Esther 3; Esther 4; Esther 5; Acts 5:22-42

1 After these things happened, King Xerxes honored Haman son of Hammedatha the Agagite. He gave him a new rank that was higher than all the important men.

2 All the royal officers at the king's gate would bow down and kneel before Haman, as the king had ordered. But Mordecai would not bow down or show him honor.

3 Then the royal officers at the king's gate asked Mordecai, "Why don't you obey the king's command?"

4 And they said this to him every day. When he did not listen to them, they told Haman about it. They wanted to see if Haman would accept Mordecai's behavior because Mordecai had told them he was Jewish.

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai would not bow down to him or honor him, he became very angry.

6 He thought of himself as too important to try to kill only Mordecai. He had been told who the people of Mordecai were, so he looked for a way to destroy all of Mordecai's people, the Jews, in all of Xerxes' kingdom.

7 It was in the first month of the twelfth year of King Xerxes' rule -- the month of Nisan. Pur (that is, the lot) was thrown before Haman to choose a day and a month. So the twelfth month, the month of Adar, was chosen.

8 Then Haman said to King Xerxes, "There is a certain group of people scattered among the other people in all the states of your kingdom. Their customs are different from those of all the other people, and they do not obey the king's laws. It is not right for you to allow them to continue living in your kingdom.

9 If it pleases the king, let an order be given to destroy those people. Then I will pay seven hundred fifty thousand pounds of silver to those who do the king's business, and they will put it into the royal treasury."

10 So the king took his signet ring off and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jewish people.

11 Then the king said to Haman, "The money and the people are yours. Do with them as you please."

12 On the thirteenth day of the first month, the royal secretaries were called, and they wrote out all of Haman's orders. They wrote to the king's governors and to the captains of the soldiers in each state and to the important men of each group of people. The orders were written in the writing of each state and in the language of each people. They were written in the name of King Xerxes and sealed with his signet ring.

13 Letters were sent by messengers to all the king's empire ordering them to destroy, kill, and completely wipe out all the Jewish people. That meant young and old, women and little children, too. It was to happen on a single day -- the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which was Adar. And they could take everything the Jewish people owned.

14 A copy of the order was given out as a law in every state so all the people would be ready for that day.

15 The messengers set out, hurried by the king's command, as soon as the order was given in the palace at Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Susa was in confusion.

1 When Mordecai heard about all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on rough cloth and ashes, and went out into the city crying loudly and painfully.

2 But Mordecai went only as far as the king's gate, because no one was allowed to enter that gate dressed in rough cloth.

3 As the king's order reached every area, there was great sadness and loud crying among the Jewish people. They gave up eating and cried out loud, and many of them lay down on rough cloth and ashes to show how sad they were.

4 When Esther's servant girls and eunuchs came to her and told her about Mordecai, she was very upset and afraid. She sent clothes for Mordecai to put on instead of the rough cloth, but he would not wear them.

5 Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs chosen by the king to serve her. Esther ordered him to find out what was bothering Mordecai and why.

6 So Hathach went to Mordecai, who was in the city square in front of the king's gate.

7 Mordecai told Hathach everything that had happened to him, and he told Hathach about the amount of money Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasury for the killing of the Jewish people.

8 Mordecai also gave him a copy of the order to kill the Jewish people, which had been given in Susa. He wanted Hathach to show it to Esther and to tell her about it. And Mordecai told him to order Esther to go into the king's presence to beg for mercy and to plead with him for her people.

9 Hathach went back and reported to Esther everything Mordecai had said.

10 Then Esther told Hathach to tell Mordecai,

11 "All the royal officers and people of the royal states know that no man or woman may go to the king in the inner courtyard without being called. There is only one law about this: Anyone who enters must be put to death unless the king holds out his gold scepter. Then that person may live. And I have not been called to go to the king for thirty days."

12 Esther's message was given to Mordecai.

13 Then Mordecai sent back word to Esther: "Just because you live in the king's palace, don't think that out of all the Jewish people you alone will escape.

14 If you keep quiet at this time, someone else will help and save the Jewish people, but you and your father's family will all die. And who knows, you may have been chosen queen for just such a time as this."

