For Dis Kind Time

One young queen dey stand for di edge of di royal court. Beyond di door, di king dey sit. If she step forward and nobody call her, she fit die before she reach am. She take one deep breath. And she step forward.

Esther don be queen of Persia for some years now. Still, nobody for di palace know say she be Jew. Her cousin Mordecai, wey raise her, dey sit for di king gate. Then King Ahasuerus promote one man wey im name na Haman, above all im other officials. Di king command everybody for di gate make dem bow down to Haman. And everybody bow. Everybody except Mordecai. Day after day di servants dey ask am why. Mordecai tell dem say e be Jew. So dem tell Haman.

Vex catch Haman well well. But to punish only one man no reach am. E decide to destroy all Mordecai people, every Jew for di whole empire. To choose di day, im people cast lots, wey dem dey call pur. Di lot fall on one date wey remain almost one year, for di month of Adar. Then Haman go meet di king. One kind people dey, e talk, wey scatter for all your provinces. Dem laws different, and dem no dey keep your own. E no worth to allow dem live. E even offer ten thousand talents of silver for di treasury. Di king pull im signet ring comot and give am. Do wetin you like. Letters run go every province. Di king and Haman sit down dey drink. But di city of Susa confuse.

When Mordecai hear, e tear im cloth, e wear sackcloth and ashes, and e waka through di city dey cry loud with bitter heart. For every province, Jews dey fast and dey cry. Esther hear say Mordecai dey mourn, and she send her servant Hathach make e find out why. Mordecai send back one copy of di order and one message. Go meet di king. Beg for your people. Esther answer come back. Everybody know di law. Anybody wey go meet di king for di inner court when e no call am, dem go kill am, unless di king stretch im gold sceptre give am. And di king never call me for thirty days.

Mordecai answer na one of di most famous messages for di Bible. No think say because you dey di king house, you go escape when all di other Jews no escape. If you keep quiet now, help go come from another place. But you and your papa family go perish. And who know whether na for dis kind time you take enter di kingdom? Esther make her choice. Gather all di Jews wey dey Susa. Fast for me. No eat, no drink for three days, night or day. Me and my maids go fast too. Then I go go meet di king, even though e dey against di law. And if I perish, I perish.

For di third day Esther wear her royal robes and stand for di inner court. Di king look up from im throne. And e stretch di gold sceptre. She come near and touch di tip. Wetin dey, Queen Esther? e ask. Anything wey you want, even half of my kingdom, na your own. But Esther no rush. She invite di king and Haman come one feast. For di feast, di king ask again. She invite dem to second feast for tomorrow. Haman comot dey waka like say e dey fly, until e pass Mordecai for di gate, wey no even stand up for am. For house e dey boast about im riches and im honour. But none of am dey satisfy am, e talk, as long as Mordecai dey sit for di gate. So im wife and im friends suggest one tall gallows for Mordecai. Di idea sweet Haman. E make dem build am.

Esther fear na real fear. Dem dey keep Persian kings far from dem people, with care. Di Greek historian Herodotus tell how di seven nobles wey help King Darius take di throne get one special privilege: dem fit enter di palace without anybody announce dem. As dis one be rare honour, e show how dem dey guard everybody else from reaching di king. Esther na di queen. Even she no fit just waka enter.

For Dis Kind Time. You go find am for di book of Esther, chapter three reach five. Esther no feel brave. She fast, she ask other people make dem stand with her, and then she still go. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Any right thing dey wey you know say you suppose do, but fear never allow you start am?