KING AHASUERUS MAKES A FEAST TO THE SERVANTS IN HIS PALACE. HE COMMANDS VASHTI, THE QUEEN. TO COME BEFORE THE PEOPLE UNVEILED SHE REFUSES TO OBEY HIM. ESTHER IS MADE QUEEN IN HER PLACE. HAMAN. BECAUSE MORDECAI WILL NOT BOW TO HIM, TRIES TO DESTROY ALL THE JEWS IN THE KINGDOM.
BUT the Jews had not all come back to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel and Ezra: many of them still lived in the land of Persia. The name of the king who reigned over Persia at this time was Ahasuerus. In the third year of his reign he made a great feast for his servants in the court, or garden, of his palace, that was in the city of Shushan, where the kings of Persia lived during the winter. Around the court were hung curtains of white and green and blue, which were fastened by cords and silver rings, to pillars of marble. The beds in the palace were made of gold and silver, and the pavement was of red and blue, and white and black marble. The persons at the feast drank out of vessels of gold, and the king's wine was given in abundance, so that every man might drink as much as he wanted.
Vashti, the queen, also made a feast for the women in the palace of King Ahasuerus. And on the seventh day of the king's feast, after he had drunk wine and was merry, he sent to bring Vashti before him, with the crown upon her head, that the princes and people might see her beauty. Now, in Persia, the women lived in a separate part of the house, by themselves, and never came out before men unless they wore veils. And when King Ahasuerus sent for Vashti, the queen, to come before all the princes and people, that they might see her face unveiled, she refused to obey the king's commandment.
Therefore the king was angry, and said to his wise men, What shall we do to Queen Vashti, and how shall she be punished, because she has not obeyed the commandment of the king? One of the wise men answered, Vashti has done wrong, not only to the king, but also to all the princes and people of thy kingdom. For all the women of Persia will no more obey their husbands, when they hear that King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti, the queen, to come in before him, and she came not. Therefore let the king make a decree, and let it be written among the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed, that Vashti shall come no more before the king; and let the king choose another woman for queen who is better than she. Then, when this decree shall be known throughout the kingdom, all the wives, both of rich men and of poor men, will obey their husbands.
And these words pleased the king and his princes, and the king did as the wise man had told him. For he sent letters through all the different provinces of his kingdom, commanding that every man should be ruler in his own house, and that this law should be made known to all the people. Then the king's servants came to him, saying, Let the king send officers to all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young women of Persia into the palace at Shushan; and let the one who pleaseth the king best be queen instead of Vashti. And the king did as his servants said.
Now there was among the servants at the palace, a Jew, named Mordecai, who had a cousin named Esther. She was a Jewess. Her father and mother were dead, but when they died, Mordecai took Esther to his house, and since that time had brought her up as his own daughter. And the maid was fair and beautiful.
And it happened, when the king's commandment was made known through the land, and many young maidens were gathered together at Shushan, the palace, that Esther was brought there among them, and given to the care of the king's officer who was the keeper of the women. And the officer was pleased with Esther, and gave her a present, and also seven young maidens to wait on her; and he put her and her maidens into the best part of the house of the women. But Esther did not let it be known that she was a Jewess, for Mordecai had advised her not to tell it.
When King Ahasuerus saw Esther, he loved her more than all the other maidens who were brought before him, so that he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made a great feast that was called Esther's feast, and he gave gifts to his servants for her sake. But Esther was still careful to do all that Mordecai told her, for she obeyed him now, although she was made queen, as willingly as when she lived in his house and was brought up as his own daughter.
In those days, two of the king's officers, because they were angry, wanted to lay hands on the king and kill him. But Mordecai, who was a watchman at the king's gate, heard what they said, and told Esther, and Esther told the king. When the officers were examined their guilt was found out, and they were both hanged on a gallows. And what Mordecai had done to save the king's life, was written down in a book, where an account was kept of all the principal things that happened in the kingdom.
