The Prophetic Presbyterian & His Narrow Way

Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help 4  When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the city, wailingloudly and bitterly.   2  But he went only as far as the king’s gate, because no one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter it.   3  In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. Many lay in sackcloth and ashes. 4  When Esther’s eunuchs and female attendants came and told her about Mordecai, she was in great distress. She sent clothes for him to put on instead of his sackcloth, but he would not accept them.   5  Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king’s eunuchs assigned to attend her, and ordered him to find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. 6  So Hathak went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king’s gate. 7  Mordecai to...

  Haman’s Plot to Destroy the Jews 3  After these events, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite,elevating him and giving him a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles.   2  All the royal officials at the king’s gate knelt down and paid honor to Haman, for the king had commanded this concerning him. But Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor. 3  Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?”   4  Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew. 5  When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. 6  Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews,throug...

  Esther Made Queen 2  Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided,he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her.   2  Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.   3  Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.   4  Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it. 5  Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,   6  who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin ...

Queen Vashti Deposed 1  This is what happened during the time of Xerxes, [ a ]  the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces stretching from India to Cush [ b ] :   2  At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,   3  and in the third year of his reign he gave a banquet for all his nobles and officials. The military leaders of Persia and Media, the princes, and the nobles of the provinces were present. 4  For a full 180 days he displayed the vast wealth of his kingdom and the splendor and glory of his majesty.   5  When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days, in the enclosed garden of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa.   6  The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars. There were couches of gold ...