The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the EHV. Switch to the EHV to read along with the audio.
4 When Mordechai perceived all that was done, Mordechai rent his garments, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a zeakah gedolah umarah (loud and a bitter wailing);
2 And came even before the Sha’ar HaMelech; for none might enter into the Sha’ar HaMelech clothed with sackcloth.
3 And in every province, whithersoever the Devar HaMelech and his dat (decree) came, there was evel gadol (great mourning) among the Yehudim, and a tzom, and weeping, and wailing; and many lay on sackcloth and ashes.
4 So Ester’s na’arot and her sarisim came and told it her. Then was HaMalkah exceedingly distressed; and she sent begadim (raiment) to clothe Mordechai, and to take away his sackcloth from him, but he received it not [see Am 6:6].
5 Then called Ester for Hatach, one of the sarisim of HaMelech, whom he had appointed to attend upon her, and gave him a commandment about Mordechai, to have da’as of mah zeh (what is this?), and al mah zeh (why is this?)
6 So Hatach went forth to Mordechai unto the rechov haIr (open square of the city), which was before the Sha’ar HaMelech.
7 And Mordechai told him of all that had happened unto him, and of the parashat hakesef (exact amount of the money) that Haman had promised to pay to the genazim of HaMelech for the Yehudim, to destroy them.
8 Also he gave him the copy of the edict of the dat (decree, Final Solution) that was published at Shushan to make them shmad, to show it unto Ester, and to declare it unto her, and to charge her that she should go in unto HaMelech, to make supplication unto him, and to make bakash (request, pleading) before him for her Am (People, the Jewish People).
9 And Hatach came and told Ester the divrei Mordechai.
10 Again Ester spoke unto Hatach, and gave him commandment unto Mordechai:
11 All the avadim of HaMelech, and the people of the provinces of HaMelech have da’as that whosoever, whether ish or isha, shall come unto HaMelech into the pnimiyus khatzer (innermost courtyard), who is not called, there is echat dat (one law) of his to put him to death, except such to whom HaMelech shall hold out the sharvit hazahav (golden sceptre), that he may live. But I have not been called to come in unto HaMelech these shloshim yom.
12 And they told to Mordechai Ester’s words.
13 Then Mordechai commanded to answer Ester, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the Beis HaMelech, more than kol HaYehudim.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there revach (relief) and hatzalah (deliverance) arise to the Yehudim from another place; but thou and thy bais Avicha (house of thy father) shall be destroyed; and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Malkhut for such a time as this [1C 9:16; Ro 1:16] ?
15 Then Ester bade them return Mordechai this answer,
16 Go, gather together kol HaYehudim that are found in Shushan, and declare ye a tzom for me, and neither eat nor drink shloshet yamim, lailah vayom. I also and my na’arot will undergo a tzom likewise; and so will I go in unto HaMelech, though it is not according to the dat; and if I perish, I perish.
17 So Mordechai went his way, and did according to all that Ester had commanded him.
5 Now it came to pass on the yom hashelishi, that Ester put on her royal apparel, and stood in the pnimiyus [khatzer] of the Beis HaMelech in front of the Beis HaMelech; and HaMelech sat upon his kisse malkhut (royal throne) in the Beis Hamalkhut, facing the Petach HaBeis (Entrance of HaBeis).
2 And it was so, when HaMelech saw Ester HaMalkah standing in the Khatzer (Court), that she took up chen (favor, grace) in his sight, and HaMelech held out to Ester the sharvit hazahav (golden sceptre) that was in his hand. So Ester drew near, and touched the top of the sharvit (sceptre).
3 Then said HaMelech unto her, What wilt thou, Ester HaMalkah? And what is thy bakash (request)? It shall be given thee even to the chatzi HaMalchut (half of the kingdom).
4 And Ester answered, If it seem tov unto HaMelech, let HaMelech and Haman come today unto the mishteh that I have prepared for him.
5 Then HaMelech said, Cause Haman to make haste, that he may do as Ester hath said. So HaMelech and Haman came to the mishteh that Ester had prepared.
