20
For thou hast made heaven and earth and every wonderful thing under heaven,
21
and thou art Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist thee, who art the Lord.
22
Thou knowest all things; thou knowest, O Lord, that it was not in insolence or pride or for any love of glory that I did this, and refused to bow down to this proud Haman.
23
For I would have been willing to kiss the soles of his feet, to save Israel!
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But I did this, that I might not set the glory of man above the glory of God, and I will not bow down to any one but to thee, who art my Lord; and I will not do these things in pride.
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And now, O Lord God and King, God of Abraham, spare thy people; for the eyes of our foes are upon us to annihilate us, and they desire to destroy the inheritance that has been thine from the beginning.
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Do not neglect thy portion, which thou didst redeem for thyself out of the land of Egypt.
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Hear my prayer, and have mercy upon thy inheritance turn our mourning into feasting, that we may live and sing praise to thy name, O Lord; do not destroy the mouth of those who praise thee."
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And all Israel cried out mightily, for their death was before their eyes.
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And Esther the queen, seized with deathly anxiety, fled to the Lord;
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she took off her splendid apparel and put on the garments of distress and mourning, and instead of costly perfumes she covered her head with ashes and dung, and she utterly humbled her body, and every part that she loved to adorn she covered with her tangled hair.