Latest / truthunedited / Relaxing Bible Stories for Sleep _ The Story of Joseph _ Esther Bible Story

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Relaxing Bible Stories for Sleep _ The Story of Joseph _ Esther Bible Story · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Welcome, friend. Thank you for joining our special all-night Bible
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  Speaker 1: story session. We have got great Bible stories for you.
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  Speaker 1: So settle in. If you appreciate what we do here
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  Speaker 1: this night bless you richly. Let's start with the story
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  Speaker 1: of Joseph. The wind was still, and the night sky
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  Speaker 1: shimmered with a thousand quiet stars. Joseph lay on his back.
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  Speaker 1: staring upward, unable to sleep. The desert air was cool
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  Speaker 1: against his skin, but his mind was restless. He had
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  Speaker 1: dreamed again, one of those strange, powerful dreams that felt
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  Speaker 1: like more than just his imagination. In his dream, he
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  Speaker 1: stood in a field with his brothers, all of them
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  Speaker 1: binding sheaves of grain. Then suddenly, his sheaf rose upright,
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  Speaker 1: while theirs bowed low before it. The image had burned
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  Speaker 1: itself into his heart. He didn't know what it meant,
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  Speaker 1: but it stirred something deep inside him. A feeling that
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  Speaker 1: his life was meant for something greater, something beyond the
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  Speaker 1: pastures of Canaan. Joseph was only 17, young and full
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  Speaker 1: of light. His laughter was easy, his heart pure, and
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  Speaker 1: his faith strong. His father Jacob loved him dearly, more
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  Speaker 1: than all his other sons. Joseph was the child of Rachel,
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  Speaker 1: Jacob's beloved wife, who had died too young. Every time
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  Speaker 1: Jacob looked into Joseph's eyes, he saw her smile, and
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  Speaker 1: so he favored the boy with tenderness that everyone else
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  Speaker 1: could see. One morning, Jacob called Joseph into the courtyard.
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  Speaker 1: The sun lit up the old man's face as he
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  Speaker 1: handed his son something wrapped in soft cloth. When Joseph
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  Speaker 1: opened it, his breath caught. It was a coat, a long,
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  Speaker 1: beautiful coat of many colors, made from fine threads that
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  Speaker 1: shimmered like jewels. He slipped it on, and the bright
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  Speaker 1: fabric glowed in the morning light. Jacob smiled proudly. My son,
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  Speaker 1: he said softly, may this coat remind you that you
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  Speaker 1: are deeply loved. But not everyone shared that love. Joseph's
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  Speaker 1: brothers watched from the shadows, their eyes hard and bitter. Reuben,
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  Speaker 1: the eldest, crossed his arms. Father shows no shame, he muttered.
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  Speaker 1: Does he forget we are his sons too? Simeon spat
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  Speaker 1: into the dust. Always Joseph, he said darkly. always the favorite.
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  Speaker 1: The brothers tried to hide their jealousy, but it grew
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  Speaker 1: each time they saw Joseph's colorful coat fluttering in the wind.
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  Speaker 1: He wore it with pride, not out of arrogance, but innocence.
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  Speaker 1: He did not see the hatred building in their hearts.
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  Speaker 1: Then came another dream. Joseph, unable to contain his excitement,
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  Speaker 1: ran to tell his family. Listen. I had another dream,
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  Speaker 1: he said, smiling wide. This time the sun, the moon,
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  Speaker 1: and eleven stars bowed down to me. His brothers stared
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  Speaker 1: in disbelief. Even Jacob frowned. Shall your mother and I
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  Speaker 1: and your brothers come and bow down to you? he asked.
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  Speaker 1: The question hung in the air. Joseph looked confused, realizing
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  Speaker 1: too late how his words sounded. But his father quietly
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  Speaker 1: kept the dream in his heart, sensing that there might
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  Speaker 1: be something divine behind it. From that day the brothers'
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  Speaker 1: anger turned into hatred. They avoided him, mocked him, and
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  Speaker 1: whispered behind his back. But Joseph continued to be kind,
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  Speaker 1: never understanding why their hearts had turned cold. One day
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  Speaker 1: Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers, who were
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  Speaker 1: grazing the flocks near Shechem. Go see if all is
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  Speaker 1: well and bring me word, he said. Joseph obeyed without question.
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  Speaker 1: He walked for miles under the burning sun, asking strangers
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  Speaker 1: for directions, until he finally found them near Dothan. From
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  Speaker 1: a distance they saw him coming. The bright coat made
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  Speaker 1: him easy to spot. Here comes the dreamer, one brother sneered.
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  Speaker 1: Let's kill him and see what becomes of his dreams.
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  Speaker 1: Reuben tried to reason with them. Don't shed blood, he
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  Speaker 1: said quietly. Throw him into that pit instead. He planned
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  Speaker 1: to rescue Joseph later when no one was watching. When
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  Speaker 1: Joseph reached them, smiling, his brothers surrounded him. Brothers, he said,
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  Speaker 1: breathless and happy. Father sent me. But before he could finish,
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  Speaker 1: they tore the colorful coat from his back. He cried
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  Speaker 1: out in shock as they grabbed him and threw him
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  Speaker 1: into an empty pit. The walls echoed his voice as
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  Speaker 1: he fell. Dust filled his mouth, and pain burned his
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  Speaker 1: hands as he tried to climb out. But there was
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  Speaker 1: no escape. Above him, His brothers sat down to eat,
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  Speaker 1: their laughter echoing cruelly in the still air. Then Judah
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  Speaker 1: spotted a caravan in the distance, a group of Ishmaelite
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  Speaker 1: traders on their way to Egypt. Their camels carried spices
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  Speaker 1: and goods for trade. What profit is there if we
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  Speaker 1: kill our brother? Judah said, Let's sell him instead. The
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  Speaker 1: others agreed. They pulled Joseph from the pit. His face
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  Speaker 1: was streaked with tears and dust. Please, he begged. Don't
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  Speaker 1: do this. But they ignored him and sold him for
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  Speaker 1: twenty pieces of silver, the price of a slave. As
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  Speaker 1: the caravan moved on, Joseph looked back one last time.
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  Speaker 1: His brothers stood watching until the desert swallowed him up.
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  Speaker 1: He didn't know it, but that was the last time
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  Speaker 1: he would see Canaan for many years. The brothers returned
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  Speaker 1: to their father carrying Joseph's torn coat. They dipped it
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  Speaker 1: in goat's blood and handed it to Jacob. We found this,
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  Speaker 1: they said. Do you know if it's your son's coat?
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  Speaker 1: Jacob trembled as he recognized it. It is my son's,
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  Speaker 1: he whispered. A wild beast has devoured him. He tore
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  Speaker 1: his clothes and wept uncontrollably. No one could comfort him.
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  Speaker 1: I will mourn my son until I join him in
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  Speaker 1: the grave, he cried. Meanwhile, Joseph was carried far away
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  Speaker 1: to Egypt. a land of towering temples, golden palaces, and
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  Speaker 1: strange gods. He was sold to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh,
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  Speaker 1: captain of the guard. Joseph worked hard in Potiphar's house,
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  Speaker 1: and soon, everything he touched began to prosper. Potiphar saw
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  Speaker 1: that this young Hebrew had something special about him, a
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  Speaker 1: quiet strength, a peace that never left his face. He
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  Speaker 1: trusted Joseph with everything, his home, his land, his business.
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  Speaker 1: But Potiphar's wife began to watch Joseph. He was strong, handsome,
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  Speaker 1: and kind. The more she looked, the more she desired him.
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  Speaker 1: Day after day she tried to tempt him. Lie with me,
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  Speaker 1: she whispered when no one was around. But Joseph refused.
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  Speaker 1: My master trusts me, he said. How could I do
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  Speaker 1: such a wicked thing and sin against God? She grew angry.
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  Speaker 1: One day when everyone else was gone, she caught his
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  Speaker 1: cloak as he tried to flee. The cloth tore from
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  Speaker 1: his hands as he escaped, leaving her furious and humiliated.
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  Speaker 1: She screamed, calling the servants. He tried to attack me,
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  Speaker 1: she cried, holding the torn cloak. When Potiphar heard her words,
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  Speaker 1: his rage was like fire. He threw Joseph into the
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  Speaker 1: royal prison without question. Once again, Joseph found himself behind bars,
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  Speaker 1: alone and forgotten. Yet even there he did not lose faith.
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  Speaker 1: He prayed. He worked, and the warden soon noticed that
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  Speaker 1: everything Joseph did was done with excellence. He made Joseph
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  Speaker 1: responsible for all the prisoners, and even in chains, Joseph
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  Speaker 1: became a leader. One night, two of Pharaoh's servants were
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  Speaker 1: thrown into prison, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker.
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  Speaker 1: They each had a troubling dream. Why are you so sad?
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  Speaker 1: Joseph asked. We had dreams, they said, and there's no
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  Speaker 1: one to interpret them. Interpretations belong to God. Joseph said gently.
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  Speaker 1: Tell me your dreams. The cupbearer spoke first. In my dream,
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  Speaker 1: I saw a vine with three branches. It budded and
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  Speaker 1: blossomed and I pressed the grapes into Pharaoh's cup and
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  Speaker 1: gave it to him. Joseph smiled. In three days, Pharaoh
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  Speaker 1: will restore you to your place. The baker, encouraged, told
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  Speaker 1: his dream. I had three baskets of bread on my
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  Speaker 1: head and birds came and ate from the top basket.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph's face grew somber. In three days, Pharaoh will lift
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  Speaker 1: off your head, he said softly. Everything happened exactly as
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  Speaker 1: Joseph said. But when the cupbearer was restored, he forgot
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  Speaker 1: Joseph completely. Two long years passed. Then Pharaoh himself had
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  Speaker 1: two strange dreams. In one, seven fat cows grazed by
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  Speaker 1: the river and seven thin cows came and devoured them.
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  Speaker 1: In the other, seven full heads of grain were eaten
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  Speaker 1: by seven thin ones. None of his wise men could
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  Speaker 1: explain the meaning. Then the cupbearer remembered Joseph. Pharaoh, he said,
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  Speaker 1: there is a man in prison who can interpret dreams.
