Esther
King Artaxerxes held a grand feast, during which his queen, Vashti, refused to appear before him, leading to her removal and replacement by Esther, a Jewish woman. Esther's cousin Mordecai discovered a plot to kill the king and reported it, but later refused to bow down to the king's advisor Haman, who then plotted to destroy all Jews in the kingdom. Esther, with Mordecai's urging, risked her life to approach the king and eventually revealed Haman's plot, leading to his execution and the issuance of a new decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves. The Jews then gathered and killed their enemies, and the king granted Esther's request to allow the Jews to continue their defense the next day. The events ultimately led to the establishment of the festival of Purim, commemorating the Jews' deliverance from their enemies, and Mordecai became second in authority after the king, attributing the events to God's salvation.
Chapter 1
King Artaxerxes held a 180-day feast to show off his kingdom's riches and power, followed by a 7-day feast for the people of Susa. During the feast, the king ordered his queen, Vashti, to appear before him, but she refused. The king, advised by his counselors, issued a decree that Vashti would no longer be queen and that another woman would take her place, and that all wives should honor their husbands as the rulers of their households.
Chapter 2
King Artaxerxes ordered his servants to find a new queen after Vashti's removal, and they gathered beautiful virgins from all the provinces, including Esther, a Jewish woman who was raised by her cousin Mordecai. Esther pleased the king's eunuch Hegai and was given special treatment, but she kept her Jewish heritage a secret. After a year of preparation, Esther was taken to the king and he loved her more than all the other women, making her the new queen. Mordecai, who had been staying at the king's gate, discovered a plot by two eunuchs to kill the king and reported it to Esther, who then told the king, resulting in the execution of the plotters.
Chapter 3
King Artaxerxes exalted Haman, who was given authority over all the king's rulers, and ordered everyone to bow down to him. Mordecai, a Jew, refused to obey, which angered Haman and led him to plot the destruction of all Jews in the kingdom. Haman convinced the king to issue a decree to destroy the Jews on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, Adar, and the king gave him the authority to do so. The decree was sent to all the provinces, ordering the destruction of all Jews, from children to the elderly, and the plundering of their goods.
Chapter 4
Mordecai learned of the king's edict to destroy the Jews and responded with public mourning, but Esther's servants and eunuchs were unable to comfort him. Mordecai sent a message to Esther through Hathach, urging her to intervene with the king on behalf of the Jews, but Esther hesitated due to the risk of death for approaching the king unsummoned. Mordecai countered that Esther's position in the palace would not save her if she remained silent, and that she may have been placed in the kingdom for this very purpose. Esther then agreed to risk her life and approach the king, but only after gathering the Jews to fast and pray for her for three days.
Chapter 5
Esther, dressed in her royal attire, stood before King Ahasuerus, who was pleased with her and offered to grant her any request, even half the kingdom. Esther asked the king to attend a feast she had prepared, along with Haman, which he agreed to. After the feast, the king again offered to grant Esther's request, but she asked him to attend another feast the next day, when she would reveal her petition. Meanwhile, Haman was infuriated that Mordecai did not show him respect, and his wife and friends advised him to have Mordecai hanged on a high beam.
Chapter 6
King Artaxerxes, unable to sleep, ordered the histories to be read to him and learned of Mordecai's past loyalty in reporting a plot against him. The king asked what reward Mordecai had received and was told none, just as Haman arrived to suggest Mordecai's execution. The king instead asked Haman how to honor a deserving man, and Haman, thinking the king meant him, described a grand ceremony. The king then ordered Haman to perform this ceremony for Mordecai, which he reluctantly did, leading to his own humiliation.
Chapter 7
King Artaxerxes, after being warmed with wine, asked Esther to make her request, and she begged him to spare her life and the lives of her people from their enemy. Esther revealed that their enemy was Haman, who was present and became dumbfounded upon hearing this. The king, enraged, left the feast and upon returning, found Haman collapsed on the couch where Esther lay, and ordered him to be hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai. Haman was subsequently hanged, and the king's anger was calmed.
Chapter 8
King Artaxerxes gave the house of Haman to Queen Esther and appointed Mordecai over it. Esther pleaded with the king to revoke Haman's orders to destroy the Jews, and the king allowed her to write new letters in his name, sealed with his ring, to countermand the previous orders. The new letters were sent to all the provinces, instructing the Jews to defend themselves and giving them permission to destroy their enemies. The king's edict was announced, and the Jews rejoiced, while many other nations joined in their celebrations, fearing the power of the Jews.
Chapter 9
The Jews, having been given permission by the king to defend themselves, gathered and killed their enemies, including the ten sons of Haman, and 500 men in Susa, and 75,000 in the provinces. The Jews did not take any spoils from their enemies. The king granted the queen's request to allow the Jews to continue their defense the next day, and the ten sons of Haman were hung on the gallows. The Jews then established the 14th and 15th days of Adar as sacred days of feasting and celebration, known as Purim, to commemorate their deliverance from their enemies.
Chapter 10
King Artaxerxes made all the land and islands tributaries, and Mordecai, a Jew, was second in authority after the king. Mordecai attributed the events that occurred to God, recalling a dream he had that signified the same things, and explained the symbolism of the dream, including Esther as a fountain that grew into a river and the people who gathered to erase the name of the Jews. Mordecai stated that the Lord brought salvation to his people and freed them from evils, and that the days of Purim would be observed in the month of Adar. The epistle of Purim was later translated by Lysimachus in Jerusalem.
Share this book