King Xerxes ruled a vast empire. After Queen Vashti was removed from her place, the palace had no queen. So officers searched throughout the provinces for young women to come to the royal palace. Among them was Esther, a young Jewish woman whose parents had died. Her cousin Mordecai had raised her as his own daughter. Esther pleased the king more than all the others. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen. But Esther did not tell anyone that she was Jewish, because Mordecai had warned her to keep it secret.
Mordecai stayed near the king’s gate, where he could hear news from the palace. One day, he learned that two of the king’s servants were plotting to kill King Xerxes. Mordecai told Esther, and Esther warned the king in Mordecai’s name. The matter was investigated, and the plotters were punished. A scribe carefully wrote down Mordecai’s faithful act in the royal records.
Later, the king raised Haman the Agagite above all his other officials. The king commanded the officials at the gate to bow before Haman. Everyone bowed low when Haman passed by—everyone except Mordecai. Mordecai remained standing. When Haman noticed him, his heart filled with anger. After learning that Mordecai was Jewish, Haman decided that punishing one man was not enough. He wanted to destroy all the Jewish people throughout the empire.
Haman cast lots to choose the day for his wicked plan. Then he went to King Xerxes. With clever words, Haman spoke about a certain people whose laws were different. He did not tell the king that Esther and Mordecai belonged to those people. The king trusted Haman and gave him his signet ring. The decree was sealed in the king’s name. Messengers carried copies to every province, ordering that all the Jews were to be killed on the chosen day.
When Mordecai heard, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and cried bitterly. Throughout the empire, Jewish families mourned and fasted. Esther sent her servant to learn why Mordecai was grieving. Mordecai gave him a copy of the decree for Esther. He urged her to go to the king and plead for her people.
Esther was afraid. Anyone who entered the king’s inner court without being invited could be put to death unless the king held out his golden scepter. Mordecai reminded her that she, too, was in danger. Perhaps she had become queen for this very moment.
Esther made her choice. She asked the Jews in Susa to fast for her for three days. Then she would go to the king, even though it was against the law. “If I perish, I perish,” she said.
On the third day, Esther put on her royal clothing and stood in the king’s court. The king saw her and held out the golden scepter. Esther was safe. She invited the king and Haman to a banquet, then asked them to return for another banquet the next day.
Haman left feeling proud, but his joy vanished when Mordecai still would not bow. At home, Haman’s wife and friends advised him to build a tall gallows for Mordecai. Haman liked their plan. Yet unseen by him, Mordecai’s faithful deed was still written in the king’s records, and courageous Queen Esther was preparing to speak.
What kids learn
- God can be at work even when we cannot see what he is doing.
- Courage means doing what is right even when we feel afraid.
- Faithful choices may seem small, but they can matter greatly later.
Memory verse
“Who knows if you haven’t come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther 4:14
Talk about it together
- Why do you think Esther waited before telling others that she was Jewish?
- What made Esther’s decision to approach the king so courageous?
- How did Mordecai’s faithful warning help the king?
- What might help you do the right thing when you feel afraid?
People and places in this story
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