Long ago, the people of Israel had been taken captive to Babylon, and later to Persia. Many Jews lived scattered throughout the vast Persian empire.

In the city of Susa, capital of the empire, lived a Jew named Mordecai. He had raised his orphaned niece, Esther, as if she were his own daughter.

Esther was extraordinarily beautiful, kind-hearted and gracious. But she and Mordecai hid a secret: they were Jews. In that foreign land, revealing their true identity could be dangerous.

The king of Persia was Ahasuerus (also called Xerxes), who ruled from India to Ethiopia, over one hundred twenty-seven provinces.

One day, the king became angry with Queen Vashti because she refused to appear at a banquet. The king's advisors said she should be deposed.

So they searched throughout the empire for the most beautiful young women for the king to choose a new queen.

Esther was brought to the king's palace along with many other young women. The keeper of the women, named Hegai, liked her very much and treated her with special kindness.

When Esther's turn came to be presented to King Ahasuerus, she won the favor of all who saw her. The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, and he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen!

Esther had not yet revealed that she was Jewish, as Mordecai had instructed her. Mordecai walked daily in front of the court of the women's quarters to learn how Esther was doing.

One day, Mordecai discovered a plot: two of the king's guards were planning to assassinate King Ahasuerus! Mordecai told Esther, and Esther told the king in Mordecai's name.

They investigated the matter and found it to be true. The two guards were hanged. And all this was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king. Mordecai had saved the king's life!

After these things, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He gave him a position above all the princes who were with him.

All the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded. But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage.

Mordecai was a Jew and would not bow before any man - only before God!

When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, he was filled with fury.

Haman was so angry that he decided not just to punish Mordecai, but to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus!

Haman went to the king and said, "There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king's laws. It is not to the king's profit to tolerate them. If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed."

The king, not knowing he was talking about the queen's own people, gave Haman his signet ring. Haman wrote a decree: on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, all the Jews - young and old, children and women - should be killed!

The decree was sent by couriers to all the king's provinces. It was a death sentence for all the Jewish people!

The city of Susa was thrown into confusion. The Jews went into great mourning, with fasting, weeping, and lamenting.

When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, crying out with a loud and bitter cry.

Esther's maids told her about Mordecai. The queen was deeply distressed. She sent someone to find out what was happening.

Mordecai told everything and sent Esther a copy of the decree of destruction. He asked her to go to the king to intercede for her people.

But Esther responded: "All know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law: to be put to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter. And I have not been called to come to the king these thirty days!"

Going to the king without being summoned could mean death! Even for the queen!

Mordecai sent this reply to Esther:

These words touched Esther's heart deeply. Perhaps God had placed her in that position exactly for this moment! She had become queen to save her people!

Esther made her decision. She sent this message to Mordecai:

"Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!"

What courage! Esther was willing to die to try to save her people!

On the third day, after the fast, Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters.

The king was sitting on his royal throne in the royal palace, facing the entrance to the palace. When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won favor in his eyes.

The king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand! Esther was safe!

Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. The king said to her, "What is it, Queen Esther? What is your request? Even to the half of my kingdom, it shall be given you!"

Esther was wise. She did not make her request immediately. First, she invited the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet, she invited them to another banquet the next day.

Haman went out that day joyful and glad of heart. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate, who neither rose nor trembled before him, he was filled with wrath.

Haman went home and called his friends and his wife Zeresh. He boasted about his riches, his many sons, how the king had promoted him. He said, "Even Queen Esther let no one but me come with the king to the banquet!"

But then he grumbled, "Yet all this is worth nothing to me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the king's gate."

His wife and friends said, "Let a gallows fifty cubits high be made, and in the morning tell the king to have Mordecai hanged on it!"

Haman liked the idea and had the gallows made.

That night, the king could not sleep. He ordered the book of memorable deeds to be brought, and it was read to him.

And what did they find? The record of when Mordecai had reported the plot of the two guards, saving the king's life!

The king asked, "What honor or dignity has been bestowed on Mordecai for this?"

The servants answered, "Nothing has been done for him."

In the morning, when Haman came to the palace to ask permission to hang Mordecai, the king asked him, "What should be done to the man whom the king delights to honor?"

Haman thought, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" And he suggested great honor: royal robes, royal horse, crown, and to be led through the city!

The king said, "Hurry; take the robes and the horse, as you have said, and do so to Mordecai the Jew!"

Haman was shocked! But he had to obey. He himself had to dress Mordecai in royal robes and lead him on horseback through the city proclaiming, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!"

That afternoon was Esther's second banquet. The king asked again, "What is your wish, Queen Esther?"

The moment had come. Esther answered:

The king was furious: "Who is he, and where is he, who has dared to do this?"

Esther answered, "A foe and enemy! This wicked Haman!"

Haman was terrified before the king and queen!

The king, in his wrath, went into the palace garden. When he returned, Haman had fallen on the couch where Esther was, pleading for his life. The king exclaimed, "Will he even assault the queen in my presence, in my own house?"

One of the officials said, "Moreover, the gallows that Haman has prepared for Mordecai stands at Haman's house, fifty cubits high."

The king commanded, "Hang him on that!"

They hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai!

On that day, King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman. Mordecai was promoted to the position Haman had occupied.

But there was still the decree! The letters ordering the destruction of the Jews had already been sent! How could this be reversed?

According to Persian law, a decree of the king could not be revoked. But the king allowed Esther and Mordecai to write another decree: the Jews were permitted to defend themselves!

When the appointed day came, the Jews defended themselves against their enemies. Instead of being destroyed, they were saved! Mordecai was powerful in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces.

The Jews established the feast of Purim to commemorate their salvation, and this feast is celebrated to this day!

Esther risked her life, and God used her to save all His people. The young orphan became queen "for such a time as this" - for the divine purpose of salvation.