Greek Esther 13:8–15:16

Mordecai’s Prayer

^13sThen Mordecai^t prayed to the Lord, calling to remembrance all the works of the Lord.

⁹He said, “O Lord, Lord, King of all powers, for the universe is in your power and there is no one who can oppose you when it is your will to save Israel, ¹⁰for you have made heaven and earth and every wonderful thing under heaven.^{* 11}You are Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist you, the Lord. ¹²You know all things; you know, 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,^{* 13}for I would have been willing to kiss the soles of his feet to save Israel!^{* 14}But I did this so that I might not set human glory above the glory of God, and I will not bow down to anyone but you, who are my Lord, and I will not do these things in pride. ¹⁵And now, O Lord God and King, God of Abraham, spare your people, for the eyes of our foes are upon us^u to annihilate us, and they desire to destroy the inheritance that has been yours from the beginning.^{* 16}Do not neglect your portion, which you redeemed for yourself out of the land of Egypt.^{* 17}Hear my prayer and have mercy upon your inheritance; turn our mourning into feasting that we may live and sing praise to your name, O Lord; do not destroy the lips^v of those who praise you.”^*

¹⁸And all Israel cried out with all their might, for their death was before their eyes.

Esther’s Prayer

¹⁴Then Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, fled to the Lord. ²She took off the garments of her honor 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; every part that she loved to adorn she covered with her tangled hair.^{* 3}She prayed to the Lord God of Israel and said: “O my Lord, you alone are our king; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, ⁴for my danger is in my hand.^{* 5}Ever since I was born I have heard in the tribe of my family that you, O Lord, took Israel out of all the nations and our ancestors from among all their forebears for an everlasting inheritance and that you did for them all that you said.^{* 6}And now we have sinned before you, and you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies^{* 7}because we glorified their gods. You are righteous, O Lord! ⁸And now they are not satisfied that we are in bitter slavery, but they have set their hands on the hands of their idols ⁹to abolish what your mouth has ordained and to destroy your inheritance, to stop the mouths of those who praise you and to quench your altar and the glory of your house,^{* 10}to open the mouths of the nations for the praise of vain idols and to magnify forever a mortal king.^*

¹¹“O Lord, do not surrender your scepter to what has no being, and do not let them laugh at our downfall, but turn their plan against them and make an example of him who began this against us.^{* 12}Remember, O Lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion!^{* 13}Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him.^{* 14}But save us by your hand and help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, O Lord. You have knowledge of all things, ¹⁵and you know that I hate the splendor of the lawless and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised and of any alien.^{* 16}You know my necessity, that I abhor the sign of my proud position that is upon my head on days when I appear in public. I abhor it like a menstrual cloth, and I do not wear it on the days when I am at rest.^{* 17}And your servant has not eaten at Haman’s table, and I have not honored the king’s feast or drunk the wine of libations.^{* 18}Your servant has had no joy since the day that I was brought here until now, except in you, O Lord God of Abraham. ¹⁹O God, whose might is over all, hear the voice of the despairing and save us from the hands of evildoers. And save me from my fear!”

End of Addition C

Addition D

Esther Is Received by the King

¹⁵On the third day, when she ended her prayer, she took off the garments in which she had worshiped and arrayed herself in the garments of her honor.^{* 2}Then, majestically adorned, after invoking the aid of the all-seeing God and Savior, she took two maids with her;^{* 3}on one she leaned gently for support, ⁴while the other followed, carrying her train. ⁵She was radiant with perfect beauty, and she looked happy, as if beloved, but her heart was frozen with fear. ⁶When she had gone through all the doors, she stood before the king. He was seated on his royal throne, clothed in the full array of his majesty, all covered with gold and precious stones. He was most terrifying.

⁷Lifting his face, ablaze with glory, he looked at her in fierce anger. The queen faltered, turned pale and faint, and collapsed on the head of the maid who went in front of her.^{* 8}Then God changed the spirit of the king to gentleness, and in alarm he sprang from his throne and took her in his arms until she came to herself. He comforted her with soothing words and said to her,^{* 9}“What is it, Esther? I am your kin.^w Take courage. ¹⁰You shall not die, for our law applies only to our subjects.^x Come near.”

¹¹Then he raised the golden scepter and touched her neck with it;^{* 12}he embraced her and said, “Speak to me.” ¹³She said to him, “I saw you, my lord, like an angel of God, and my heart was shaken with fear at your glory.^{* 14}For you are wonderful, my lord, and your countenance is full of grace.” ¹⁵And while she was speaking, she fainted and fell. ¹⁶Then the king was agitated, and all his attendants tried to comfort her.

End of Addition D