LESSON 65

Esther Saves Her People

Esther Saves Her People

Esther was a Jewish girl who lived in the Persian city of Shushan. Many years before, her family had been taken from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. She was raised by her cousin Mordecai, a servant of King Ahasuerus of Persia.

King Ahasuerus wanted a new queen. His servants brought him the most beautiful women in the land, including Esther. Out of all the women, the king chose Esther to be queen. Mordecai told Esther not to reveal that she was Jewish.

A proud man named Haman was head of all the princes. He wanted everyone to bow down to him. Mordecai refused to do so, and Haman was so angry that he wanted to kill him. When Haman found out that Mordecai was a Jew, he formed a plan to kill all the Jews in the land. He told the king: ‘The Jews are dangerous; you need to get rid of them.’ Ahasuerus said: ‘Do whatever you need to do,’ and gave him the power to make a law. Haman made a law that told the people to kill all the Jews on the 13th day of the month of Adar. Jehovah was watching.

Esther didn’t know about the law. So Mordecai sent her a copy of it and told her: ‘Go and talk to the king.’ Esther said: ‘Anyone who goes to the king without being invited will be killed. The king has not invited me for 30 days! But I will go. If he holds out his scepter, I will live. If he doesn’t, I will die.’

Esther went to the king’s courtyard. When the king saw her, he held out his scepter. She went to him, and he asked: ‘What can I do for you, Esther?’ She said: ‘I want to invite you and  Haman to a feast.’ At the feast, Esther invited them to a second feast. During the second feast, the king again asked: ‘What can I do for you?’ She said: ‘Someone is going to kill me and my people. Please save us.’ The king asked: ‘Who wants to kill you?’ She said: ‘This bad man Haman.’ Ahasuerus was so angry that he had Haman killed right away.

But nobody could cancel Haman’s law, not even the king. So the king made Mordecai head of the princes and gave him the power to make a new law. Mordecai made a law that allowed the Jews to defend themselves when they were attacked. On the 13th day of Adar, the Jews defeated their enemies. From then on, they celebrated this victory every year.

“You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a witness to them and the nations.”​—Matthew 10:18

 IRUẸMWI 65

Ẹsta Miẹn Emwa Rẹn Fan

Ẹsta Miẹn Emwa Rẹn Fan

Ẹsta keghi re Ovbi e Ju nọ ghaa rre Susa vbe otọ e Pẹsia. Ẹgbẹe Ẹsta keghi rre usun emwa ne Nebukiadnẹza viọ gha rrie imu vbe Babilọn vbe ẹghẹ ne ọ ya guọghọ e Jerusalẹm. E Modẹkai ne irẹn vbe Ẹsta gba re eyeyẹ, nọ ghaa re ọguọmwadia Ọba Ahasuẹrọs ẹre ọ koko Ẹsta.

Ọ ghaa mwẹ asẹ ọkpa ne Ọba Ahasuẹrọs ya gha gualọ oloi ọgbọn. Eguọmwadia ọghẹe keghi viọ ivbialeke ni ghi mose sẹ vbe ẹvbo nii gie ẹre; Ẹsta vbe gha rre usun. Irẹn ẹre ọba ghi zẹ ne ọ gha re oloi ọghẹe. E Modẹkai keghi tama Ẹsta nẹ ghẹ gi ọmwa rhọkpa rẹn wẹẹ Ovbi e Ju nọ.

Ọ mwẹ okpia ọkpa na tie ẹre Heman, nọ ghaa re ọkaolotu avbe okoro ni rre ẹvbo nii. Rhunmwuda ne okpia na, na gha re ọmwa itengbemu, ọ na gha hoo ne emwa hia gha gbe uhunmwu kotọ ne irẹn. Sokpan e Modẹkai ma gbe uhunmwu kotọ nẹẹn, rhunmwuda ọni, ọ na gha hoo nọ gbe Modẹkai rua. E Heman ghi miẹn wẹẹ Ovbi e Ju ẹre Modẹkai khin, ọ na ru emwamwa na ya gbele Ivbi e Ju hia ni rre ẹvbo nii rua. Ọ na tama ọba wẹẹ: ‘Ivbi e Ju kan gbe; te ọ khẹke na wabọ iran hin otọ na rre.’ Ahasuẹrọs keghi rhie asẹ ne Heman ne ọ ya ru Ivbi e Ju emwi nọ rhirhi khọn rẹn. Rhunmwuda asẹ na, ọ keghi mu uhi gbọ, nọ khare wẹẹ na gbele Ivbi e Ju hia rua vbe ikpẹdẹ nogie 13 vbe uki Ada. E Jehova na fẹko gha ghee ẹre.

