#ScriptureReflection - Esther C:12-30 (5.24.22)

 Prayer of Esther

¹²  Queen Esther, seized with mortal anguish, fled to the Lord for refuge. ¹³  Taking off her splendid garments, she put on garments of distress and mourning. In place of her precious ointments she covered her head with dung and ashes. She afflicted her body severely and in place of her festive adornments, her tangled hair covered her.

¹⁴  Then she prayed to the Lord, the God of Israel, saying: “My Lord, you alone are our King. Help me, who am alone and have no help but you, ¹⁵  for I am taking my life in my hand. ¹⁶  From birth, I have heard among my people that you, Lord, chose Israel from among all nations, and our ancestors from among all their forebears, as a lasting inheritance, and that you fulfilled all your promi17es to them. ¹⁷  But now we have sinned in your sight, and you have delivered us into the hands of our enemies, ¹⁸  because we worshiped their gods. You are just, O Lord. ¹⁹  But now they are not satisfied with our bitter servitude, but have sworn an oath to their idols ²⁰  to do away with the decree you have pronounced, to destroy your inheritance, to close the mouths of those who praise you, to extinguish the glory of your house and your altar, ²¹  to open the mouths of the nations to acclaim their worthless gods, and to extol a mortal king forever.

²²  “Lord, do not relinquish your scepter to those who are nothing. Do not let our foes gloat over our ruin, but turn their own counsel against them and make an example of the one who began this against us. ²³  Be mindful of us, Lord. Make yourself known in the time of our distress and give me courage, King of gods and Ruler of every power. ²⁴  Put in my mouth persuasive words in the presence of the lion, and turn his heart to hatred for our enemy, so that he and his co-conspirators may perish. ²⁵  Save us by your power, and help me, who am alone and have no one but you, Lord.

²⁶    “You know all things. You know that I hate the pomp of the lawless, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised or of any foreigner. ²⁷  You know that I am under constraint, that I abhor the sign of grandeur that rests on my head when I appear in public. I abhor it like a polluted rag, and do not wear it in private. ²⁸  I, your servant, have never eaten at the table of Haman, nor have I graced the banquet of the king or drunk the wine of libations. ²⁹  From the day I was brought here till now, your servant has had no joy except in you, Lord, God of Abraham. ³⁰  O God, whose power is over all, hear the voice of those in despair. Save us from the power of the wicked, and deliver me from my fear.”

Source: NABRE (New American Bible Revised Edition)