1 (a) On the third day, when she had finished praying, she took off her suppliant's mourning attire and dressed herself in her full splendour. Radiant as she then appeared, she invoked God who watches over all people and saves them. With her, she took two ladies-in-waiting. With a delicate air she learned on one, while the other accompanied her carrying her train. Rosy with the full flush of her beauty, her face radiated joy and love: but her heart shrank with hear. Having passed through door after door, she found herself in the presence of the king. He was sitting on his royal throne, dressed in all his robes of state, glittering with gold and precious stones-- a formidable sight. He looked up, afire with majesty and, blazing with anger, saw her. The queen sank to the floor. As she fainted, the colour drained from her face and her head fell against the lady-in-waiting beside her. But God changed the king's heart, inducing a milder spirit. He sprang from his throne in alarm and took her in his arms until she recovered, comforting her with soothing words. 'What is the matter, Esther?' he said. 'I am your brother. Take heart, you are not going to die; our order applies only to ordinary people. Come to me.'
2 (a) 'Sire,' she said, 'to me you looked like one of God's angels, and my heart was moved with fear of your majesty. For you are a figure of wonder, my lord, and your face is full of graciousness.' (b) But as she spoke she fell down in a faint. The king grrew more agitated, and his courtiers all set about reviving her.
3 'What is the matter, Queen Esther?' the king said. 'Tell me what you want; even if it is half my kingdom, I grant it you.'
4 'Would it please the king,' Esther replied, 'to come with Haman today to the banquet I have prepared for him?'
5 The king said, 'Tell Haman to come at once, so that Esther may have her wish.'
6 So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared and, during the banquet, the king again said to Esther, 'Tell me your request; I grant it to you. Tell me what you want; even if it is half my kingdom, it is yours for the asking.'
7 'What do I want, what is my request?' Esther replied.
8 'If I have found favour in the king's eyes, and if it is his pleasure to grant what I ask and to agree to my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet I intend to give them tomorrow, and then I shall do as the king says.'
9 Haman left full of joy and high spirits that day; but when he saw Mordecai at the Chancellery, neither standing up nor stirring at his approach, he felt a gust of anger.
10 He restrained himself, however. Returning home, he sent for his friends and Zeresh his wife
11 and held forth to them about his dazzling wealth, his many children, how the king had raised him to a position of honour and promoted him over the heads of the king's officers-of-state and ministers.
12 'What is more,' he added, 'Queen Esther has just invited me and the king -- no one else except me -- to a banquet she was giving, and better still she has invited me and the king again tomorrow.
13 But what do I care about all this when all the while I see Mordecai the Jew sitting there at the Chancellery?'
14 'Have a fifty-cubit gallows run up,' said Zeresh his wife and all his friends, 'and in the morning ask the king to have Mordecai hanged on it. Then you can go with the king to the banquet, without a care in the world!' Delighted with this advice, Haman had the gallows erected.
Versículos relacionados com Esther, 5:
Esther 5 tells how Queen Esther attended before King Ahasuero in search of help to save his people from death. She invites the king to a feast and promises to reveal her request the next day. Haman, the enemy of the Jews, is happy to be invited to the banquet, but gets angry to see Mordecai, who refuses to bow before him. Following are five verses related to the topics covered in Esther 5:
Psalm 37:5: "Deliver your way to the Lord, trust Him, and the most He will do." Esther puts her life at risk when she appears before the king without being invited, but trusts God to help her save her people. This verse shows the importance of trust in God, even in difficult situations.
Proverbs 16:9: "The heart of man draws his way, but the Lord gives him the footsteps." Although Esther has a plan to save his people, it is God who directs events in their lives. This verse emphasizes God's sovereignty over all things.
Exodus 17:14: "Then said the Lord to Moses, Write this to memory in a book, and report it to Joshua's ears; that I shall he totally scratch the memory of Amaleque under heaven." Haman is a descendant of the Amalequitas, a people who has always been the enemy of the Jews. This verse shows how God has always protected his people and punished his enemies.
Isaiah 54:17: "Every tool prepared against you shall not prosper; and every language that rises against you in judgment, you will condemn; this is the inheritance of the Lord's servants, and his right to proceed, says the Lord . " Haman conspired to destroy the Jews, but God was protecting his people. This verse shows the protection God gives to his servants.
Romans 12:19: "You shall not avenge yourselves, beloved, but give the wrath of God, for it is written, My is revenge; I will reward, say the Lord." Although Mordecai was mistreated by Haman, he sought revenge, but let God deal with his enemy. This verse emphasizes the importance of God's forgiveness and righteousness.
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