Ẹsta ma rẹn wẹẹ a mu uhi vberriọ gbọ. E Modẹkai keghi tama Ẹsta vbekpa uhi ọgbọn na mu gbọ, ọ na wẹẹ ne ọ ya gu ọba guan vbekpa re. Ẹsta keghi kha wẹẹ: ‘Ọmwa nọ miẹn ọba aro vbene ọ ma na gie na tie ẹre, uhunmwu ẹnrẹn ẹre ọ ya tae. Ikpẹdẹ 30 gbalaka ẹre ọ ghi ye na, ne ọba ghi tie mwẹ sẹ! Sokpan I gha ya miẹn ọba. Adeghẹ ọ na niẹn ọkpọ ọdakha ọghẹe daa mwẹ, ọni rhiema wẹẹ ai khian gbe mwẹ rua, vbe ẹi erriọ ọghomwẹ fo.’

Ẹsta na gele gha rrie ẹguae ọba. Vbe ọba ghi dẹghe ẹre, ọ na niẹn ọkpọ ọdakha ọghẹe daa re. Vbe ọ ghi sẹ eke ne ọba ye, ọba na nọ rẹn wẹẹ: ‘Vbua hoo ne I  ru nuẹ?’ Ẹsta keghi tama rẹn wẹẹ: ‘I hoo ne uwẹ vbe Heman do rri evbare vbe ehe ne I ye.’ Vbe iran ghi rri evbare nẹ, Ẹsta na tama iran ne iran werriegbe gha dee vbe ẹdẹ ọvbehe. Vbe iran ghi werriegbe rre do rri evbare, ọba na werriegbe nọ Ẹsta wẹẹ: ‘Vbua hoo ne I ru nuẹ?’ Ẹsta keghi tama rẹn wẹẹ: ‘Ọmwa hoo nọ gbe imẹ vbe emwa mwẹ rua. Lahọ enaemwẹ, miẹn ima fan.’ Ọba na ghi nọ wẹẹ: ‘De ọmwa ne ọni khin?’ Ẹsta keghi wanniẹn wẹẹ: ‘Heman ne ọkaẹrria nọ.’ Ohu mu Ahasuẹrọs sẹrriọ wẹẹ, ọ na wẹẹ na gbe Heman rua vbobọvbobọ.

Sokpan, ai khian ghi sẹtin fi uhi ne Heman mu gbọ werriẹ rhunmwuda ọ kẹ ọba ya loo oroka ọghẹe ya mu olọ gbe uhi nii nẹ. Rhunmwuda ọni, ọba keghi mu e Modẹkai ye ukpo ne Heman te ka gha ye, ọ na ghi rhie asẹ nẹ, ne ọ ya mu uhi ọvbehe gbọ. E Modẹkai keghi mu uhi ọvbehe gbọ nọ kie ẹkpotọ ne Ivbi e Ju ya sinmwi oseghe ne egbe iran. Vbe ọ ghi rre ikpẹdẹ nogie 13 vbe uki Ada, obọ Ivbi e Ju keghi ke ukhunmwu ne eghian ọghe iran. Ke ẹghẹ nii kpa, iran na gha do ugie akhọnmiotọ na vbe ukpo ukpo.

“A gha gu uwa gui ma enibuohiẹn kevbe avbe ọba rhunmwuda mwẹ, ne uwa miẹn ehe na kporhu iyẹn ne ọ maan ma iran.”—Matiu 10:18