Queen Ester

Ahasuerus was the new king of Persia . He asked that all the beautiful women in the kingdom be brought to his palace so he could choose. A special woman stood out from all the rest. Her name was Ester and she was Jewish. Ester lived with her cousin Mordecai after her parents died. When the king saw her, he fell in love with her and Ester was made queen.

Mordecai could not visit Ester at the palace, so she sent her cousin messages through her servants. Mordecai sat by the palace gates every day in case Ester had a message for him. One day Mordecai overheard two men planning to kill the king. Mordecai panicked, he sent an urgent message to Ester. She told the king and the two men were captured. Mordecai saved the king's life.

During this time, a man named Haman became very powerful in the kingdom. The king asked for his advice on everything. People bowed to Haman because he was so powerful. But Haman noticed that Mordecai would not bow to him. Mordecai would not bow to anyone but God. This made Haman very mad, he did not like Mordecai or his people, the Jews.

Haman made an evil plan. He went to the king and told him a lie. He said that a group of people were not following the laws. The king believed Haman's lie and gave Haman the power to punish the people how he wanted. Haman made a new law that on a certain day, all the Jews could be robbed of everything they owned and killed.

Mordecai heard about the terrible law and became very worried. He sent a message to Ester, hopeing she could protect the Jews. Ester received the message but was worried herself. There was a rule that if you went to the king without him calling for you, you could be killed. But she and her people were in danger, she knew she had to do something!

Ester asked all the Jews to pray and fast for the next three days. On the third day, she entered the king's throne room. The guards moved towards her. But when the king saw how her, he told his guards to leave her be. The king asked Ester what she wanted. “I would give you half my kingdom if you asked for it.” he said. Ester did not ask for anything. She invited the king and Haman for dinner. They accepted the invitation. After the meal, the king asked Ester what she wanted. “I would give you half my kingdom if you asked for it.” he said. Once again, Ester did not ask for anything. She invited the king and Haman to come back for dinner the next night. They accepted.

The next day Haman built a wooden structure where someone would die by hanging. Haman planned to ask the king at dinner if he could hang Mordecai. But God had another plan. Before dinner the king remembered how Mordecai had saved his life when the men outside the gate planned to kill him. He wanted to repay Mordecai for what he had done for him. He asked Haman how he could honor a man who had done great things for him. Hamam thought the king was talking about himself so he described the best treatemnt. Then the king ordered Haman to honor Mordecai in that way. Haman was angry but he did as he was told.

Later in the evening, at dinner, the king asked Ester what she wanted. This time she answered. She asked that he would save her life and the lives of her people because they were in danger. The king became very angry. “Who would dare to kill the queen?” Ester knew the answer. “Haman is our enemy. His new law may cost all of us our lives.” The king was very upset with Haman and had him hung on the same structure Haman had built for Mordecai. Then he gave Haman's job to Mordecai.

Since the law could not be changed, the king made a new law that on that day the Jews could defend themselves. Everyone

For more stories, click here.