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  Speaker 1: Pharaoh ordered that Joseph be brought before him. They shaved him,
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  Speaker 1: dressed him in clean linen, and led him into the
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  Speaker 1: great hall. Pharaoh said, I hear you can interpret dreams.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph bowed deeply. I cannot, he said, but God can
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  Speaker 1: give Pharaoh the answer he seeks. Pharaoh told his dreams.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph listened carefully. Both dreams mean the same thing, he said.
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  Speaker 1: There will be seven years of plenty in all Egypt,
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  Speaker 1: followed by seven years of famine. God has shown Pharaoh
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  Speaker 1: what he is about to do. Let Pharaoh choose a
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  Speaker 1: wise man to gather food during the good years, so
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  Speaker 1: Egypt will not perish when famine comes. Pharaoh looked at
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  Speaker 1: his officials. Can we find anyone like this man, one
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  Speaker 1: in whom is the Spirit of God? He turned to Joseph.
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  Speaker 1: Since God has revealed this to you, you shall be
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  Speaker 1: over my house. Only in the throne will I be
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  Speaker 1: greater than you. He placed his ring on Joseph's hand,
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  Speaker 1: clothed him in fine linen, and hung a gold chain
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  Speaker 1: around his neck. From that day Joseph ruled Egypt, second
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  Speaker 1: only to Pharaoh. For seven years the land flourished. Under
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  Speaker 1: Joseph's guidance, great storehouses were built, and grain was gathered
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  Speaker 1: in abundance. Then the famine came, harsh and relentless. But
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  Speaker 1: Egypt was ready. People from all over came to buy food,
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  Speaker 1: and Joseph's name became known throughout the world. One day,
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  Speaker 1: among the crowds that came to buy grain, Joseph saw
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  Speaker 1: a group of weary travelers. His heart stopped. They were
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  Speaker 1: his brothers. They bowed low before him. not recognizing the
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  Speaker 1: powerful man dressed in Egyptian robes. Joseph's eyes filled with tears,
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  Speaker 1: but he hid his identity. Where do you come from?
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  Speaker 1: he asked coldly. From Canaan, they replied. We've come to
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  Speaker 1: buy food. Joseph accused them of being spies. They protested,
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  Speaker 1: explaining about their family. We are twelve brothers, they said.
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  Speaker 1: The youngest is with our father, and one is no more.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph's chest tightened at those words. He ordered them to
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  Speaker 1: bring the youngest brother to prove their honesty, keeping Simeon
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  Speaker 1: in prison while the rest went home. He secretly returned
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  Speaker 1: their silver and their sacks of grain. Months later, the
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  Speaker 1: brothers returned with Benjamin, the youngest. When Joseph saw him,
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  Speaker 1: his eyes filled with tears. He turned away and wept
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  Speaker 1: in private, then washed his face and returned to them.
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  Speaker 1: He invited them to dine at his table. arranging them
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  Speaker 1: in their birth order, which amazed them. Yet still, he
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  Speaker 1: said nothing of who he was. Before sending them home again,
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  Speaker 1: he tested them once more. He ordered his silver cup
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  Speaker 1: to be hidden in Benjamin's sack. When they were on
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  Speaker 1: their way, his men stopped them. The governor's cup has
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  Speaker 1: been stolen. They shouted. They searched the sacks, and when
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  Speaker 1: the cup was found in Benjamin's, the brothers tore their
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  Speaker 1: clothes in despair. they returned to Joseph's palace. Judah stepped forward. Please,
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  Speaker 1: my lord, he said, voice shaking, punish me instead of
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  Speaker 1: the boy. Our father will die if we return without him.
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  Speaker 1: At that moment, Joseph could hold back no longer. He
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  Speaker 1: sent everyone else out of the room. Then he wept
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  Speaker 1: so loudly that even Pharaoh's household heard. I am Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: he cried. Is my father still alive? His brothers stood frozen,
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  Speaker 1: unable to speak. He stepped forward, tears streaming down his face.
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  Speaker 1: Don't be afraid. You meant evil against me, but God
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  Speaker 1: meant it for good, to save many lives. He embraced
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  Speaker 1: them one by one. Their cries filled the room. Joseph
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  Speaker 1: forgave them completely. What they had done out of jealousy,
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  Speaker 1: God had used for destiny. Joseph sent for his father.
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  Speaker 1: When Jacob heard the news, his heart nearly stopped. Joseph,
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  Speaker 1: my son is alive, he said in wonder. He gathered
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  Speaker 1: his family and journeyed to Egypt. When father and son
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  Speaker 1: finally met, they fell into each other's arms and wept
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  Speaker 1: for a long time. I never thought I would see
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  Speaker 1: your face again, Jacob said softly. And now God has
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  Speaker 1: let me see your children too. Joseph gave his family
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  Speaker 1: land in Goshen, where they prospered. Pharaoh himself welcomed them,
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  Speaker 1: honoring Joseph's family because of him. Years passed. Jacob grew
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  Speaker 1: old and blessed each of his sons before he died.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph buried him in Canaan, as he had promised. After
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  Speaker 1: Jacob's death, the brothers grew afraid again. Now that our
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  Speaker 1: father is gone, they said, Joseph will surely take revenge.
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  Speaker 1: They bowed before him once more. Please forgive us, they pleaded.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph looked at them with love. Do not be afraid,
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  Speaker 1: he said. Am I in God's place? You meant to
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  Speaker 1: harm me, but God turned it for good. He comforted them,
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  Speaker 1: promising to care for them and their children. And he did.
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  Speaker 1: Joseph lived to see his great-grandchildren. Before he died, he
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  Speaker 1: said to his people, God will surely come to you
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  Speaker 1: and lead you out of this land to the land
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  Speaker 1: he promised to our fathers. When that day comes, carry
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  Speaker 1: my bones with you. And when the Israelites finally left
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  Speaker 1: Egypt generations later, they carried Joseph's bones, keeping his promise alive.
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  Speaker 1: From a pit to a palace, from chains to a crown,
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  Speaker 1: Joseph's life was a story of divine purpose. He had
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  Speaker 1: been betrayed, enslaved, and forgotten, yet God never left him.
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  Speaker 1: Truly what people mean for evil, God can turn into
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  Speaker 1: something beautiful. Now, let's look at the story of Esther.
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  Speaker 1: there was a king named Xerxes. He ruled the Persian Empire,
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  Speaker 1: the most powerful kingdom on earth. His empire stretched from
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  Speaker 1: India in the east to Ethiopia in the west. It
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  Speaker 1: covered 127 provinces. When he spoke, millions obeyed. When he commanded,
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  Speaker 1: armies marched. When he wanted something, the whole world scrambled
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  Speaker 1: to give it to him. Xerxes loved to show off
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  Speaker 1: his wealth and power. In the third year of his reign,
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  Speaker 1: he threw the most magnificent feast anyone had ever seen.
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  Speaker 1: He invited all his nobles, his officials, his military leaders,
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  Speaker 1: and the princes of every province. The celebration lasted 180 days,
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  Speaker 1: six months of continuous feasting, drinking, and displaying the vast
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  Speaker 1: riches of his kingdom. The palace gardens blazed with color.
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  Speaker 1: White and blue linen curtains hung from silver rings on
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  Speaker 1: marble pillars. Guests reclined on couches of gold and silver,
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  Speaker 1: placed on a mosaic pavement of expensive stones. Servants poured
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  Speaker 1: wine from golden goblets, each one different from all the others.
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  Speaker 1: The wine flowed freely, as much as anyone wanted. After
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  Speaker 1: those 180 days, the king threw another feast. This one
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  Speaker 1: lasted seven days and included everyone in the citadel of Susa,
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  Speaker 1: the capital city. From the greatest to the least, Everyone
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  Speaker 1: received an invitation. Meanwhile, Queen Vashti held her own feast
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  Speaker 1: for the women in the royal palace. On the seventh
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  Speaker 1: day of this feast, when King Xerxes was drunk with wine,
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  Speaker 1: he made a foolish decision. He commanded his seven eunuchs
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  Speaker 1: to bring Queen Vashti before him, wearing her royal crown.
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  Speaker 1: He wanted to display her beauty to all the drunk
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  Speaker 1: nobles and princes. She was very beautiful, and he wanted
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  Speaker 1: everyone to admire what belonged to him. but Queen Vashti
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  Speaker 1: refused to come. The messengers returned empty-handed. The king's face
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  Speaker 1: turned red with rage. All the nobles stared. Whispers rippled
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  Speaker 1: through the crowd like wind through wheat. No one refused
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  Speaker 1: the king. No one said no to Xerxes. He was
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  Speaker 1: the most powerful man in the world, and his own
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  Speaker 1: wife had just humiliated him in front of everyone. The
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  Speaker 1: king's anger burned hot. He consulted his wise men, the
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  Speaker 1: experts in law and justice. According to the law, what
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  Speaker 1: should be done to Queen Vashti for disobeying my command?
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  Speaker 1: One of his advisors, a man named Memucan, stood up.
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  Speaker 1: Your Majesty, Queen Vashti has not only wronged you. She
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  Speaker 1: has wronged every noble and every citizen in all your provinces.
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  Speaker 1: When women everywhere hear what the queen has done, they
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  Speaker 1: will despise their husbands. they will say King Xerxes commanded
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  Speaker 1: Queen Vashti to come before him. But she refused. This
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  Speaker 1: very day, the Persian and Median women of nobility who
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  Speaker 1: have heard about the queen's conduct will respond to all
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  Speaker 1: the king's officials with the same disrespect. There will be
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  Speaker 1: no end of contempt and discord. The advisor continued, if
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  Speaker 1: it pleases the king, let him issue a royal decree
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  Speaker 1: that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of
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  Speaker 1: King Xerxes. Let the king give her royal position to
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  Speaker 1: someone better than she. Then when the king's edict is
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  Speaker 1: proclaimed throughout his vast empire, all women will respect their husbands,
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  Speaker 1: from the greatest to the least. This advice pleased the
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  Speaker 1: king and his nobles. King Xerxes issued the decree immediately.
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  Speaker 1: He sent dispatches to all parts of the kingdom, to
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  Speaker 1: each province in its own script, and to each people
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  Speaker 1: in their own language. The message was clear. Every man
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  Speaker 1: should be ruler over his own household. But after the
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  Speaker 1: anger cooled, after the wine wore off, King Xerxes remembered Vashti.
