From: "FamilyNet"
Bible Reading for October 01
Esther 4
[1] When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and
put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and
cried with a loud and a bitter cry; [2] And came even before the king's gate:
for none might enter into the king's gate clothed with sackcloth. [3] And in
every province, whithersoever the king's commandment and his decree came,
there was great mourning among the Jews, and fasting, and weeping, and
wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes. [4] So Esther's maids and her
chamberlains came and told it her. Then was the queen exceedingly grieved; and
she sent raiment to clothe Mordecai, and to take away his sackcloth from him:
but he received it not. [5] Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's
chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a
commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was.
[6] So Hatach went forth to Mordecai unto the street of the city, which was
before the king's gate.
[7] And Mordecai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the sum of
the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the
Jews, to destroy them.
[8] Also he gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given at
Shushan to destroy them, to shew it unto Esther, and to declare it unto her,
and to charge her that she should go in unto the king, to make supplication
unto him, and to make request before him for her people. [9] And Hatach came
and told Esther the words of Mordecai. [10] Again Esther spake unto Hatach,
and gave him commandment unto Mordecai; [11] All the king's servants, and the
people of the king's provinces, do know, that whosoever, whether man or woman,
shall come unto the king into the inner court, who is not called, there is one
law of his to put him to death, except such to whom the king shall hold out
the golden sceptre, that he may live: but I have not been called to come in
unto the king these thirty days.
[12] And they told to Mordecai Esther's words. [13] Then Mordecai commanded to
answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's
house, more than all the Jews. [14] For if thou altogether holdest thy peace
at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews
from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and
who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? [15]
Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer, [16] Go, gather together
all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat
nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise;
and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I
perish, I perish. [17] So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that
Esther had commanded him.
Esther 5
[1] Now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther put on her royal
apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, over against the
king's house: and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, over
against the gate of the house. [2] And it was so, when the king saw Esther the
queen standing in the court, that she obtained favour in his sight: and the
king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther
drew near, and touched the top of the sceptre.
[3] Then said the king unto her, What wilt thou, queen Esther? and what is thy
request? it shall be even given thee to the half of the kingdom. [4] And
Esther answered, If it seem good unto the king, let the king and Haman come
this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for him. [5] Then the king
said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Esther hath said. So the
king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.
[6] And the king said unto Esther at the banquet of wine, What is thy
petition? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy request? even to the
half of the kingdom it shall be performed. [7] Then answered Esther, and said,
My petition and my request is; [8] If I have found favour in the sight of the
king, and if it please the king to grant my petition, and to perform my
request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for
them, and I will do tomorrow as the king hath said.
[9] Then went Haman forth that day joyful and with a glad heart: but when
Haman saw Mordecai in the king's gate, that he stood not up, nor moved for
him, he was full of indignation against Mordecai. [10] Nevertheless Haman
refrained himself: and when he came home, he sent and called for his friends,
and Zeresh his wife. [11] And Haman told them of the glory of his riches, and
the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein the king had
promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of
the king. [12] Haman said moreover, Yea, Esther the queen did let no man come
in with the king unto the banquet that she had prepared but myself; and to
morrow am I invited unto her also with the king. [13] Yet all this availeth me
nothing, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate.
[14] Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a gallows be
made of fifty cubits high, and tomorrow speak thou unto the king that Mordecai
may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet.
And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
Esther 6
[1] On that night could not the king sleep, and he commanded to bring the book
of records of the chronicles; and they were read before the king. [2] And it
was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the
king's chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay hand on the
king Ahasuerus.
[3] And the king said, What honour and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for
this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is nothing
done for him.
[4] And the king said, Who is in the court? Now Haman was come into the
outward court of the king's house, to speak unto the king to hang Mordecai on
the gallows that he had prepared for him. [5] And the king's servants said
unto him, Behold, Haman standeth in the court. And the king said, Let him come
in. [6] So Haman came in. And the king said unto him, What shall be done unto
the man whom the king delighteth to honour? Now Haman thought in his heart, To
whom would the king delight to do honour more than to myself? [7] And Haman
answered the king, For the man whom the king delighteth to honour,
[8] Let the royal apparel be brought which the king useth to wear, and the
horse that the king rideth upon, and the crown royal which is set upon his
head:
[9] And let this apparel and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the
king's most noble princes, that they may array the man withal whom the king
delighteth to honour, and bring him on horseback through the street of the
city, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king
delighteth to honour.
[10] Then the king said to Haman, Make haste, and take the apparel and the
horse, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, that sitteth at
the king's gate: let nothing fail of all that thou has spoken. [11] Then took
Haman the apparel and the horse, and arrayed Mordecai, and brought him on
horseback through the street of the city, and proclaimed before him, Thus
shall it be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honour.
[12] And Mordecai came again to the king's gate. But Haman hasted to his house
mourning, and having his head covered. [13] And Haman told Zeresh his wife and
all his friends every thing that had befallen him. Then said his wise men and
Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai be of the seed of the Jews, before whom
thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely
fall before him. [14] And while they were yet talking with him, came the
king's chamberlains, and hasted to bring Haman unto the banquet that Esther
had prepared.
Esther 7
[1] So the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the queen. [2] And the
king said again unto Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine, What is
thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee: and what is thy
request? and it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom.
[3] Then Esther the queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy
sight, O king, and if it please the king, let my life be given me at my
petition, and my people at my request: [4] For we are sold, I and my people,
to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if we had been sold for
bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although the enemy could not
countervail the king's damage. [5] Then the king Ahasuerus answered and said
unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst presume in his
heart to do so? [6] And Esther said, The adversary and enemy is this wicked
Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen. [7] And the king
arising from the banquet of wine in his wrath went into the palace garden: and
Haman stood up to make request for his life to Esther the queen; for he saw
that there was evil determined against him by the king. [8] Then the king
returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and
Haman was fallen upon the bed whereon Esther was. Then said the king, Will he
force the queen also before me in the house? As the word went out of the
king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. [9] And Harbonah, one of the
chamberlains, said before the king, Behold also, the gallows fifty cubits
high, which Haman had made for Mordecai, who had spoken good for the king,
standeth in the house of Haman. Then the king said, Hang him thereon.
[10] So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai.
Then was the king's wrath pacified.
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