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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