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  Speaker 1: He remembered her beauty, her presence, the way she made
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  Speaker 1: the palace feel alive. His chambers felt empty now. His
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  Speaker 1: throne room felt cold. He regretted what he had done,
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  Speaker 1: but the laws of the Persians and Medes could never
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  Speaker 1: be changed. Once a royal decree went out, it stood forever.
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  Speaker 1: The king's personal attendants saw his depression. They came to
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  Speaker 1: him with a suggestion. Let a search be made for
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  Speaker 1: beautiful young virgins throughout the empire. Let the king appoint
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  Speaker 1: commissioners in every province to bring all these beautiful young
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  Speaker 1: women to the harem in Susa. Let them be given
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  Speaker 1: beauty treatments. Then let the young woman who pleases the
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  Speaker 1: king become queen instead of Vashti. This advice appealed to
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  Speaker 1: King Xerxes. He ordered it done immediately. Now in the
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  Speaker 1: citadel of Susa lived a Jewish man named Mordecai. He
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  Speaker 1: belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. His family had been
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  Speaker 1: carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon,
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  Speaker 1: along with many other Jews. That had happened generations ago.
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  Speaker 1: Now Mordecai lived in Persia, working at the king's gate.
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  Speaker 1: He held a minor position in the government, important enough
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  Speaker 1: to have an office but not important enough to have
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  Speaker 1: real power. Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah. She was
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  Speaker 1: an orphan. Her mother and father had died when she
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  Speaker 1: was young. Mordecai had taken her in and raised her
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  Speaker 1: as his own daughter. Everyone called her by her Persian name, Esther.
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  Speaker 1: Esther was lovely in form and beautiful in appearance. But
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  Speaker 1: her beauty went deeper than her face. She possessed wisdom
• 21:22
  Speaker 1: beyond her years. She watched people carefully, understanding their moods
• 21:27
  Speaker 1: and motivations. She spoke little but listened much. When she
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: did speak, people paid attention. because her words carried weight.
• 21:36
  Speaker 1: She treated everyone with kindness, from the richest merchant to
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: the poorest beggar. Mordecai loved her deeply. He had protected
• 21:45
  Speaker 1: her all these years, teaching her the ways of their
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: people in secret. You see, being Jewish in the Persian
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: Empire was dangerous. The Jews lived as exiles, scattered throughout
• 21:56
  Speaker 1: the provinces. They had no homeland, no army, no protection
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: except what they could provide for themselves. Many Persians looked
• 22:05
  Speaker 1: down on them. Some hated them. So Mordecai had warned
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: Esther many times, never reveal your nationality. Never tell anyone
• 22:14
  Speaker 1: you are Jewish. These are dangerous times. Keep your identity hidden.
• 22:20
  Speaker 1: Esther always obeyed Mordecai. She trusted him completely. He had
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: saved her life when she was helpless. Now she would
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: do whatever he asked. When the king's decree went out,
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: Searching for beautiful young women to bring to the palace,
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: the king's officers scoured every city and every village. They
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: went door to door, taking any young woman who was beautiful.
• 22:44
  Speaker 1: Families wept. Fathers protested. Mothers clung to their daughters. But
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: it made no difference. This was the king's command. No
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: one could refuse. The officers came to Mordecai's house. They
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: saw Esther and immediately took her. Mordecai stood helpless, his
• 23:05
  Speaker 1: heart breaking. He wanted to fight. He wanted to hide her.
• 23:10
  Speaker 1: He wanted to run away with her to some distant
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: place where the king's reach could not find them. But
• 23:15
  Speaker 1: he knew any resistance would only bring punishment and death.
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: As the soldiers led Esther away, Mordecai gripped her hand
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: one last time. Remember who you are, he whispered urgently,
• 23:28
  Speaker 1: but never tell them. Guard your secret with your life.
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: Esther nodded, her eyes full of trust despite her fear.
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: She understood. Her Jewish identity must remain buried deep, hidden
• 23:41
  Speaker 1: like treasure in a field. The king's officers brought Esther
• 23:46
  Speaker 1: to the palace harem in Susa. They placed her under
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: the care of Haggai, the king's eunuch who was in
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: charge of the women. The harem was like a gilded cage.
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: Beautiful young women from every corner of the empire filled
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: the rooms. Persian girls with dark, mysterious eyes, Greek girls
• 24:05
  Speaker 1: with golden hair that caught the light, Ethiopian women with
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: skin like polished ebony, Indian maidens with jewels piercing their
• 24:13
  Speaker 1: noses and ears. All of them were beautiful. All of
• 24:18
  Speaker 1: them were terrified. Most of these girls had been taken
• 24:21
  Speaker 1: from their homes against their will. They had left behind families, friends,
• 24:26
  Speaker 1: dreams of marrying men they loved. Now they faced an
• 24:30
  Speaker 1: uncertain future. one night with the king. That was all
• 24:34
  Speaker 1: they would get. If he liked them, he might call
• 24:37
  Speaker 1: for them again. If he loved them, he might make
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: one of them queen. But most likely they would spend
• 24:43
  Speaker 1: that one night with him and then disappear into the
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: harem forever, forgotten concubines waiting for a summons that would
• 24:50
  Speaker 1: never come. Many of the girls wept constantly. Some refused
• 24:55
  Speaker 1: to eat. Others became bitter and cruel, turning on each
• 24:58
  Speaker 1: other like trapped animals. But Esther remained calm. She comforted
• 25:03
  Speaker 1: the girls who cried. She shared her food with those
• 25:06
  Speaker 1: too depressed to ask for their own. She spoke kindly
• 25:10
  Speaker 1: to everyone, treating the servants with as much respect as
• 25:13
  Speaker 1: she showed the other candidates. In that place of fear
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: and competition, Esther chose compassion. Haggai noticed her immediately. He
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: had supervised hundreds of beautiful women over the years. Most
• 25:27
  Speaker 1: of them blurred together in his memory, just faces. just bodies,
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: just another group to prepare for the king. But Esther
• 25:35
  Speaker 1: stood out. Something about her captured his attention. Maybe it
• 25:40
  Speaker 1: was her quiet dignity while others wailed. Maybe it was
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: her kindness to the other girls. Maybe it was the
• 25:46
  Speaker 1: intelligence that sparkled in her eyes. Whatever the reason, Haggai
• 25:51
  Speaker 1: favored Esther from the first day. He gave her the
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: best rooms in the harem, the ones with windows overlooking
• 25:58
  Speaker 1: the gardens. He assigned her seven personal maids, the most
• 26:02
  Speaker 1: capable and loyal. He provided her with special food from
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: the king's table. He gave her the finest cosmetics and perfumes.
• 26:11
  Speaker 1: He moved her and her maids to the most desirable
• 26:14
  Speaker 1: place in the house of women. Esther accepted all this
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: with genuine gratitude. She thanked Haggai warmly. She treated her
• 26:22
  Speaker 1: maids like friends rather than servants. She never acted entitled
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: or arrogant. This only made Haggai favor her more. The
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: other girls noticed, of course. Jealousy spread through the harem
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: like poison. Some whispered behind Esther's back. They spread rumors.
• 26:41
  Speaker 1: They tried to turn Haggai against her. But their schemes failed.
• 26:46
  Speaker 1: Esther's genuine kindness could not be counterfeited. Her humility could
• 26:50
  Speaker 1: not be faked. Each day, Mordecai walked back and forth
• 26:54
  Speaker 1: near the courtyard of the harem. He desperately wanted news
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: of Esther. He wanted to know if she was safe,
• 27:01
  Speaker 1: if she was well, if she was being treated fairly.
• 27:05
  Speaker 1: The guards recognized him after a while. They let him
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: pace because he never caused trouble. He just walked and
• 27:12
  Speaker 1: worried and prayed to the God of his fathers. Sometimes
• 27:16
  Speaker 1: a servant would slip him a message from Esther. Just
• 27:20
  Speaker 1: a few words to let him know she was alive
• 27:22
  Speaker 1: and unharmed. These brief notes were Mordecai's only comfort. According
• 27:27
  Speaker 1: to the regulations for the women, before a young woman's
• 27:30
  Speaker 1: turn came to go to King Xerxes, she had to
• 27:33
  Speaker 1: complete twelve months of beauty treatments, six months with oil
• 27:37
  Speaker 1: of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. This
• 27:41
  Speaker 1: was the standard preparation for all the women. The treatments
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: transformed them. Their skin became smooth as silk. Their hair
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: shone like polished bronze. Their bodies became perfect, shaped and sculpted.
• 27:55
  Speaker 1: Every blemish disappeared. Every rough edge softened. They became living
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: works of art, created for one purpose, to please the king.
• 28:04
  Speaker 1: During these twelve months, Esther revealed nothing about her background.
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: When the other girls talked about their families, their homes,
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: their traditions and festivals, Esther spoke in vague terms. She
• 28:16
  Speaker 1: said she was from Susa. She mentioned that Mordecai was
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: her guardian. Beyond that, she offered nothing. She never lied,
• 28:24
  Speaker 1: but she never told the complete truth. her Jewish identity
• 28:28
  Speaker 1: remained locked away in her heart. Hegai taught her everything
• 28:32
  Speaker 1: she needed to know. How to walk gracefully. How to
• 28:35
  Speaker 1: speak to royalty. What topics pleased the king. What subjects
• 28:40
  Speaker 1: annoyed him. The eunuch's lessons went far beyond simple protocol.
