KNLS

Today’s story begins with Queen Esther’s cousin Mordecai hearing about the letter which set a day for all the Jews to be killed. But the King did not know that his queen was also a Jew. Mordecai tore his clothes in sorrow and put on sackcloth and went through the city, crying and weeping. But he could go only as far as the palace gate, because no one wearing sackcloth was allowed inside the palace.

Esther called her servant and said, “Find out what's wrong with Mordecai and why he's acting this way.”

The servant went to Mordecai and Mordecai gave the servant a copy of the orders for the murder of the Jews. He said, “Show this to Esther and explain what it means. Ask her to go to the king and beg him to have pity on her people, the Jews!”

The servant went back to Esther and told her what Mordecai had said. She answered, “Tell Mordecai there is a law about going in to see the king. Anyone who goes in to see the king without being invited by him will be put to death. The only way that anyone can be saved is for the king to hold out the gold scepter to that person. And it's been thirty days since he has asked for me.”

When Mordecai was told what Esther had said, he sent back this reply, “Don't think that you will escape being killed with the rest of the Jews, just because you live in the king's palace. If you don't speak up now, we will somehow get help, but you and your family will be killed. It could be that you were made queen for a time like this!”

This story is found in the Bible book of Esther chapter 4.