1-2 So the king and Haman went to dinner with Queen Esther. At this second dinner, while they were drinking wine the king again asked, “Queen Esther, what would you like? Half of my kingdom! Just ask and it’s yours.”

Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor in your eyes, O King, and if it please the king, give me my life, and give my people their lives.

“We’ve been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed—sold to be massacred, eliminated. If we had just been sold off into slavery, I wouldn’t even have brought it up; our troubles wouldn’t have been worth bothering the king over.”

Read full chapter

Bible Gateway Recommends

The Message // REMIX 2.0, Soft Imitation Leather, Storm Black
The Message // REMIX 2.0, Soft Imitation Leather, Storm Black
Retail: $39.99
Our Price: $17.99
Save: $22.00 (55%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars
The Message for Graduates - eBook
The Message for Graduates - eBook
Retail: $12.99
Our Price: $8.99
Save: $4.00 (31%)
The Message Outreach Edition, Large-Print, softcover
The Message Outreach Edition, Large-Print, softcover
Retail: $9.99
Our Price: $4.99
Save: $5.00 (50%)
4.0 of 5.0 stars
My First Message: A Devotional Bible for Kids - eBook
My First Message: A Devotional Bible for Kids - eBook
Retail: $18.99
Our Price: $9.99
Save: $9.00 (47%)
4.5 of 5.0 stars
The Message New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs - eBook
The Message New Testament with Psalms and Proverbs - eBook
Retail: $9.99
Our Price: $7.49
Save: $2.50 (25%)
5.0 of 5.0 stars