Mordecai Asks for Esther's Help

1When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he tore his clothes in anguish. Then he dressed in sackcloth, covered his head with ashes, and ran through the city crying loudly, "An innocent nation is being destroyed!" 2When he came to the entrance of the palace, he stopped. He did not go in because no one in sackcloth and ashes was allowed inside. 3Throughout all the provinces, wherever the king's proclamation was made known, there was loud mourning among the Jews. They wept, wailed, and put on sackcloth and ashes.

4When Esther's servant women and eunuchs told her what Mordecai was doing, she was deeply disturbed. She sent Mordecai some clothes to put on instead of the sackcloth, but he would not accept them. 5Then she called Hathach, one of the palace eunuchs appointed as her servant, and told him to go to Mordecai and get the details of what was happening. 7Mordecai told him everything that had happened and how Haman had promised to put 375 tons of silver into the royal treasury if all the Jews were killed. 8He gave Hathach a copy of the proclamation that had been issued in Susa, ordering the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai asked him to take it to Esther so that she might go and plead with the king and beg him to have mercy on her people. "Tell her," he said, "to remember the days when she was just an ordinary person being brought up under my care. Now, since Haman, the king's prime minister, has spoken against us and demands our death, she must pray to the Lord and then speak to the king about us. She must save us from death."

9So Hathach did this, 10and Esther gave him this message to take back to Mordecai: 11"If anyone, man or woman, goes to the inner courtyard and sees the king without being summoned, that person will be sentenced to death. Everyone in the empire knows that. Only if the king holds out his gold scepter to him can his life be spared. But it has been a month now since the king has sent for me."

12When Mordecai received Esther's message, 13he sent her this warning: "Esther, don't imagine that you are safer than any of the other Jews in the empire. 14If you keep quiet at a time like this, help will come to the Jews in some other way and they will be saved, but you will die and your father's family will come to an end. Yet, who knows? Maybe it was for a time like this that you were made queen!"

15Esther sent Mordecai this reply: 16"Go and gather all the Jews in Susa together; hold a fast and pray for me. Don't eat or drink anything for three days and nights. My servant women and I will be doing the same. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. If I must die for doing it, I will die."

17Mordecai then left and did everything that Esther had told him to do.

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Mordecai's Prayer

18Mordecai prayed to the Lord, calling to mind what the Lord had done in the past: 19"O Lord, you are the Lord and King of all creation, and everything obeys your commands. If you wish to save Israel, no one can stop you. 20You made heaven and earth and all the wonderful things on earth. 21You are the Lord of all, and there is no one who can stand against you. 22You know all things. You know, Lord, that when I refused to bow to that arrogant Haman, it was not because I was arrogant or trying to impress people. 23-24I simply did not want to honor any human being more than I honor God. I refuse to bow to anyone but you, my Lord; and this is not because of pride. If it would help to save Israel, I would be willing even to kiss the soles of his feet.

25-26"And now, O Lord, God and King, God of Abraham, spare your people; save us from our enemies. They are determined to destroy us; they are looking for a chance. Long ago you chose us to be your people and rescued us from the land of Egypt. Do not abandon us now. 27We are your chosen people, so listen to my prayer and be gracious to us. Turn our misfortune into joy so that we may live to sing your praises. Save us from death so that we can keep on praising you."

28And all the people of Israel prayed loudly and earnestly because they were sure that they were going to die.

Esther's Prayer

29Queen Esther, in deep agony, turned to the Lord. 30She took off her splendid robes and put on garments of mourning and grief. Instead of her rich perfumes, she put ashes and dung on her head. She did all she could to destroy any dignity in her appearance. She let her tangled and uncombed hair hang down over her body that she had always taken such care to beautify. 31She prayed to the Lord God of Israel, "My Lord and King, only you are God. I am all alone, and I have no one to turn to but you. Help me! 32I am about to risk my life. 33O Lord, as long as I can remember, my family has told me how you chose Israel from all the nations and how in ancient times you singled out our ancestors to be your people forever. You have kept all your promises to them.

34"But we sinned against you. You handed us over to our enemies because we worshiped their gods. 35We deserved your punishment, O Lord. 36But our enemies are no longer satisfied just to see us in slavery. They have made a solemn promise to their idols 37not only to destroy the people who praise you, but to do away with your Law and to remove forever the glory of your house and altar. 38They want the whole world to praise worthless idols and stand in awe of mortal kings forever.

39"Lord, these gods are nothing; do not surrender your power to them or give our enemies the chance to laugh at our downfall. Instead, turn their evil plans against them, and make an example of that man who first planned our destruction.

40"Remember us, O Lord. Come to us in this time of trouble. Give me courage, King of all gods and Ruler over all earthly powers. 41Give me the right words to say when I go in to face Xerxes, that savage lion. Change his heart so that he will turn against Haman, our enemy, and destroy him and his gang. 42Come to our rescue, O Lord. Help me; I am all alone, and I have no one to turn to but you.

43"You know everything, Lord. You know that I hate the honor I receive from these Gentiles. I detest the thought of having sex with any of these uncircumcised heathen. 44But you know that I have no choice. I hate the crown I have to wear as queen on official occasions. I never wear it unless I have to; it's as disgusting as last month's rag. 45I refuse to eat at Haman's table or honor the king by attending his parties, and I have never drunk any of the wine dedicated to his gods. 46Since I came here, the only thing that has brought me joy is my worship of you, Lord God of Abraham.

47"Almighty God, listen to the prayer of your people. Rescue us from these evildoers, and take away my fear."