Now there was at the palace a servant named Haman. After these things, King Ahasuerus made Haman a great man, and set him above all the princes who were at the palace with him. And all the king's servants who watched by the king's gate, bowed down and did reverence before Haman, for so the king commanded. But Mordecai would not bow down before him. Then the king's servants said to Mordecai, Why dost thou not obey the king's commandment? After they had spoken to him day by day, and he would not listen to them, they told Haman of it.
When Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, he was very angry and determined to punish him. But he was not satisfied to punish Mordecai alone, he thought he would punish and destroy all the Jews that were in Persia; for the king's servants had told him that Mordecai was a Jew. So Haman spoke to King Ahasuerus against the Jews. He said, There are some of them living in all the provinces of thy kingdom, and they have laws of their own which are different from the laws of thy people, neither do they obey the king's laws. Therefore it is not well for the king to let them live. And if the king will make a decree that they shall be destroyed, I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the king's treasury.
And King Ahasuerus listened to what Haman said, and took his ring from his finger and gave it to Haman. Now the ring was what the king used when he made a law, or decree; he sealed the writing with his ring instead of signing it with his name, as we do now, and that was what made it one of the laws of the Medes and Persians, which could not be changed. When he gave Haman his ring, he meant that Haman should make such a decree as he chose, against the Jews, and seal it with his ring; for then it would be the same as if the king himself had made it. The king told Haman also that he need not pay the ten thousand talents of silver into his treasury, but he might do with the Jews as he pleased.
Then Haman called the king's scribes, or writers, together, and they wrote for him a decree, that, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the people of Persia should kill and destroy all the Jews in the kingdom, both young and old, little children and women. And whoever should kill them, had permission to take their houses, their lands, and their money, and to keep these things for his own. And Haman sealed the decree with the king's ring, and copies of it were sent by messengers to the governors and rulers of all the provinces, so that it might be made known to all the people of Persia. And the messengers went out in haste, according to the king's commandment. After they had gone, the king and Haman sat down to drink wine together.
When Mordecai heard of the decree that Haman had made, he was filled with sorrow; he rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth, and went out into the streets of the city, and cried with a loud and bitter cry. He came even before the king's gate, though he might not pass through there, because it was forbidden that any one should pass through the king's gate who was clothed in sackcloth. And in every province where the messengers brought the decree, there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting and weeping and wailing; and many lay down in sackcloth and ashes, because of their grief.
Now Queen Esther had not heard of the decree, but her maids came and told her that Mordecai was clothed in sackcloth, and that he cried in the streets of the city. Then Esther was very sorry, and she sent new garments to him, that he might take off the sackcloth and put the new garments on. But he would not. Therefore Esther called one of the king's officers who waited on her, and sent him to Mordecai to ask why he was troubled. So the officer went to the street before the king's gate, where Mordecai was, and asked him. Then Mordecai told the officer of all that had happened, and of the money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasury, if he might be allowed to destroy the Jews. Mordecai gave the officer, also, a copy of Haman's decree, to show Esther; and he asked the officer to tell the queen that she should go into the palace to the king, and pray and beseech him to save the Jews.
And the officer came and told Esther what Mordecai said. Then Esther sent word to Mordecai, saying, All the king's servants, and all the people of Persia know, that whoever shall go in before the king without being called, whether it be man or woman, must be put to death, unless the king shall hold out the golden sceptre. But I have not been called to come unto the king these thirty days; how then can I go and speak with him?
And the officer went and told Mordecai. But Mordecai sent again to Esther, and said to her, Do not think, because thou art queen, that our enemies will spare thee when they kill all the Jews. For if thou wilt not try to save thy people at this time, some one else shall save them, but thou and thy relations shall be destroyed. And who can tell whether thou hast not been made queen on purpose for this time, so that thou mightest save them?
Then Esther sent word to Mordecai, saying, Go and gather together all the Jews that are in the city, and let them fast for me, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day; I also, and my maidens, will fast, and then I will go in and speak with the king, though he has not called for me. And if I be put to death, I am willing to die. So Mordecai went and called all the Jews together, and they did as Esther commanded.