• 28:46
  Speaker 1: He taught her about power, about influence, about the subtle
• 28:49
  Speaker 1: ways a woman could guide a king's decisions without him
• 28:52
  Speaker 1: even realizing it. Esther absorbed everything like dry ground soaking
• 28:57
  Speaker 1: up rain. She learned quickly. She asked smart questions. She
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: understood that her life depended on this knowledge. One wrong move,
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: one foolish word, and she could end up dead or worse. Finally,
• 29:12
  Speaker 1: after twelve long months, Esther's turn came to go to
• 29:15
  Speaker 1: King Xerxes. It was the seventh year of his reign,
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth. the other
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: girls had already gone before her, one by one. Some
• 29:27
  Speaker 1: had returned weeping. Others had returned with forced smiles that
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: fooled no one. None had captured the king's heart enough
• 29:34
  Speaker 1: to be called back. When the time came for Esther
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: to go, Hegai came to her chambers. You may take
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: anything you want with you, he told her. Jewelry, fine clothes,
• 29:46
  Speaker 1: exotic perfumes. Whatever you think will please the king. Choose
• 29:51
  Speaker 1: whatever you desire from the royal treasury. Esther looked at
• 29:54
  Speaker 1: the treasures spread before her. gold necklaces thick as ropes,
• 29:59
  Speaker 1: silver bracelets studded with precious stones, rings with rubies, emeralds,
• 30:04
  Speaker 1: and sapphires, robes of royal purple and scarlet, veils woven
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: from threads so fine they seemed made of mist, enough
• 30:13
  Speaker 1: wealth to buy a small city. Any other girl would
• 30:17
  Speaker 1: have loaded herself with ornaments. They would have tried to
• 30:20
  Speaker 1: outshine all the others who had gone before. More jewelry,
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: more perfume, more of everything, Surely more was better. Surely
• 30:29
  Speaker 1: excess would impress the king. But Esther understood something the
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: others did not. The king had seen hundreds of beautiful
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: women dripping with jewels and perfume. He had grown numb
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: to it. Bored by it. What he needed was something different.
• 30:46
  Speaker 1: Something real. Something genuine. Esther looked at Haggai and said simply,
• 30:51
  Speaker 1: I will take only what you advise. The eunuch's face
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: broke into a smile. This girl was brilliant. She trusted
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: his judgment, his experience, his deep knowledge of the king's
• 31:03
  Speaker 1: tastes and preferences. Haggai dressed her elegantly but simply. No
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: excessive jewelry, no overpowering perfumes. Just natural beauty, enhanced but
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: not hidden. She looked like a woman, not a jewelry display.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: That evening, servants led Esther through the palace corridors to
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: the king's chambers. Her heart pounded. Her mouth felt dry.
• 31:28
  Speaker 1: Everything depended on the next few hours. Her future. Perhaps
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: her life. Certainly her freedom. King Xerxes sat on his couch,
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: a golden wine cup in his hand. He looked tired.
• 31:42
  Speaker 1: He had been dreading another tedious night with another beautiful
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: girl who would try too hard to please him. He
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: expected the usual performance. The practiced smiles. The rehearsed compliments.
• 31:56
  Speaker 1: The obvious. desperate attempts to win his favor. Instead, he
• 32:00
  Speaker 1: found Esther. She entered quietly, without fanfare. She wore simple elegance.
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: She moved with natural grace. When he spoke to her,
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: she listened carefully before responding. She did not interrupt him.
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: She did not finish his sentences. She actually heard what
• 32:18
  Speaker 1: he said. She laughed at his jokes because they genuinely
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: amused her, not because he was king. She asked him
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: thoughtful questions about his empire, his campaigns, his concerns and frustrations.
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: Real questions that showed she cared about his answers. Intelligent
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: questions that revealed a sharp mind. For the first time
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: in years, King Xerxes felt like he was talking to
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: a real person instead of a performer. He felt seen.
• 32:46
  Speaker 1: He felt heard. He felt understood. They talked through the night.
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: The king forgot about wine. He forgot about his advisors
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: waiting in the outer rooms. He forgot about the Empire
• 32:59
  Speaker 1: and its endless problems. For a few precious hours, he
• 33:04
  Speaker 1: was just a man talking to a woman who fascinated him.
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: When morning came, the king did not want Esther to leave.
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: When she did leave, following protocol, he could not stop
• 33:14
  Speaker 1: thinking about her. The other women had been beautiful, yes,
• 33:19
  Speaker 1: but beauty faded from memory like morning mist burning off
• 33:22
  Speaker 1: a lake. Esther remained in his mind, vivid and real
• 33:27
  Speaker 1: and present. He summoned her again that night, and the
• 33:30
  Speaker 1: night after, and the night after that. Now Esther won
• 33:35
  Speaker 1: the favor of everyone who saw her. People in the
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: palace began to talk about her. The servants loved her.
• 33:42
  Speaker 1: The officials respected her. Even the other women in the harem,
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: despite their jealousy, could not help but admire her. Within
• 33:50
  Speaker 1: a week, King Xerxes made his decision. He loved Esther
• 33:54
  Speaker 1: more than any of the other women. She had won
• 33:57
  Speaker 1: his favor and approval more than any of the virgins.
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: So he set a royal crown on her head and
• 34:03
  Speaker 1: made her queen instead of Vashti. The king gave a
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: great banquet in Esther's honor. He invited all his nobles
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces. He
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: distributed gifts with royal generosity. He reduced taxes. He freed prisoners.
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: The whole empire celebrated. They placed the royal crown on
• 34:26
  Speaker 1: Esther's head during the coronation ceremony. The weight surprised her.
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: Gold is heavy. Responsibility is heavier still. Esther became queen
• 34:36
  Speaker 1: of Persia, the most powerful woman in the world. She
• 34:40
  Speaker 1: moved into the royal apartments. Hundreds of servants waited to
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: fulfill her every wish. Her word now carried the force
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: of law across 127 provinces. She could have anything she wanted,
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: go anywhere she pleased, demand whatever her heart desired. But
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: power did not change Esther. She remained the same compassionate
• 35:01
  Speaker 1: woman who had comforted crying girls in the harem. She
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: treated her servants with kindness. She spoke to the lowest
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: maid with the same respect she showed to the highest noble.
• 35:12
  Speaker 1: The crown sat on her head, but humility lived in
• 35:15
  Speaker 1: her heart. And still, she kept her secret. No one
• 35:19
  Speaker 1: knew she was Jewish. No one suspected. Mordecai had told
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: her not to reveal her nationality and family background, and
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: Esther continued to obey him just as she had done
• 35:29
  Speaker 1: when he was bringing her up. Mordecai remained at his post,
• 35:33
  Speaker 1: working at the king's gate. His adopted daughter now wore
• 35:37
  Speaker 1: a crown, but nothing changed between them. She sent him
• 35:41
  Speaker 1: messages secretly through trusted servants. He sent her advice through
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: the same channels. Their bond remained strong, even though they
• 35:49
  Speaker 1: could no longer walk together through the marketplace or share
• 35:52
  Speaker 1: meals like they once did. One day, while Mordecai was
• 35:56
  Speaker 1: sitting at the king's gate, two of the king's officers
• 35:59
  Speaker 1: became angry with King Xerxes. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh.
• 36:04
  Speaker 1: They were eunuchs who guarded the doorway to the king's chambers.
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: For some reason, they felt the king had wronged them.
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he had insulted them. Perhaps he had passed them
• 36:14
  Speaker 1: over for promotions. Perhaps they were simply evil men looking
• 36:18
  Speaker 1: for power. Whatever their motive, they plotted to assassinate King Xerxes.
• 36:25
  Speaker 1: They whispered their plans together, thinking no one was listening.
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: But Mordecai overheard them. He sat at his usual place
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: near the gate, pretending to review his documents. His ears
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: caught every word of their treasonous conspiracy. Mordecai did not hesitate.
• 36:42
  Speaker 1: He immediately sent word to Queen Esther, telling her about
• 36:45
  Speaker 1: the assassination plot. Esther reported it to the king, giving
• 36:49
  Speaker 1: credit to Mordecai. She said, Mordecai the Jew discovered this
• 36:54
  Speaker 1: plot and told me. The king ordered an investigation. His
• 36:58
  Speaker 1: guards interrogated the two officers. Under questioning, they confessed everything.
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: The plot was real. They had indeed planned to kill
• 37:08
  Speaker 1: the king. King Xerxes ordered them executed immediately. They were
• 37:13
  Speaker 1: impaled on poles as a warning to anyone else who
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: might consider treason. The king then commanded that the entire
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: incident be recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in
• 37:22
  Speaker 1: his presence. Scribes wrote down every detail, the names of
• 37:26
  Speaker 1: the traitors, the nature of their plot, and the fact
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: that Mordecai the Jew had saved the king's life. But
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: then the crisis passed. The king moved on to other matters.
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: The empire demanded constant attention. Wars needed planning. Provinces needed governing.
• 37:44
  Speaker 1: The Book of Chronicles was closed and shelved in the
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: royal library. Mordecai received no reward, no promotion, no public recognition,
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: no riches. His name simply gathered dust in the archives, waiting.
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: Mordecai did not complain. He had done his duty. He
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: had saved the king's life and protected Esther. He asked
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: for nothing more. He returned to his work at the gate,
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: faithful and diligent as always. The palace returned to its
• 38:14
  Speaker 1: normal rhythms. Queen Esther settled into her royal duties. King
• 38:20
  Speaker 1: Xerxes dealt with the endless affairs of his vast empire.
• 38:23
  Speaker 1: Life continued, but darkness was coming. Sometime after these events,
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: King Xerxes honored a man named Haman. He was the
• 38:33
  Speaker 1: son of Hamadatha, a descendant of Agae. The king elevated
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: Haman to a position above all the other nobles. He
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: gave Haman a seat of honor higher than all the
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: other officials. Haman became the second most powerful man in
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: the empire, answering only to the king himself. Haman loved
• 38:52
  Speaker 1: his power. He breathed it like air. He fed on
• 38:56
  Speaker 1: it like food. Power was not just something he possessed,
• 38:59
  Speaker 1: it was who he was. He walked through the palace
• 39:03
  Speaker 1: corridors expecting everyone to bow. He spoke and expected instant obedience.
• 39:09
  Speaker 1: He commanded and expected immediate compliance. The king had issued
• 39:13
  Speaker 1: a decree. All the royal officials at the king's gate
• 39:16
  Speaker 1: must kneel down and pay honor to Haman. Everyone obeyed.
• 39:21
  Speaker 1: When Haman approached, officials dropped to their knees. Guards bowed low.
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: Servants prostrated themselves on the ground. Everyone showed him the
• 39:31
  Speaker 1: reverence they would show to a god. Everyone except Mordecai.
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: Day after day, Mordecai came to the king's gate to work.
