the book ended with many Persians explicitly aligning themselves with the God of Mordecai and Esther, with Mordecai working for the good, not just of his own people but of the Gentiles as well? This, in turn, raises the issue of how God’s people can most fully glorify God when he works on their behalf. A number of OT texts emphasize the speech of God’s people in praise of the God who intervenes for them (Pss. 96:7–10; 145:6–7; Isa. 43:10–11; 45:20–25; 66:20). Without denigrating the happy deliverance