6 And HaMelech said unto Ester at the mishteh hayayin (feast), What is thy she’elah (petition)? And it shall be granted thee. And what is thy bakash (request)? Even to chatzi HaMalchut it shall be granted.
7 Then answered Ester, and said, My she’elah and my bakash is:
8 If I have found chen (favor, grace) in the sight of HaMelech, and if it is tov to HaMelech to grant my she’elah, and to perform my bakash, let HaMelech and Haman come to the mishteh that I shall prepare for them, and I will do makhar (tomorrow) as HaMelech hath said.
9 Then went Haman forth that day sameiach (joyful, happy) and with a tov lev; but when Haman saw Mordechai in the Sha’ar HaMelech, that he stood not up, nor trembled because of him, he was full of chemah (indignation, rage) against Mordechai.
10 Nevertheless Haman restrained himself, and when he came home, he sent and called for his ohavim (friends), and Zeresh his isha.
11 And Haman told them of the kavod of his osher, and the multitude of his children, and all the things wherein HaMelech had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the sarim (princes) and avadim of HaMelech.
12 Haman said moreover, Yea, Ester HaMalkah did let no man come in with HaMelech unto the mishteh that she had prepared but myself; and makhar (tomorrow) am I invited unto her also with HaMelech.
13 Yet all this availeth me nothing, so long as I see Mordechai HaYehudi sitting at the Sha’ar HaMelech.
14 Then said Zeresh his isha and all his ohavim (friends) unto him, Let an etz (hanging tree) be made of fifty cubits high, and baboker (in the morning) speak thou unto HaMelech that Mordechai may be hanged thereon [see Lk 23:21 OJBC]; then go thou samei’ach (joyfully) with HaMelech unto the mishteh. And the thing was tov to Haman; and he caused HaEtz to be built.
6 On that night HaMelech’s sleep fled away, and he commanded to bring the sefer of records of the chronicles; and they were read before HaMelech.
2 And it was found written, that Mordechai had told of Bigtan and Teresh, two of the sarisim of HaMelech, the Mishomrei HaSaf (Keepers of the Door, the Doorkeepers) who conspired to assassinate HaMelech Achashverosh.
3 And HaMelech said, What yekar (honor [see 1:4,20]) and what recognition hath been done to Mordechai for this? Then said the servants of HaMelech that ministered unto him, Nothing has been done for him.
4 And HaMelech said, Who is in the khatzer (court)? Now Haman was come into the Khatzer HaKhitzonah (Outer Court) of the Beis HaMelech, to speak unto HaMelech lit’lot (to hang; see Esth 2:23) Mordechai on HaEtz that he had erected for him. [T.N. See Moshiach Ben Dovid hanging on a tree 2Sm 18:10 as well as the specter of the same fate for this descendant of the first royal family of Israel].
5 And the servants of HaMelech said unto him, Hinei, Haman standeth in the khatzer. And HaMelech said, Let him come in.
6 So Haman came in. And HaMelech said unto him, What shall be done unto the ish whom HaMelech delighteth to show yekar (see 1:4,20: 6:3)? Now Haman thought in his lev, To whom would HaMelech delight to do yekar more than to myself?
7 And Haman answered HaMelech, For the ish HaMelech delighteth to show yekar (honor)
8 Let the levush malkhut (royal robe, clothing) be brought which HaMelech has worn, and the sus (horse) that HaMelech rideth upon, and the keter malkhut (royal crown, crest) which is set upon its head,
9 And let this levush and sus be delivered to the hand of one of the most noble sarim (princes) of HaMelech, that they may array the ish therewith whom HaMelech delighteth to show yekar [see 1:4,20;6:3,6], and bring him on horseback through the rechov of the ir, and proclaim before him, Thus shall it be done to the ish whom HaMelech delighteth to show yekar.
10 Then HaMelech said to Haman, Make haste, and take the levush and the sus, as thou hast said, and do even so to Mordechai HaYehudi, that sitteth at the Sha’ar HaMelech; leave nothing undone of all that thou hast spoken.
11 Then took Haman the levush and the sus, and arrayed Mordechai, and brought him on horseback through the rechov of the ir, and proclaimed before him, Thus shall it be done unto the ish whom HaMelech delighteth to show yekar.