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: Day after day, Haman passed by. And day after day,
• 39:45
  Speaker 1: Mordecai refused to kneel or pay him honor. He stood
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: straight while everyone around him bowed. He remained upright while
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: others groveled on the ground. The other royal officials at
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: the gate noticed immediately. They asked Mordecai, Why do you
• 40:01
  Speaker 1: disobey the king's command? Don't you know you could be
• 40:05
  Speaker 1: executed for this? Mordecai replied simply, I am a Jew.
• 40:10
  Speaker 1: We bow to no man. We kneel only before God.
• 40:14
  Speaker 1: Day after day they questioned him. Day after day, he refused. Finally,
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: they reported him to Haman. They wanted to see whether
• 40:23
  Speaker 1: Mordecai's behavior would be tolerated. They were curious whether this
• 40:27
  Speaker 1: Jew would get away with his defiance. When Haman learned
• 40:31
  Speaker 1: that Mordecai refused to kneel or pay him honor, rage
• 40:34
  Speaker 1: consumed him. His face turned red. His hands clenched into fists.
• 40:40
  Speaker 1: How dare this insignificant Jew refuse him? How dare this
• 40:44
  Speaker 1: nobody defy his authority? But Haman was clever. Killing just
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: Mordecai would not satisfy his wounded pride. When he learned
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: that Mordecai was a Jew, a wicked idea formed in
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: his mind. Why kill one Jew when he could destroy
• 41:00
  Speaker 1: them all? Why punish one man when he could annihilate
• 41:04
  Speaker 1: an entire people? Haman began to plot the complete destruction
• 41:09
  Speaker 1: of all the Jews throughout the entire kingdom of Xerxes.
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: Every man, woman, and child, young and old, rich and poor,
• 41:17
  Speaker 1: all of them would die. Their names would be erased
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: from history. Their religion would disappear from the earth. In
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month,
• 41:28
  Speaker 1: the month of Nisan, Haman cast lots, called Pur, to
• 41:32
  Speaker 1: select a lucky day and month for his plan. The
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: lots fell on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
• 41:39
  Speaker 1: That gave him almost a year to organize the genocide.
• 41:43
  Speaker 1: Haman went to King Xerxes with his evil proposal. He
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: spoke carefully, never mentioning the Jews by name at first.
• 41:51
  Speaker 1: He was too clever for that. Your Majesty. Haman said,
• 41:55
  Speaker 1: Bowing low, there is a certain people dispersed among the
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their customs
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: are different from those of all other people. They do
• 42:06
  Speaker 1: not obey the king's laws. It is not in the
• 42:08
  Speaker 1: king's best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king,
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: let a decree be issued to destroy them. I will
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: put ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury
• 42:20
  Speaker 1: to pay the men who carry out this business. Ten
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: thousand talents of silver. An enormous sum. Enough to fund
• 42:28
  Speaker 1: armies for years. The king's eyes gleamed at the mention
• 42:32
  Speaker 1: of such wealth. King Xerxes took off his signet ring
• 42:36
  Speaker 1: and gave it to Haman. The signet ring was the
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: symbol of absolute authority. Any decree sealed with that ring
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: became law, unchangeable and eternal. Keep the money, the king
• 42:48
  Speaker 1: said carelessly. Do with the people as you please. Haman
• 42:52
  Speaker 1: had won. With those few words, the king had signed
• 42:55
  Speaker 1: the death warrant for an entire nation. On the thirteenth
• 42:59
  Speaker 1: day of the first month, Haman summoned the king's secretaries.
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: He dictated orders to them in the name of King Xerxes.
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: The secretaries wrote out everything Haman commanded. They addressed the
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: orders to the king's satraps, the governors of the various provinces,
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: and the nobles of the various peoples. Each order was
• 43:19
  Speaker 1: written in the script of each province and the language
• 43:22
  Speaker 1: of each people. Everything was written in the name of
• 43:25
  Speaker 1: King Xerxes himself and sealed with the king's signet ring.
• 43:30
  Speaker 1: Messengers were dispatched by couriers to all the king's provinces
• 43:33
  Speaker 1: with the order to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the Jews,
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: young and old, women and children, all on a single day,
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: The orders also stated that all their property would be seized.
• 43:51
  Speaker 1: A copy of the text of the edict was to
• 43:53
  Speaker 1: be issued as law in every province and made known
• 43:56
  Speaker 1: to the people of every nationality. This way they would
• 43:59
  Speaker 1: be ready for that day. The couriers went out, spurred
• 44:03
  Speaker 1: on by the king's command. The decree was also issued
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: in the citadel of Susa. Then King Xerxes and Haman
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: sat down to drink. But the city of Susa was bewildered.
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: How could such evil be commanded? How could such cruelty
• 44:19
  Speaker 1: become law? Confusion and fear spread through the streets like wildfire.
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: When Mordecai learned of all that had been done, he
• 44:27
  Speaker 1: tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth and ashes. He
• 44:32
  Speaker 1: went out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly. He
• 44:36
  Speaker 1: went only as far as the king's gate. because no
• 44:38
  Speaker 1: one clothed in sackcloth was allowed to enter there. In
• 44:43
  Speaker 1: every province where the edict reached, there was great mourning
• 44:46
  Speaker 1: among the Jews. They fasted. They wept. They wailed. Many
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: lay in sackcloth and ashes, the traditional signs of grief
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: and desperation. Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: about Mordecai. The queen was in great distress. She could
• 45:04
  Speaker 1: not understand why Mordecai was mourning. She sent clothes for
• 45:08
  Speaker 1: him to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he would
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: not accept them. Something terrible had happened, but she did
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: not yet know what. Esther summoned Hathak, one of the
• 45:19
  Speaker 1: king's eunuchs assigned to attend her. She ordered him to
• 45:22
  Speaker 1: find out what was troubling Mordecai and why. Hathak went
• 45:26
  Speaker 1: out to Mordecai in the open square of the city
• 45:29
  Speaker 1: in front of the king's gate. Mordecai told him everything.
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: He explained how Haman had promised to pay silver into
• 45:36
  Speaker 1: the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. He
• 45:39
  Speaker 1: gave Hathak a copy of the text of the edict
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: that had been published in Susa so Esther could read
• 45:44
  Speaker 1: it herself. He told Hathak to urge Esther to go
• 45:48
  Speaker 1: into the king's presence to beg for mercy and plead
• 45:51
  Speaker 1: with him for her people. Hathak went back and reported
• 45:55
  Speaker 1: everything Mordecai had said to Queen Esther. The words struck
• 45:59
  Speaker 1: her like a physical blow. Her people her people were
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: going to be slaughtered. Every Jewish man, woman, and child
• 46:06
  Speaker 1: in the empire would be killed in eleven months. Esther
• 46:10
  Speaker 1: sent this reply back to Mordecai through Hathak. All the
• 46:14
  Speaker 1: king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know
• 46:17
  Speaker 1: that for any man or woman who approaches the king
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: in the inner court without being summoned, the king has
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: but one law, that they be put to death unless
• 46:26
  Speaker 1: the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: their lives. But thirty days have passed, Since I was
• 46:32
  Speaker 1: called to go to the king, she was telling him
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: the truth. Persian law was absolute. No one could approach
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: the king without being summoned. Not even the queen. If
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: she went to him uninvited, he could order her execution
• 46:47
  Speaker 1: on the spot. Her only hope would be if he
• 46:50
  Speaker 1: extended his golden scepter toward her, showing mercy. And she
• 46:55
  Speaker 1: had not been called to see the king in thirty days.
• 46:58
  Speaker 1: For all she knew, he had grown tired of her.
• 47:01
  Speaker 1: Perhaps he had found a new favorite. Perhaps her influence
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: was gone. If she went to him now, uninvited, he
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: might simply let her die. Mordecai sent back this answer,
• 47:13
  Speaker 1: Do not think that because you are in the king's
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance
• 47:22
  Speaker 1: for the Jews will arise from another place. But you
• 47:25
  Speaker 1: and your father's family will perish. And who knows but
• 47:29
  Speaker 1: that you have come to your royal position for such
• 47:31
  Speaker 1: a time as this. The words pierced Esther's heart. For
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: such a time as this. All her life had led
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: to this moment. The death of her parents. Her adoption
• 47:43
  Speaker 1: by Mordecai. Her beauty that caught the king's attention. Her
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: wisdom that won his heart. Her position as queen. Everything
• 47:52
  Speaker 1: had prepared her for this exact crisis. But the cost
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: might be her life. Esther made her decision. She sent
• 48:00
  Speaker 1: this reply to Mordecai, Go, gather together all the Jews
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: who are in Susa and fast for me. Do not
• 48:07
  Speaker 1: eat or drink for three days, night or day. I
• 48:11
  Speaker 1: and my attendants will fast as you do. When this
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: is done, I will go to the king, even though
• 48:17
  Speaker 1: it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: So Mordecai went away and carried out all of Esther's instructions.
• 48:27
  Speaker 1: Throughout Susa Jews gathered to fast and pray. For three
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: days and three nights they ate nothing. They drank nothing.
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: They begged God to save them. They pleaded for Esther's protection.
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: They prayed for a miracle. Inside the palace Esther and
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: her attendants did the same. For three days the queen
• 48:48
  Speaker 1: starved herself. She spent the time in prayer preparing herself
• 48:52
  Speaker 1: to face death. She made peace with her fate. If
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: God wanted her to die saving her people, she would die.
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: But she would not sit quietly while genocide swept across
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: the empire. On the third day, Esther put on her
• 49:07
  Speaker 1: royal robes. She dressed herself as beautifully as she could.
• 49:12
  Speaker 1: Then she walked through the palace corridors toward the inner court,
• 49:15
  Speaker 1: toward the king's hall. Every step might be her last.
• 49:19
  Speaker 1: Every breath might be her final one. But she kept walking.
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: She stood in the inner court of the palace, in
• 49:26
  Speaker 1: front of the king's hall. The king was sitting on
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: his royal throne in the hall, facing the entrance. Their
• 49:33
  Speaker 1: eyes met across the distance. Esther's heart pounded so hard
• 49:37
  Speaker 1: she thought it might burst. This was it. Life or death.
