75
Ahasuerus, to lay hand on such
as sought their hurt: and no man
00:14:05.78\00:14:11.41
could withstand them; for
the fear of them fell upon all
00:14:11.44\00:14:14.73
people. And all the
rulers of the provinces,
00:14:14.76\00:14:18.12
and the lieutenants, and the
deputies, and officers of the
00:14:18.15\00:14:22.00
king, helped the Jews; because
the fear of Mordecai fell upon
00:14:22.03\00:14:26.96
them. For Mordecai was great in
the king's house, and his fame
00:14:26.99\00:14:30.91
went out throughout all the
provinces: for this man Mordecai
00:14:30.94\00:14:34.88
waxed greater and greater.
Until we come again, Goodbye.
00:14:34.91\00:14:39.82