12 And Mordechai came again to the Sha’ar HaMelech. But Haman hasted to his bais, having his head covered in evel (mourning [see 4:3]).
13 And Haman told Zeresh his isha and all his ohavim everything that had befallen him. Then said his chachamim and Zeresh his isha unto him, If Mordechai be of the zera of the Yehudim, before whom thy downfall hast begun, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt nafol tipol (surely fall) before him [see Mt 27:19].
14 And while they were yet talking with him, came the sarisim of HaMelech, and hasted to bring Haman unto the mishteh (banquet) that Ester had prepared.
7 So HaMelech and Haman came to banquet with Ester HaMalkah.
2 And HaMelech said again unto Ester on the yom hasheni (second day) at the mishteh hayayin (feast), What is thy she’elah (petition), Ester HaMalkah? And it shall be granted thee; and what is thy bakash (request)? And it shall be performed, even to chatzi HaMalchut.
3 Then Ester HaMalkah answered and said, If I have found chen (favor) in thy sight, O HaMelech, and if it is tov to HaMelech, let nafshi (my life) be given me at my she’elah (petition), and my Am at my bakash (request);
4 For we are sold, Ani (I) and Ami (my People), to be made shmad, to be slain, and to be annihilated. But if we had been sold for avadim and shfakhot, I would have held my tongue, since then the tzoros would not have been such as to injure the interests of HaMelech.
5 Then HaMelech Achashverosh answered and said unto Ester HaMalkah, Who is he, and where is he, who dares to presume in his lev to do such?
6 And Ester said, HaTzar (the foe) and the oyev (enemy) is this Haman HaRah (Vile Haman). Then Haman was terrified before HaMelech and HaMalkah.
7 And HaMelech, arising in his wrath from the mishteh hayayin, went into the palace garden; and Haman stood up to make bakash (request) for his nefesh (life) to Ester HaMalkah; for he saw that harm was determined against him by HaMelech.
8 Then HaMelech returned out of the palace garden into the Bais Mishteh HaYayin, and Haman was fallen upon the mittah (couch, [see 1:6 mittot, couches]) whereon Ester was. Then said HaMelech, Will he ravish HaMalkah also before me in the bais? As the davar (word) went out of the mouth of HaMelech, they covered Haman’s face.
9 And Charvonah, one of the sarisim, said before HaMelech, Hinei, also, HaEtz fifty cubits high, which Haman had made for Mordechai, who has spoken tov for HaMelech, standeth in the Bais Haman. Then HaMelech said, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on HaEtz that he had prepared for Mordechai. Then was the wrath of HaMelech pacified [Ps 24:10; Isa 53:11].
12 Now I do not want you to lack da’as concerning the things of the Ruach Hakodesh, Achim b’Moshiach.
2 You have da’as that when you WERE Goyim [T.N. i.e., you are no longer heathen pagans], somehow you were influenced and led astray to the ELILIM ILLEMIM ("Dumb idols, idols incapable of speech" CHABAKUK 2:18-19).
3 Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking by the Ruach Hakodesh of Hashem says, "Al Yehoshua ki Cherem hu" ("a curse of the ban of destruction is on Yehoshua"), and no one is able to say, "Yehoshua hu HaAdon" except by the Ruach Hakodesh.
4 There are different kinds of matanot (gifts), but the same Ruach Hakodesh.
5 There are different avodot hakodesh (ministries), but the one Adonoi.
6 And there are a variety of activities [of the Ruach Hakodesh], but the same G-d working all in all.
7 But to each is given the disclosure of the Ruach Hakodesh for benefit:
8 To one through the Ruach Hakodesh is given a dvar chochmah (a dvar of wisdom Ac 16:7); to another, according to the same Ruach Hakodesh, a dvar da’as (word of knowledge Ac 5:3);
9 To another, by the same Ruach Hakodesh, emunah (Mt 17:20-21); to another, by the one Ruach Hakodesh, matanot harippuy (gifts of healing [refuah]) Ac 3:6-16);
10 to another those of cholel niflaot ("accomplishing miracles" SHEMOT 4:21; Yn 11:42-43) And to another divrei hanevu’ah (words of prophecy MELACHIM ALEF 17:1), and to another discernings (being about to make a nafka mina distinction) of ruchot (spirits MELACHIM ALEF 22:22), to another kinds of leshonot (tongues Ac 2:4), and to another, pitronim (interpretations) of leshonot (tongues—1C 14:13).