• 49:42
  Speaker 1: Mercy or execution. Everything depended on the next few seconds.
• 49:47
  Speaker 1: When King Xerxes saw Queen Esther standing in the court,
• 49:50
  Speaker 1: his face softened. She looked so beautiful, so vulnerable, so brave.
• 49:56
  Speaker 1: He was pleased with her. His heart melted. The king
• 50:00
  Speaker 1: extended the gold scepter that was in his hand toward Esther.
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: She was safe. She would live. Esther approached and touched
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: the tip of the scepter. The gesture sealed her safety.
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: As long as she touched the scepter, she was under
• 50:15
  Speaker 1: the king's protection. The king asked, What is it, Queen Esther?
• 50:20
  Speaker 1: What is your request, even up to half the kingdom?
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: It will be given you. Half the kingdom. The traditional
• 50:27
  Speaker 1: phrase of generosity. He would give her almost anything she wanted.
• 50:33
  Speaker 1: But Esther did not blurt out her request immediately. She
• 50:36
  Speaker 1: was too clever for that. She needed time to plan.
• 50:40
  Speaker 1: She needed to arrange things perfectly. One wrong word, one
• 50:44
  Speaker 1: tactless approach, and Haman might escape justice. Her people might
• 50:49
  Speaker 1: still die. If it pleases the king, Esther replied, let
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: the king, together with Haman, come today to a banquet
• 50:57
  Speaker 1: I have prepared for him. A banquet, just dinner, a
• 51:02
  Speaker 1: small request. The king agreed immediately. Bring Haman at once.
• 51:07
  Speaker 1: the king commanded his servants so that we may do
• 51:10
  Speaker 1: what Esther asks. So the king and Haman went to
• 51:13
  Speaker 1: the banquet Esther had prepared. Haman felt honored. The queen
• 51:18
  Speaker 1: had invited only him and the king. This proved his importance.
• 51:22
  Speaker 1: His chest swelled with pride. As they were drinking wine,
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: the king again asked Esther, Now what is your petition?
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: It will be given you. And what is your request?
• 51:35
  Speaker 1: Even up to half the kingdom, it will be granted.
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: But again, Esther held back. The moment was not yet right.
• 51:43
  Speaker 1: My petition and my request is this, Esther answered. If
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: the king regards me with favor, and if it pleases
• 51:50
  Speaker 1: the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request,
• 51:53
  Speaker 1: let the king and Haman come tomorrow to the banquet
• 51:56
  Speaker 1: I will prepare for them. Then I will answer the
• 51:59
  Speaker 1: king's question. Another delay. Another dinner. The king agreed without hesitation.
• 52:06
  Speaker 1: He enjoyed Esther's company. He did not mind coming back tomorrow.
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: Haman left the palace that day happy and in high spirits.
• 52:16
  Speaker 1: The queen had honored him. The king valued him. Life
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: was perfect. But then he saw Mordecai at the king's gate.
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: That cursed Jew still sat there, still refused to bow,
• 52:28
  Speaker 1: still showed him no respect. Rage boiled up inside Haman.
• 52:32
  Speaker 1: His good mood evaporated like water on hot stones. Yet
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: Haman restrained himself. He went home instead and called together
• 52:40
  Speaker 1: his friends and his wife Suresh. He boasted to them
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: about his vast wealth, his many sons, and all the
• 52:47
  Speaker 1: ways the king had honored him. He bragged about how
• 52:50
  Speaker 1: he had been elevated above the other nobles and officials.
• 52:54
  Speaker 1: And that's not all, Haman added. I'm the only person
• 52:58
  Speaker 1: Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: she gave. And she has invited me along with the
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: king to-morrow. his friends murmured their approval. His wife smiled
• 53:09
  Speaker 1: with pride, but then Haman's expression darkened. But all this
• 53:14
  Speaker 1: gives me no satisfaction, he said bitterly, as long as
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate.
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: His wife Suresh and all his friends had a solution.
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: Have a pole set up, reaching a height of fifty cubits,
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: they said. In the morning, ask the king to have
• 53:31
  Speaker 1: Mordecai impaled on it. Then go with the king to
• 53:34
  Speaker 1: the banquet, and enjoy yourself. Fifty cubits. About seventy-five feet high.
• 53:41
  Speaker 1: A gallow so tall that everyone in the city would
• 53:44
  Speaker 1: see Mordecai's body hanging there. A monument to Haman's power
• 53:48
  Speaker 1: and vengeance, this suggestion delighted Haman. He had the pole
• 53:52
  Speaker 1: set up immediately. By nightfall, it stood finished, towering over
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: the city like a promise of death. In the morning,
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: Haman would ask the king for permission to hang Mordecai,
• 54:04
  Speaker 1: the king would agree. After all, the king always agreed
• 54:09
  Speaker 1: with Haman. And then that troublesome Jew would finally be dead.
• 54:14
  Speaker 1: Haman went to bed satisfied, dreaming of Mordecai's execution. But
• 54:18
  Speaker 1: that same night, the king could not sleep. He tossed
• 54:22
  Speaker 1: and turned, restless and awake. When sleep refused to come,
• 54:26
  Speaker 1: he ordered the Book of the Chronicles, the record of
• 54:29
  Speaker 1: his reign, to be brought in and read to him.
• 54:32
  Speaker 1: Perhaps the droning voice of the reader would bore him
• 54:34
  Speaker 1: into slumber. The servant opened the book and began to read.
• 54:39
  Speaker 1: He read about various events, decrees and incidents from the
• 54:43
  Speaker 1: king's reign. Then he came to the account of how
• 54:46
  Speaker 1: Mordecai had exposed Biktana and Tirish, the two officers who
• 54:50
  Speaker 1: had conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. The king sat up suddenly.
• 54:56
  Speaker 1: What honor and recognition has Mordecai received for this? He asked.
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: His attendants checked the records. Nothing has been done for him,
• 55:04
  Speaker 1: they reported. Nothing. The man had saved the king's life,
• 55:09
  Speaker 1: and he had received nothing. No reward. No promotion. No recognition.
• 55:16
  Speaker 1: The king felt ashamed. How had he forgotten such an
• 55:20
  Speaker 1: important debt? At that very moment, Haman entered the outer
• 55:24
  Speaker 1: court of the palace to speak to the king about
• 55:26
  Speaker 1: impaling Mordecai on the pole he had set up. Haman
• 55:30
  Speaker 1: had come early, eager to get permission before going to
• 55:33
  Speaker 1: the queen's banquet. The king heard someone in the outer court.
• 55:37
  Speaker 1: Who is in the court? he asked. Haman is standing
• 55:40
  Speaker 1: in the court. His attendants answered. Bring him in, the
• 55:45
  Speaker 1: king commanded. Haman entered, bowing low. Before he could speak,
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: the king asked him what should be done for the
• 55:52
  Speaker 1: man the king delights to honor. Haman's heart leaped. Who
• 55:56
  Speaker 1: could the king want to honor except Haman himself? Obviously
• 56:00
  Speaker 1: the king was planning some great reward for him. His
• 56:04
  Speaker 1: mind raced with possibilities. For the man the king delights
• 56:07
  Speaker 1: to honor. Haman answered, Have them bring a royal robe
• 56:11
  Speaker 1: the king has worn and a horse the king has ridden,
• 56:14
  Speaker 1: one with a royal crest placed on its head. Then
• 56:17
  Speaker 1: let the robe and horse be entrusted to one of
• 56:19
  Speaker 1: the king's most noble princes. Let them robe the man
• 56:23
  Speaker 1: the king delights to honor. And lead him on the
• 56:26
  Speaker 1: horse through the city streets, proclaiming before him, This is
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: what is done for the man the king delights to honor.
• 56:33
  Speaker 1: Haman imagined himself in that royal robe, riding that royal horse,
• 56:37
  Speaker 1: while people shouted his praises. The vision filled him with joy.
• 56:42
  Speaker 1: Go at once, the king commanded. Get the robe and
• 56:46
  Speaker 1: the horse, and do just as you have suggested for
• 56:48
  Speaker 1: Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do
• 56:52
  Speaker 1: not neglect anything you have recommended. The words hit Haman
• 56:56
  Speaker 1: like a physical blow. Mordecai? The king wanted to honor Mordecai,
• 57:02
  Speaker 1: that cursed Jew who refused to bow. Haman felt sick, dizzy, humiliated.
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: But he could not refuse the king's command. With trembling
• 57:14
  Speaker 1: hands and a face drained of color, Haman got the
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: robe and the horse. He found Mordecai at the king's gate,
• 57:21
  Speaker 1: still in his sackcloth and ashes. Haman had to personally
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: dress his enemy in royal robes, He had to lead
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: Mordecai through the streets on horseback while shouting, This is
• 57:31
  Speaker 1: what is done for the man the king delights to honor.
• 57:35
  Speaker 1: The entire city watched. Everyone saw Haman, the second most
• 57:39
  Speaker 1: powerful man in the empire, serving as herald for the
• 57:42
  Speaker 1: Jew he hated. The humiliation burned like acid in Haman's soul.
• 57:48
  Speaker 1: After the parade, Mordecai returned to the king's gate. He
• 57:52
  Speaker 1: did not gloat. He did not boast. He simply resumed
• 57:56
  Speaker 1: his work. though now people looked at him with new respect.
• 57:59
  Speaker 1: The king had honored him publicly. That meant something. Haman
• 58:04
  Speaker 1: rushed home, covering his face in grief and humiliation. He
• 58:09
  Speaker 1: told his wife Zoresh and all his friends everything that
• 58:12
  Speaker 1: had happened. His advisors and his wife said to him,
• 58:16
  Speaker 1: since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him. You will surely
• 58:24
  Speaker 1: come to ruins. The words chilled Haman to his bones.
• 58:29
  Speaker 1: For the first time, fear crept into his heart. But
• 58:32
  Speaker 1: before he could respond, the king's eunuchs arrived to hurry
• 58:35
  Speaker 1: him to the banquet Esther had prepared. King Xerxes and
• 58:39
  Speaker 1: Haman went to Queen Esther's banquet. As they were drinking
• 58:43
  Speaker 1: wine on the second day, the king again asked, Queen Esther,
• 58:47
  Speaker 1: what is your petition? It will be given you. What
• 58:50
  Speaker 1: is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it
• 58:54
  Speaker 1: will be granted. This time Esther was ready. The moment
• 58:58
  Speaker 1: had come. She had prepared carefully. She had prayed desperately.
