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Story of Esther: Part 2

Queen Esther and the Jews fast and pray for deliverance.
Contributed by Sweet Publishing
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, German, Hindi, Simplified Chinese
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Chapter 4: When the Jews heard the law of the Medes and Persians to have them killed on the 13th day of the 12th month, they started weeping, and wailing. Many put on sackcloth and ashes as a sign of mourning. – Slide 1
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When Mordecai heard of Haman’s plan to kill the Jews he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went around the city wailing loudly and bitterly. – Slide 2
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When Esther heard about Mordecai’s distress, she sent Hathak, one of the Kings servants, with clothes for him to put on instead of the sackcloth. But he refused to put them on. – Slide 3
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Hathak was sent again by Esther to find out what was troubling Mordecai. Mordecai gave Hathak the text of the new law and explained how much Haman had promised to pay into the treasury to destroy the Jews. He asked Hathak to tell Esther to go into the King’s presence to beg for mercy and plead with him to save her people, the Jews. – Slide 4
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Hathak reported back to Esther. ‘Anyone who approaches the King’s inner chamber without being summoned by the King is put to death – unless the King extends his golden sceptre to them and spares their life. I have not been summoned by the King for 30 days.’ – Slide 5
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Esther’s words were reported back to Mordecai. He sent her back this message. ‘Don’t think because you live in the palace you alone of all the Jews will escape. If you remain silent the Jews will perish. Who knows but you have been chosen as Queen to help us at this time?’ – Slide 6
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Esther sent a reply to Mordecai. ‘Gather all the Jews in Susa to pray and fast for me. Don’t eat for three days. I will pray and fast with you. Then I will go to the King even though he has not summoned me. If I die, I die.’ – Slide 7
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Chapter 5: On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the palace in front of the King’s hall. When the King saw her, he was pleased and held out his golden sceptre to spare her life. – Slide 8
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‘What is your request?’ he asked. ‘Even if you ask for up to half the Kingdom I will give it to you.’ I would like to invite the King and Haman to a special banquet I have prepared,’ Esther replied. – Slide 9
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So the King and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared. ‘What is your request?’ the king asked. – Slide 10
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‘I would like to invite the King and Haman to another banquet tomorrow. Then I will answer the king’s question.’ – Slide 11
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Haman left the palace in a good mood but when he saw that Mordecai had not bowed or shown him respect he was full of rage. – Slide 12
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Haman went to his friends and Zeresh his wife and boasted to them about his great wealth, his many sons and the ways the King had honoured him. ‘I have been invited to a banquet by the King and queen tomorrow. But I cannot be happy while Mordecai the Jew is sitting at the King’s gate.’ – Slide 13
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His wife and friends had an idea. ‘Have a pole set up and in the morning ask the King to have Mordecai impaled on it.’ The suggestion delighted Haman and he erected a pole that was 75ft (23m) high. – Slide 14
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Chapter 6: That night the King could not sleep so he ordered the book of the chronicles of his reign to be brought in and read to him. When the King was read how Mordecai had exposed the plot to kill him, he asked, ‘What honour was given to Mordecai for doing this?’ – Slide 15
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The attendants replied, ‘Nothing has been done.’ ‘Who is in the royal court?’ the King asked. ‘Haman is standing in the court,’ they replied. (He had come to ask for Mordecai to be executed by being impaled on the pole he had erected) ‘Bring Haman in,’ the king ordered. – Slide 16
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The King asked Haman, ‘What should be done for a man the King wants to honour?’ Thinking that the King wanted to honour him, Haman replied, ‘Put the man in a royal robe the King has worn and on a horse the King has ridden.’ – Slide 17
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‘Then get the King’s most noble prince to lead the horse through the city proclaiming, “This is what is done for the man the King delights to honour!”’ – Slide 18
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‘Go at once and get the robe and horse,’ the King commanded, ‘and then do as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew who sits at the gate. Do not neglect any detail.’ – Slide 19
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So Haman had to robe Mordecai, put him on a horse and lead him through the city proclaiming, ‘This is what is done for the man the King honours!’ – Slide 20
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A humiliated Haman rushed home in grief and reported what had happened to his wife and friends. ‘Since Mordecai the Jew has begun your downfall you cannot stand against him,’ they replied, ‘you will come to ruin.’ – Slide 21
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At that moment the King’s servant arrived to take Haman to the banquet Esther had prepared for him and the King. – Slide 22
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