11 All these things are activated by the one and same Ruach Hakodesh, distributing individually to each one as He determines.
12 For even as the body is echad, and has many evarim (members), and all the evarim (members) of the body, though many, are one body, so is Moshiach.
13 For also in one Ruach Hakodesh we were all given a tevilah into one body, whether Yehudim or Yevanim (Greeks), whether avadim (slaves) or bnei Chorin (freedman), and all were given to drink, as it were, from one Ruach Hakodesh.
14 For the body is not one, but many, evarim (members).
15 If the regel (foot) says, "Because I am not a yad (hand), I am not of the body," that would not make it any less one of the evarim of the body.
16 And if the ozen (ear) says, "Because I am no ayin (eye), I am not of the body," that would not make it any less one of the evarim of the body.
17 If the whole body were an ayin (eye), where would be the hearing? If the whole body were hearing, where would be the smelling?
18 But now Hashem set the evarim (members), each one of them, in the body according to His ratzon (will), as He wanted.
19 And if all were all one evar (member), where would the body be?
20 As it is, though there are many evarim (members), there is but one body.
21 And the ayin (eye) is not able to say to the yad (hand), “I do not have need of you.” Or, again, the rosh (head), speaking to the raglayim (feet), is not to say, “I have no need of you.”
22 Just the opposite, the evarim of the body appearing to be weaker are vital.
23 And those evarim of the body which we presume to be dishonorable, on these we clothe with even more honor, and our parts with lesser kibbud (respect, honor) are treated with greater.
24 Whereas, our evarim with greater kibbud have no need of more. However, Hashem has so composed the achdus yichudim (unit, harmony of unifications) of the body, giving the superior kibbud to the inferior,
25 lest there be schisms (1:10; 11:18) in the body. But the evarim should have the same gemilut chasadim (deeds of lovingkindness and caring) for one another.
26 And when one evar (member) has tza’ar (pain and suffering), all the evarim (members) have tza’ar with it; or one evar has the aliyah of kibbud, all the evarim has simcha with it.
36 (For the one directing. Of Dovid, the eved Hashem) Peysha speaketh to the rashah within my lev, that there is no pachad Elohim (fear of G-d) before his eyes.
2 (3) For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his avon (iniquity) be found to be hateful.
3 (4) The words of his mouth are iniquity and mirmah (deceit); he hath ceased to be wise, and to do tov (good).
4 (5) He deviseth evil upon his mishkav (bed); he setteth himself in a derech that is not tov; he abhorreth not rah.
5 (6) Thy chesed, Hashem, is in HaShomayim; and Thy emunah (faithfulness) reacheth unto the clouds.
6 (7) Thy tzedakah is like the great mountains; Thy mishpatim are tehom rabbah (a great deep); Hashem, Thou preservest adam (man) and behemah (beast).
7 (8) How precious is Thy chesed, O Elohim! Therefore the Bnei Adam find refuge under the shadow of Thy wings.
8 (9) They shall be abundantly satisfied with the abundance of Thy Beis [Hamikdash]; and Thou shalt give them to drink of Thy river of delight.
9 (10) For with Thee is the Makor Chayyim (fountain of life); in Thy Ohr shall we see ohr.
10 (11) O continue Thy chesed unto them that know Thee; and Thy tzedakah to the yishrei lev (the ones upright of heart).
11 (12) Let not the regel ga’avah (foot of pride) come against me, and let not the yad of the resha’im drive me away.
12 (13) There are the po’alei aven (workers of iniquity) fallen; they are thrown down, and shall not be able to rise.
21 He that pursueth tzedakah and chesed findeth chayyim, tzedakah, and kavod.
22 A chacham scaleth the city of the gibborim (mighty ones), and casteth down the trusted stronghold thereof.
Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010, 2011 by Artists for Israel International