• 59:04
  Speaker 1: Now she would risk everything. If I have found favor
• 59:07
  Speaker 1: with you, your majesty. Esther replied, and if it pleases you,
• 59:12
  Speaker 1: grant me my life. This is my petition, and spare
• 59:16
  Speaker 1: my people. This is my request, for I and my
• 59:20
  Speaker 1: people have been sold to be destroyed, killed, and annihilated.
• 59:24
  Speaker 1: If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves,
• 59:28
  Speaker 1: I would have kept quiet. because no such distress would
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: justify disturbing the king. The king stared at her in shock.
• 59:36
  Speaker 1: Someone wanted to kill his beloved queen. Someone had plotted
• 59:40
  Speaker 1: genocide against her people. His face turned red with rage.
• 59:45
  Speaker 1: King Xerxes demanded, Who is he? Where is he? Who
• 59:49
  Speaker 1: has dared to do such a thing? Esther looked directly
• 59:53
  Speaker 1: at Haman. An adversary and enemy, she said. This vile Haman.
• 59:59
  Speaker 1: Haman's face went white. Terror seized him. The king knew.
• 1:00:04
  Speaker 1: The queen had exposed him. Everything was falling apart. The
• 1:00:08
  Speaker 1: king was furious. He got up in a rage, left
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: his wine, and went out into the palace garden. He
• 1:00:14
  Speaker 1: needed to think. He needed to control his anger before
• 1:00:18
  Speaker 1: he did something rash. Haman realized the king had already
• 1:00:23
  Speaker 1: decided his fate. Terror overwhelmed him. He stayed behind to
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: beg Queen Esther for his life. He fell on the
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: couch where Esther was reclining, pleading desperately for mercy. At
• 1:00:35
  Speaker 1: that moment, the king returned from the palace garden to
• 1:00:38
  Speaker 1: the banquet hall. He saw Haman falling on the couch
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: where Esther was. His rage exploded. Will he even molest
• 1:00:45
  Speaker 1: the queen while she is with me in the house?
• 1:00:48
  Speaker 1: The king shouted. As soon as the words left the
• 1:00:51
  Speaker 1: king's mouth, the servants covered Haman's face. This was the
• 1:00:55
  Speaker 1: sign of a condemned man. His fate was sealed. Then Harbona,
• 1:01:01
  Speaker 1: one of the eunuchs attending the king, spoke up. A
• 1:01:04
  Speaker 1: pole reaching a height of fifty cubits stands by Haman's house.
• 1:01:08
  Speaker 1: He had it set up for Mordecai, who spoke up
• 1:01:11
  Speaker 1: to help the king. The king's eyes blazed. Haman had
• 1:01:15
  Speaker 1: built gallows for the man who saved the king's life.
• 1:01:19
  Speaker 1: The man the king had just honored impale him on it.
• 1:01:23
  Speaker 1: The king commanded. So they impaled Haman on the pole
• 1:01:27
  Speaker 1: he had set up for Mordecai. The irony was perfect.
• 1:01:31
  Speaker 1: The trap Haman had built for another man became his
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 1: own execution device. The gallows he had erected in pride
• 1:01:38
  Speaker 1: became the instrument of his destruction. Then the king's fury subsided.
• 1:01:43
  Speaker 1: Justice had been served. That same day, King Xerxes gave
• 1:01:48
  Speaker 1: Queen Esther the estate of Haman, the enemy of the Jews.
• 1:01:52
  Speaker 1: Mordecai came into the presence of the king, for Esther
• 1:01:55
  Speaker 1: had told how he was related to her. She had
• 1:01:58
  Speaker 1: finally revealed her secret. She was Jewish. Mordecai was her
• 1:02:03
  Speaker 1: cousin and adopted father. The king now knew everything. The
• 1:02:08
  Speaker 1: king took off his signet ring, which he had reclaimed
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: from Haman, and presented it to Mordecai. Esther appointed Mordecai
• 1:02:15
  Speaker 1: over Haman's estate. The enemy's wealth now belonged to the
• 1:02:19
  Speaker 1: Jews he had tried to destroy. But one problem remained.
• 1:02:23
  Speaker 1: Haman was dead, but his evil decree still stood. The
• 1:02:28
  Speaker 1: law that called for the destruction of all Jews still existed,
• 1:02:31
  Speaker 1: written in the king's name and sealed with the king's
• 1:02:34
  Speaker 1: signet ring. And according to Persian law, no decree written
• 1:02:38
  Speaker 1: in the king's name and sealed with his ring could
• 1:02:40
  Speaker 1: be revoked. In eleven months, every Jew in the empire
• 1:02:44
  Speaker 1: would be slaughtered. The law demanded it. Esther went to
• 1:02:48
  Speaker 1: the king again. She fell at his feet and wept.
• 1:02:52
  Speaker 1: She begged him to put an end to the evil
• 1:02:54
  Speaker 1: plan of Haman. she pleaded with him to save her people.
• 1:02:59
  Speaker 1: King Xerxes extended the gold scepter to Esther, and she
• 1:03:02
  Speaker 1: arose and stood before him. If it pleases the king,
• 1:03:07
  Speaker 1: she said, and if he regards me with favor and
• 1:03:09
  Speaker 1: thinks it the right thing to do, and if he
• 1:03:11
  Speaker 1: is pleased with me. Let an order be written overruling
• 1:03:15
  Speaker 1: the dispatches that Haman wrote to destroy the Jews in
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: all the king's provinces. For how can I bear to
• 1:03:21
  Speaker 1: see disaster fall on my people? How can I bear
• 1:03:25
  Speaker 1: to see the destruction of my family? The king faced
• 1:03:28
  Speaker 1: a legal dilemma. He could not revoke Haman's decree. But
• 1:03:32
  Speaker 1: he could issue another decree. King Xerxes replied to Queen
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, Because Haman attacked the Jews,
• 1:03:40
  Speaker 1: I have given his estate to Esther. And they have
• 1:03:43
  Speaker 1: impaled him on the pole he set up. Now write
• 1:03:46
  Speaker 1: another decree in the king's name in behalf of the Jews,
• 1:03:49
  Speaker 1: as seems best to you, and seal it with the
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: king's signet ring. no document written in the king's name
• 1:03:57
  Speaker 1: and sealed with his ring can be revoked. Immediately, on
• 1:04:01
  Speaker 1: the 23rd day of the third month, the month of Sivan,
• 1:04:05
  Speaker 1: the royal secretaries were summoned. Mordecai dictated all his orders
• 1:04:10
  Speaker 1: to the Jews and to the satraps, governors and nobles
• 1:04:13
  Speaker 1: of the 127 provinces stretching from India to Ethiopia. These
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: orders were written in the script of each province and
• 1:04:21
  Speaker 1: the language of each people, and also to the Jews
• 1:04:24
  Speaker 1: in their own script and language. Mordecai wrote in the
• 1:04:27
  Speaker 1: name of King Xerxes, sealed the dispatches with the king's
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: signet ring, and sent them by mounted couriers, who rode
• 1:04:33
  Speaker 1: fast horses bred specially for the king. The king's edict
• 1:04:38
  Speaker 1: granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble
• 1:04:40
  Speaker 1: and protect themselves. They could destroy, kill, and annihilate the
• 1:04:45
  Speaker 1: armed forces of any nationality or province that might attack them,
• 1:04:49
  Speaker 1: their women and children. they could also plunder the property
• 1:04:53
  Speaker 1: of their enemies. The day appointed for the Jews to
• 1:04:56
  Speaker 1: do this was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month,
• 1:04:59
  Speaker 1: the month of Adar, the same day Haman had chosen
• 1:05:02
  Speaker 1: for their destruction. A copy of the text of the
• 1:05:06
  Speaker 1: edict was to be issued as law in every province
• 1:05:09
  Speaker 1: and made known to the people of every nationality so
• 1:05:12
  Speaker 1: that the Jews would be ready on that day to
• 1:05:14
  Speaker 1: avenge themselves on their enemies. the couriers riding the royal horses,
• 1:05:19
  Speaker 1: went out, spurred on by the king's command. The edict
• 1:05:22
  Speaker 1: was also issued in the citadel of Susa. When Mordecai
• 1:05:27
  Speaker 1: left the king's presence, he wore royal garments of blue
• 1:05:30
  Speaker 1: and white, a large crown of gold, and a purple
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: robe of fine linen. The city of Susa held a
• 1:05:36
  Speaker 1: joyous celebration. For the Jews it was a time of
• 1:05:39
  Speaker 1: happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: in every city to which the edict of the king came,
• 1:05:47
  Speaker 1: There was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: and celebrating. Many people of other nationalities became Jews because
• 1:05:55
  Speaker 1: fear of the Jews had seized them. The tables had
• 1:05:59
  Speaker 1: turned completely. The Jews were no longer helpless victims waiting
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: to be slaughtered. They were now a people protected by
• 1:06:06
  Speaker 1: the king himself, authorized to defend themselves with lethal force.
• 1:06:11
  Speaker 1: On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, The month
• 1:06:14
  Speaker 1: of Adar, the edict commanded by the king, was to
• 1:06:17
  Speaker 1: be carried out. On this day the enemies of the
• 1:06:20
  Speaker 1: Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables
• 1:06:23
  Speaker 1: were turned. The Jews got the upper hand over those
• 1:06:26
  Speaker 1: who hated them. The Jews assembled in their cities throughout
• 1:06:30
  Speaker 1: all the provinces of King Xerxes to attack those determined
• 1:06:33
  Speaker 1: to destroy them. No one could stand against them, because
• 1:06:37
  Speaker 1: the people of all the other nationalities were afraid of them.
• 1:06:41
  Speaker 1: All the nobles of the provinces, the satraps, the governors,
• 1:06:44
  Speaker 1: and the king's administrators helped the Jews, because fear of
• 1:06:48
  Speaker 1: Mordecai had seized them. Mordecai was prominent in the palace.