15 Then Esther sent this answer to Mordecai:

16 "Go and get all the Jewish people in Susa together. For my sake, give up eating; do not eat or drink for three days, night and day. I and my servant girls will also give up eating. Then I will go to the king, even though it is against the law, and if I die, I die."

17 So Mordecai went away and did everything Esther had told him to do.

1 On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace, facing the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the hall, facing the doorway.

2 When the king saw Queen Esther standing in the courtyard, he was pleased. He held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand, so Esther went forward and touched the end of it.

3 The king asked, "What is it, Queen Esther? What do you want to ask me? I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."

4 Esther answered, "My king, if it pleases you, come today with Haman to a banquet that I have prepared for him."

5 Then the king said, "Bring Haman quickly so we may do what Esther asks." So the king and Haman went to the banquet Esther had prepared for them.

6 As they were drinking wine, the king said to Esther, "Now, what are you asking for? I will give it to you. What is it you want? I will give you as much as half of my kingdom."

7 Esther answered, "This is what I want and what I ask for.

8 My king, if you are pleased with me and if it pleases you, give me what I ask for and do what I want. Come with Haman tomorrow to the banquet I will prepare for you. Then I will answer your question about what I want."

9 Haman left the king's palace that day happy and content. But when he saw Mordecai at the king's gate and saw that Mordecai did not stand up or tremble with fear before him, Haman became very angry with Mordecai.

10 But he controlled his anger and went home. Then Haman called together his friends and his wife, Zeresh.

11 He told them how wealthy he was and how many sons he had. He also told them all the ways the king had honored him and how the king had placed him higher than his important men and his royal officers.

12 He also said, "I'm the only person Queen Esther invited to come with the king to the banquet she gave. And tomorrow also the queen has asked me to be her guest with the king.

13 But all this does not really make me happy when I see that Jew Mordecai sitting at the king's gate."

14 Then Haman's wife, Zeresh, and all his friends said, "Have a seventy-five foot platform built, and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then go to the banquet with the king and be happy." Haman liked this suggestion, so he ordered the platform to be built.

22 But, upon arriving, the officers could not find the apostles. So they went back and reported to the Jewish leaders.

23 They said, "The jail was closed and locked, and the guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, the jail was empty!"

24 Hearing this, the captain of the Temple guards and the leading priests were confused and wondered what was happening.

25 Then someone came and told them, "Listen! The men you put in jail are standing in the Temple teaching the people."

26 Then the captain and his men went out and brought the apostles back. But the soldiers did not use force, because they were afraid the people would stone them to death.

27 The soldiers brought the apostles to the meeting and made them stand before the Jewish leaders. The high priest questioned them,

28 saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in that name. But look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying to make us responsible for this man's death."

29 Peter and the other apostles answered, "We must obey God, not human authority!

30 You killed Jesus by hanging him on a cross. But God, the God of our ancestors, raised Jesus up from the dead!

31 Jesus is the One whom God raised to be on his right side, as Leader and Savior. Through him, all Jewish people could change their hearts and lives and have their sins forgiven.

32 We saw all these things happen. The Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who obey him, also proves these things are true."

33 When the Jewish leaders heard this, they became angry and wanted to kill them.

34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up in the meeting. He was a teacher of the law, and all the people respected him. He ordered the apostles to leave the meeting for a little while.

35 Then he said, "People of Israel, be careful what you are planning to do to these men.

36 Remember when Theudas appeared? He said he was a great man, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, and all his followers were scattered; they were able to do nothing.

37 Later, a man named Judas came from Galilee at the time of the registration. He also led a group of followers and was killed, and all his followers were scattered.

38 And so now I tell you: Stay away from these men, and leave them alone. If their plan comes from human authority, it will fail.

39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You might even be fighting against God himself!" The Jewish leaders agreed with what Gamaliel said.

40 They called the apostles in, beat them, and told them not to speak in the name of Jesus again. Then they let them go free.

41 The apostles left the meeting full of joy because they were given the honor of suffering disgrace for Jesus.

42 Every day in the Temple and in people's homes they continued teaching the people and telling the Good News -- that Jesus is the Christ.