Esther Become Queen

Gold cups, no two of dem be di same. Curtains of white and blue. Couches of gold and silver for top floor of marble and mother of pearl. Di greatest king for earth dey throw party. And e wan go wrong well well.

Many years after Babylon carry di people of Judah go exile, di Persians dey rule di world. King Ahasuerus rule over one hundred and twenty-seven provinces, from India reach Ethiopia. Im palace dey di city of Susa, wey di Bible call Shushan. Jews dey live everywhere for im empire, far from Jerusalem. One of dem na one man wey im name na Mordecai, from di tribe of Benjamin. And Mordecai dey raise one girl wey don lose her papa and her mama. Her Hebrew name na Hadassah. Most people know her as Esther.

Di king feast don last for many days. For di seventh day, when wine don sweet am, e send make dem call Queen Vashti. E wan show her beauty to di crowd of big men. But Vashti refuse to come. Di whole hall quiet. Vex catch di king well well. E turn to im advisers. Wetin di law talk say make we do? One of dem, Memucan, warn say if di queen fit tell di king no, every wife for di empire go follow her example. So dem remove Vashti as queen, and letters go out for all di provinces, for every language, wey announce say every man must rule im own house.

Time pass, and di king vex cool down. E remember Vashti, and wetin dem don decide. So im servants suggest say make dem search. Dem go bring young women from every province come di palace, and di one wey please di king go become queen. Esther dey among di ones wey dem carry. Before she go, Mordecai give her clear instruction. No tell anybody who your people be. She obey. Inside di palace, dem put Esther under di care of Hegai, di official wey dey in charge of di women. E like her immediately, and e give her di best rooms and seven maids to serve her. Every day Mordecai dey waka up and down for di front of di court, dey try find out how she dey.

Di preparation last one whole year. Six months with oil of myrrh, six months with spices and perfumes. When each young woman go in meet di king, she fit take anything wey she want from di palace to wear. When Esther turn reach, she no ask for anything except wetin Hegai advise. And di Bible talk something wey sweet about her. Esther find favour for di eyes of everybody wey see her. Di king love Esther pass all di others. E put di royal crown for her head and make her queen instead of Vashti. Then e throw another big feast, Esther feast, and e give gifts for di whole land.

Mordecai, for im own side, get position for di king gate. One day e hear two of di king doorkeepers, Bigthan and Teresh. Dem dey vex, and dem dey plan to kill di king. Mordecai tell Queen Esther, and Esther tell di king, and she give Mordecai di credit. Dem investigate di matter, dem find say e true, and dem kill di two people wey plan am. Dem write di whole thing for di king book of records. Then, e be like say, everybody forget am. Everybody except di book.

Who be dis king? Most historians say Ahasuerus na Xerxes di First, wey rule Persia from about four hundred and eighty-six reach four hundred and sixty-five years before Christ. Di Hebrew name and di Greek name na two ways to talk di same Persian name. Susa na one of di royal capitals of di empire. Archaeologists don dig out di big palace wey dey there, wey Darius, Xerxes papa, start to build, with one very big hall of tall stone pillars where di king dey receive im guests. Esther story happen for one real place wey dey shine.

Esther Become Queen. You go find am for di book of Esther, chapter one and two. Orphan for foreign palace. Cousin wey continue to watch over her. Good thing wey somebody do, wey dem write down and forget. None of am never look like much yet. But continue to listen. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Where God fit don put you, right now, for reason wey you never fit see yet?