• 1:06:52
  Speaker 1: His fame spread throughout the provinces, and he became more
• 1:06:55
  Speaker 1: and more powerful. The Jews struck down all their enemies
• 1:06:59
  Speaker 1: with the sword, killing and destroying them. They did what
• 1:07:02
  Speaker 1: they pleased to those who hated them. In the citadel
• 1:07:05
  Speaker 1: of Susa, the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, They
• 1:07:10
  Speaker 1: also killed the 10 sons of Haman, but they did
• 1:07:13
  Speaker 1: not lay their hands on the plunder. The king asked
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: Queen Esther, the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men
• 1:07:20
  Speaker 1: in the citadel of Susa, including the 10 sons of Haman.
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: What have they done in the rest of the king's provinces? Now,
• 1:07:28
  Speaker 1: what is your petition? It will be given you. What
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: is your request? It will also be granted. Esther answered,
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 1: if it pleases the king, Give the Jews in Susa
• 1:07:39
  Speaker 1: permission to carry out this day's edict tomorrow also, and
• 1:07:42
  Speaker 1: let Haman's ten sons be impaled on poles. The king
• 1:07:46
  Speaker 1: commanded that this be done. An edict was issued in Susa,
• 1:07:51
  Speaker 1: and they impaled the ten sons of Haman. The Jews
• 1:07:54
  Speaker 1: in Susa came together on the fourteenth day of the
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 1: month of Adar, and they put to death in Susa
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: three hundred men, but they did not lay their hands
• 1:08:02
  Speaker 1: on the plunder. The other Jews throughout the king's provinces
• 1:08:06
  Speaker 1: also assembled to protect themselves and get relief from their enemies.
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: They killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they
• 1:08:13
  Speaker 1: did not lay their hands on the plunder. This happened
• 1:08:17
  Speaker 1: on the 13th day of the month of Adar. On
• 1:08:20
  Speaker 1: the 14th they rested and made it a day of
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: feasting and joy. The Jews in Susa, however, had assembled
• 1:08:27
  Speaker 1: on the 13th and 14th, and then on the 15th
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: they rested and made it a day of feasting and joy.
• 1:08:34
  Speaker 1: Mordecai recorded these events. He sent letters to all the
• 1:08:38
  Speaker 1: Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,
• 1:08:42
  Speaker 1: to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days
• 1:08:45
  Speaker 1: of the month of Adar as the time when the
• 1:08:47
  Speaker 1: Jews got relief from their enemies. It was the month
• 1:08:51
  Speaker 1: when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning
• 1:08:54
  Speaker 1: into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe
• 1:08:58
  Speaker 1: the days as days of feasting and joy and giving
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 1: presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
• 1:09:05
  Speaker 1: The Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun,
• 1:09:08
  Speaker 1: doing what Mordecai had written to them. They decided to
• 1:09:12
  Speaker 1: call these days Purim, from the word Pur, meaning lot,
• 1:09:16
  Speaker 1: because Haman had cast lots to determine the day to
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: destroy them. but his evil plot had backfired completely. Therefore,
• 1:09:24
  Speaker 1: because of everything written in this letter, and because of
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: what they had seen and what had happened to them,
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom
• 1:09:33
  Speaker 1: that they and their descendants and all who join them
• 1:09:35
  Speaker 1: should without fail observe these two days every year, in
• 1:09:39
  Speaker 1: the way prescribed and at the time appointed. These days
• 1:09:43
  Speaker 1: should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family,
• 1:09:46
  Speaker 1: and in every province, and in every city, These days
• 1:09:50
  Speaker 1: of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews,
• 1:09:53
  Speaker 1: and the memory of these days should never die out
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: among their descendants. Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew wrote
• 1:10:00
  Speaker 1: with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim.
• 1:10:04
  Speaker 1: Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: provinces of Xerxes' kingdom with words of goodwill and assurance
• 1:10:12
  Speaker 1: to establish these days of Purim at their designated times,
• 1:10:15
  Speaker 1: as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them.
• 1:10:19
  Speaker 1: and as they had established for themselves and their descendants
• 1:10:22
  Speaker 1: in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. Esther's
• 1:10:27
  Speaker 1: decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written
• 1:10:31
  Speaker 1: down in the records. King Xerxes imposed tribute throughout the
• 1:10:34
  Speaker 1: empire to its distant shores. All his acts of power
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: and might, together with a full account of the greatness
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: of Mordecai, whom the king had promoted, are written in
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Media
• 1:10:46
  Speaker 1: and Persia. Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to
• 1:10:50
  Speaker 1: King Xerxes. He was preeminent among the Jews and held
• 1:10:54
  Speaker 1: in high esteem by his many fellow Jews, because he
• 1:10:57
  Speaker 1: worked for the good of his people and spoke up
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: for the welfare of all the Jews. Esther remained queen,
• 1:11:03
  Speaker 1: beloved by the king and respected throughout the empire. She
• 1:11:07
  Speaker 1: had saved her people from certain destruction. She had risked
• 1:11:10
  Speaker 1: her life, and her courage had changed history. The story
• 1:11:15
  Speaker 1: of Esther reminds us that sometimes we are placed in
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: certain positions for a specific purpose. We may not understand
• 1:11:21
  Speaker 1: why we face certain trials or why we are given
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: certain opportunities. But everything may be preparation for a moment
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: when we must choose between safety and sacrifice, between silence
• 1:11:32
  Speaker 1: and speaking up, between protecting ourselves and protecting others. Esther
• 1:11:37
  Speaker 1: could have remained silent. She could have hidden her Jewish
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: identity and let her people die. She was safe in
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: the palace. The decree would not have touched her. But
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: she chose differently. She chose courage over comfort. She chose
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: her people over her position. She chose to risk everything
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: rather than live with the guilt of doing nothing. If
• 1:12:00
  Speaker 1: I perish, I perish, she had said. Those words echo
• 1:12:04
  Speaker 1: across the centuries. They remind us that some things are
• 1:12:08
  Speaker 1: worth dying for. Some people are worth saving. Some evils
• 1:12:12
  Speaker 1: must be opposed. regardless of the cost. Esther's story is
• 1:12:17
  Speaker 1: a story of providence. A Jewish orphan became queen of
• 1:12:20
  Speaker 1: Persia at exactly the right moment to save her people
• 1:12:23
  Speaker 1: from genocide. Coincidence? Perhaps. But to those who believe in
• 1:12:29
  Speaker 1: a God who guides history, it looks like something more.
• 1:12:33
  Speaker 1: It looks like divine orchestration. The festival of Purim continues
• 1:12:37
  Speaker 1: to this day, celebrated by Jews around the world. Every
• 1:12:42
  Speaker 1: year they remember how their ancestors were saved from destruction.
• 1:12:46
  Speaker 1: Every year they read the story of Esther. Every year
• 1:12:50
  Speaker 1: they celebrate the triumph of good over evil, of courage
• 1:12:53
  Speaker 1: over fear, of life over death. And every year they
• 1:12:57
  Speaker 1: remember that one woman's bravery saved an entire nation. The
• 1:13:02
  Speaker 1: gallows that Haman built for Mordecai became the instrument of
• 1:13:05
  Speaker 1: his own death. The decree he wrote to destroy the
• 1:13:09
  Speaker 1: Jews became the catalyst for their deliverance. The day he
• 1:13:12
  Speaker 1: chose for their annihilation became the day of their victory.
• 1:13:16
  Speaker 1: Evil often carries within it the seeds of its own destruction.
• 1:13:19
  Speaker 1: Pride comes before a fall. Those who dig pits for
• 1:13:23
  Speaker 1: others often fall into them themselves. This is not just
• 1:13:27
  Speaker 1: a story. This is a pattern that repeats throughout history.
• 1:13:31
  Speaker 1: But the story also teaches us about the power of
• 1:13:34
  Speaker 1: one person who refuses to stay silent. Mordecai refused to
• 1:13:38
  Speaker 1: bow to evil. Esther refused to let her people die
• 1:13:42
  Speaker 1: without fighting for them. Together they changed the course of history.
• 1:13:47
  Speaker 1: Sometimes we feel powerless. We look at the problems in
• 1:13:50
  Speaker 1: our world, the injustices, the cruelties, and we think, what
• 1:13:54
  Speaker 1: can I do? I'm just one person. But Esther was
• 1:13:58
  Speaker 1: just one person. Mordecai was just one person. Yet their
• 1:14:02
  Speaker 1: choices mattered. Their courage saved millions. Your choices matter too.
• 1:14:08
  Speaker 1: Your courage matters too. You may not be a queen,
• 1:14:12
  Speaker 1: but you are placed where you are for a reason.
• 1:14:15
  Speaker 1: Perhaps it is for such a time as this. The
• 1:14:19
  Speaker 1: story of Esther ends with celebration, but it began with fear.
• 1:14:23
  Speaker 1: It began with a young girl torn from her home.
• 1:14:27
  Speaker 1: It began with uncertainty and danger. It passed through moments
• 1:14:31
  Speaker 1: of terror and despair. But it ended with triumph because
• 1:14:35
  Speaker 1: people chose to be brave when bravery was required. That
• 1:14:39
  Speaker 1: is the lesson that echoes across the centuries. That is
• 1:14:43
  Speaker 1: the truth that the festival of Purim celebrates year after year.
• 1:14:47
  Speaker 1: That is why the name of Esther will never be forgotten.
• 1:14:51
  Speaker 1: She was an orphan who became a queen. She was
• 1:14:54
  Speaker 1: a woman who saved a nation. She was afraid, but
• 1:14:57
  Speaker 1: she acted anyway. And because she did, her people survived.
• 1:15:03
  Speaker 1: Their descendants live today, still telling her story. still celebrating
• 1:15:07
  Speaker 1: her courage, still remembering the days when sorrow turned into
• 1:15:10
  Speaker 1: joy and mourning into celebration. The gallows stood fifty feet high.
• 1:15:16
  Speaker 1: They were built for Mordecai, but Haman hanged on them instead.
• 1:15:20
  Speaker 1: Evil was defeated. Good triumphed. The Jews were saved. And
• 1:15:26
  Speaker 1: it all happened because one woman said, If I perish,
• 1:15:29
  Speaker 1: I perish. May we all have such courage when our
• 1:15:33
  Speaker 1: moment comes.