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Na di middle of di night for di palace for Susa. Di man wey get power pass for di whole world no fit sleep. E turn dis side. E turn dat side. For di end e call one servant. Bring me di book of records. Read am give me.
See how tins dey. Haman get one royal order to destroy every Jew for di Persian Empire for one single day. Queen Esther, wey be Jew herself but nobody know, don put her life for danger to approach di king, and she don invite am and Haman to two feasts. Di second one na tomorrow. And for Haman compound, one tall gallows dey stand, wey e build for Esther cousin Mordecai. Haman plan to ask di king permission first thing for morning.
So di servant dey read give di king wey no fit sleep. And e reach one page wey tell how Mordecai expose one plan to kill di king. Which honour dem give Mordecai for dis one? di king ask. Nothing, di servants talk. Dem never do anything for am. Just then, footsteps for di outer court. Na Haman, wey come early to ask about di gallows. Bring am come, di king talk. And before Haman fit talk, di king ask am one question. Wetin dem suppose do for di man wey di king happy to honour?
Haman think, who di king go want honour pass me? So e dream big. Make dem wear am royal robe wey di king don wear. Put am on top horse wey di king don ride, with royal crown for di horse head. Make one noble lead am through di city square, dey shout, na so dem dey do for di man wey di king happy to honour! Correct, di king talk. Hurry. Do all of dat for Mordecai di Jew, wey dey sit for di king gate. And so Haman, of all people, lead Mordecai through di streets, dey shout im praise. After, Mordecai go back to di gate. Haman hurry go house, im head cover with shame. Even im wife and im friends talk say im fall don start.
Dat evening, for Esther second feast, di king ask one more time. Wetin you want, Queen Esther? Dem go give you. Now she talk. Make you spare my life, and di life of my people. Because dem don sell us, me and my people, to destroy us. Who go dare do dis kind thing? di king ask. Esther point. Our enemy na dis wicked Haman. Fear catch Haman. Di king vex waka comot go di palace garden. When e come back, e find Haman wey don throw imself on top di queen couch, dey beg for im life. One servant mention di gallows wey Haman build for Mordecai, di man wey save di king. Hang am for there, di king talk. And Haman story end for di same gallows wey e build for another person.
But di order still be law, and nobody fit just cancel Persian law. So Esther go meet di king again and fall for im feet dey cry. Di king give Mordecai im signet ring and allow am write new order. For di day wey dem enemies plan to attack, di Jews fit gather and defend demself. Mordecai comot from di palace for royal blue and white, with one big gold crown, and di city of Susa shout for joy. When di day of danger come, tins turn upside down. Di Jews defend demself against di people wey attack dem, and di Bible talk three times say dem no take any plunder. Then dem rest, and dem celebrate.
Esther and Mordecai write to di Jews everywhere, tell dem make dem remember dese days every year with feasting, gifts of food to one another and gifts to di poor. Dem dey call di feast Purim, from di pur, di lot wey Haman cast. People still dey keep am today. Dem dey read di scroll of Esther loud, and as custom don be from long time, anytime dem read Haman name, di people wey dey listen dey cover am with noise, with rattles, dey stamp foot and dey boo.
Di Fall of Haman. You go find am for di book of Esther, chapter six reach ten. One night wey sleep no come. One good thing wey people forget. One brave queen wey talk out. Dem no mention God name for dis book, yet nothing inside am happen by accident. As di book talk, di month turn from sorrow to joy. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. When you don see something wey look like chance, wey later turn out to be care?
Something to think about
When you don see something wey look like chance, wey later turn out to be care?
Read the passage
This retelling follows Esther 6–10. Open your Bible and read it for yourself.
Sources for the history
- Esther 9:20–32 — Mordecai and Esther set up di feast of Purim every year, with feasting, gifts of food and gifts to di poor.
- Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd ed. (2007), article “Purim” — How people still dey keep Purim, including di public reading of di scroll of Esther and di custom to make noise when dem hear Haman name.
- Jon D. Levenson, Esther: A Commentary (Old Testament Library, 1997) — Commentary on how tins turn upside down for Esther 6–10, and how nobody fit cancel Persian law (Esther 8:8).
Narrated with Yamart Voices, original AI voices. Written and reviewed by people.