THE BOOK OF
ESTHER
Esther 1 1 Now it came to pass in
the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which
reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over an
hundred and seven and twenty provinces:)
2 That in
those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of
his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
3 In the third year
of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and
his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles
and princes of the provinces, being before him:
4 When he shewed
the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his
excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and
fourscore days.
5 And when these
days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the
people that were present in Shushan the palace, both unto
great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden
of the king's palace;
6 Where were
white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with
cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and
pillars of marble: the beds were of gold and
silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and
black, marble.
7 And they gave them
drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one
from another,) and royal wine in abundance, according to
the state of the king.
8 And the drinking was
according to the law; none did compel: for so the king
had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they
should do according to every man's pleasure.
9 Also Vashti the
queen made a feast for the women in the royal
house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
10 ¶ On the
seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with
wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and
Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that
served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
11 To bring Vashti
the queen before the king with the crown royal, to shew
the people and the princes her beauty: for she was
fair to look on.
12 But the queen
Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his
chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his
anger burned in him.
13 ¶ Then the king
said to the wise men, which knew the times, (for so was
the king's manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
14 And the next
unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish,
Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of
Persia and Media, which saw the king's face, and
which sat the first in the kingdom;)
15 What shall we do
unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath
not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by
the chamberlains?
16 And Memucan
answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the
queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to
all the princes, and to all the people that are in
all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17 For this
deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so
that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes,
when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded
Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she
came not.
18 Likewise
shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto
all the king's princes, which have heard of the deed of
the queen. Thus shall there arise too much
contempt and wrath.
19 If it please the
king, let there go a royal commandment from him, and let
it be written among the laws of the Persians and the
Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more
before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal
estate unto another that is better than she.
20 And when the
king's decree which he shall make shall be published
throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the
wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great
and small.
21 And the saying
pleased the king and the princes; and the king did
according to the word of Memucan:
22 For he sent
letters into all the king's provinces, into every
province according to the writing thereof, and to every
people after their language, that every man should bear
rule in his own house, and that it should be
published according to the language of every people.
Esther 2 1 After these things,
when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he
remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was
decreed against her.
2 Then said the
king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be
fair young virgins sought for the king:
3 And let the king
appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom,
that they may gather together all the fair young virgins
unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto
the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the
women; and let their things for purification be given them:
4 And let the
maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of
Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he
did so.
5 ¶ Now in
Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was
Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of
Kish, a Benjamite;
6 Who had been
carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had
been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 And he brought up
Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter:
for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was
fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and
mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
8 ¶ So it came to
pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was
heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto
Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther
was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of
Hegai, keeper of the women.
9 And the maiden
pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he
speedily gave her her things for purification, with such
things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which
were meet to be given her, out of the king's house:
and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place
of the house of the women.
10 Esther had not
shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had
charged her that she should not shew it.
11 And Mordecai
walked every day before the court of the women's house,
to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
12 ¶ Now when
every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus,
after that she had been twelve months, according to the
manner of the women, (for so were the days of their
purifications accomplished, to wit, six months
with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and
with other things for the purifying of the women;)
13 Then thus came every
maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given
her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the
king's house.
14 In the evening
she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second
house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the
king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came
in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in
her, and that she were called by name.
15 ¶ Now when the
turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of
Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to
go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai
the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women,
appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all
them that looked upon her.
16 So Esther was
taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the
tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the
seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king
loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace
and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so
that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her
queen instead of Vashti.
18 Then the king
made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants,
even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the
provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the
king.
19 And when the
virgins were gathered together the second time, then
Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
20 Esther had not yet
shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had
charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai,
like as when she was brought up with him.
21 ¶ In those
days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the
king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which
kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the
king Ahasuerus.
22 And the thing
was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the
queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in
Mordecai's name.
23 And when
inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out;
therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was
written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
Luke 24 1 Now upon the first day
of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto
the sepulchre, bringing the spices which they had
prepared, and certain others with them.
2 And they found
the stone rolled away from the sepulchre.
3 And they entered
in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.
4 And it came to
pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two
men stood by them in shining garments:
5 And as they were
afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth,
they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the
dead?
6 He is not here,
but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was
yet in Galilee,
7 Saying, The Son
of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men,
and be crucified, and the third day rise again.
8 And they
remembered his words,
9 And returned from
the sepulchre, and told all these things unto the eleven,
and to all the rest.
10 It was Mary
Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of
James, and other women that were with them, which
told these things unto the apostles.
11 And their words
seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.
12 Then arose
Peter, and ran unto the sepulchre; and stooping down, he
beheld the linen clothes laid by themselves, and
departed, wondering in himself at that which was come to
pass.
13 ¶ And, behold,
two of them went that same day to a village called
Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore
furlongs.
14 And they talked
together of all these things which had happened.
15 And it came to
pass, that, while they communed together and
reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them.
16 But their eyes
were holden that they should not know him.
17 And he said unto
them, What manner of communications are these that
ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad?
18 And the one of
them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him,
Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known
the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto
them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning
Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and
word before God and all the people:
20 And how the
chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be
condemned to death, and have crucified him.
21 But we trusted
that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel:
and beside all this, to day is the third day since these
things were done.
22 Yea, and certain
women also of our company made us astonished, which were
early at the sepulchre;
23 And when they
found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also
seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive.
24 And certain of
them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it
even so as the women had said: but him they saw not.
25 Then he said
unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all
that the prophets have spoken:
26 Ought not Christ
to have suffered these things, and to enter into his
glory?
27 And beginning at
Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all
the scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 And they drew
nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as
though he would have gone further.
29 But they
constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward
evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to
tarry with them.
30 And it came to
pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and
blessed it, and brake, and gave to them.
31 And their eyes
were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of
their sight.
32 And they said
one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while
he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us
the scriptures?
33 And they rose up
the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the
eleven gathered together, and them that were with them,
34 Saying, The Lord
is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon.
35 And they told
what things were done in the way, and how he was
known of them in breaking of bread.
36 ¶ And as they
thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and
saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37 But they were
terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen
a spirit.
38 And he said unto
them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in
your hearts?
39 Behold my hands
and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for
a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had
thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his
feet.
41 And while they
yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto
them, Have ye here any meat?
42 And they gave
him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43 And he took it,
and did eat before them.
44 And he said unto
them, These are the words which I spake unto you,
while I was yet with you, that all things must be
fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in
the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
45 Then opened he
their understanding, that they might understand the
scriptures,
46 And said unto
them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to
suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:
47 And that
repentance and remission of sins should be preached in
his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
48 And ye are
witnesses of these things.
49 ¶ And, behold,
I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in
the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from
on high.
50 ¶ And he led
them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his
hands, and blessed them.
51 And it came to
pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and
carried up into heaven.
52 And they
worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:
53 And were
continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.
Amen.
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