{"id":"01KFXVAZKA1K9N89V9F737DT0B","cid":"bafkreidipyfhsnqwcxqxydttmgahludxcbcplj2izxercbyfinruxywfxe","type":"chapter","properties":{"description":"# III \n## Overview \nThis entity is a chapter labeled \"III\" from a structured text document, spanning lines 819 to 874 of its source file. It is part of the collection [More Classics](arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS) and was extracted on January 26, 2026, using automated structure extraction tools. The chapter recounts a narrative from the biblical Book of Esther, focusing on key events involving Queen Esther, Mordecai, and Haman, and concludes with a moral reflection on divine providence and human agency.\n\n## Context \nThe chapter is derived from a larger work contained in the file [biblestoriesfory00newy.pdf](arke:01KFXTR2XMMZQSSZ5AP19Q6N6G), which is part of the [More Classics](arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS) collection. It has been segmented into four textual chunks—[Chunk 1](arke:01KFXVBT1MB5H7GWRGC9S7NF0J), [Chunk 2](arke:01KFXVBT1PQTTB0NWZVA87G4VM), [Chunk 3](arke:01KFXVBT216510SBH1Y4CVJY11), and [Chunk 4](arke:01KFXVBT1ZTYHYYQX9Q104GFQA)—each representing a portion of the full chapter. The text appears in a publication that includes page references from 126 to 135 and contains an illustration titled \"ESTHER BEFORE AMASUERUS\" on page 129.\n\n## Contents \nThe chapter narrates Queen Esther’s courageous intervention to save the Jewish people from destruction plotted by Haman. It describes her approach to King Ahasuerus, her strategic use of banquets to gain favor, and Haman’s humiliation when forced to honor Mordecai, her cousin. The narrative culminates in Haman’s execution on the gallows he prepared for Mordecai. Following this, the Jews are granted permission to defend themselves, resulting in the defeat of their enemies and the establishment of the festival of Purim, commemorated annually on the 13th–15th of Adar. The chapter concludes with a theological reflection emphasizing that God raises up individuals—such as Moses, David, Paul, and Florence Nightingale—to meet critical moments in history.","description_generated_at":"2026-01-26T19:10:54.845Z","description_model":"Qwen/Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507","description_title":"III","end_line":874,"extracted_at":"2026-01-26T19:08:53.934Z","extracted_by":"structure-extraction-lambda","label":"III","source_file":"01KFXVA454RTKCJEQJMP0QKNKY","start_line":819,"text":" 570\tIII\n 571\tShe therefore resolved to hazard her life for the safety of her people.\n 572\t\n 573\tOn the third day she put on her royal apparel, and stood in the presence of the King while he was seated upon his throne in the inner palace. This was an act of heroic self-sacrifice. The King upon seeing her held out the golden sceptre. Esther went near, touched the top of it, and thereby her life was preserved. In response to his request as to what her petition was, she simply desired that Haman with the King should come to a banquet which she had prepared. At this banquet he again asked her of her petition, and her only reply was that they should come again the next day to a like banquet. She thus desired to endear herself unto the King more fully before she preferred her great request.\n 574\t\n 575\tHaman was greatly elated by the honor thus conferred upon him; but on returning to his home thus puffed up, he saw Mordecai once more sitting at the gate of the palace, and still refusing to do him\n 576\t7\n\n\n 577\t112\n 578\t\n 579\treverence. This affront was more than he could bear. He called his friends about him for advice, and it was decided to cause a gallows of fifty cubits high to be built, and the next morning to ask the King to hang Mordecai thereon. He accordingly ordered the gallows to be made. Early the next morning he repaired to the palace to secure the King's order for Mordecai's death. The story goes on to narrate that the next morning the King arose sooner than his usual hour, and being unable to compose himself again to rest, he caused the book of the records of the kingdom to be read to him. From these records he learned that the conspiracy of Bigthan and Teresh was discovered by Mordecai the Jew, and he was further informed that no honor had been done Mordecai, notwithstanding his bravery and patriotism. Just then Haman appeared in the court, having gone in haste to secure the King's consent to the death of Mordecai. The King immediately ordered him to be summoned into\n\n\n 580\t113\n 581\t\n 582\this presence. What, said the King, shall be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honor? Haman, believing that he himself was that man, suggested that the royal apparel which the King used to wear should be put upon him, and the King's horse should be given him, and the King's crown be placed upon his head, and that he, thus mounted and arrayed, might pass through the whole city, a messenger preceding him and proclaiming, “Thus shall it be done to the man whom the King delighteth to honor.”\n 583\t\n 584\tImmediately the King commanded him to take the apparel and the horse, and confer this honor upon Mordecai the Jew, who sat in the King's gate. This humiliation was almost too great for Haman to endure. With unspeakable sorrow he returned to his house lamenting his mortification. While bewailing his humiliating condition in the presence of his friends, one of the Queen's chamberlains came to his house and hastened him to the banquet. No sooner had he taken his place\n\n\n 585\t114\n 586\t\n 587\tat the banquet than the King again asked Esther what was her petition. Esther preferred a request for the salvation of herself and her people, and she also informed the King that a design was laid for the destruction of both. In answer to the King's angry request, she told him that Haman, then present, was the author of the wicked plot. Rising with wrath from the banquet the King walked into the adjoining garden; then Haman fell before the Queen supplicating his life. In this posture the King found him, and choosing to put the worst construction on his position, he gave his orders, and the servants immediately covered Haman's face, and hanged him on the gallows which he had prepared for Mordecai. The royal command being thus immediately executed, all Haman's goods were given to the Queen, who appointed Mordecai to be her steward in the management of the riches thus secured.\n 588\t\n 589\tThe same day the King was informed of the relation which Mordecai sustained\n\n\n 590\t![img-0.jpeg](arke:01KFXV8GR2YGM0CH3AF1VD8B3P)\n 591\tESTHER BEFORE AMASUERUS\n\n\n 592\t.\n\n\n 593\t117\n 594\t\n 595\tto her, and he was taken into the royal household and advanced to high honors in the empire, being made keeper of the King's signet. A second time the King was petitioned to have the destruction decreed against the Jews turned away; but according to the law of the land this could not be done, though the Jews by a new decree were given power to defend themselves, and when the 13th day of Adar drew near, when the decree for their execution was to be enforced, they were prepared to defend themselves in every city where they dwelt throughout all the provinces of the empire. A war was therefore commenced between the Jews and their enemies, and on that day the Jews slew of their enemies seventy-five thousand persons; and in the city of Shushan on that day and the next eight hundred more, and among this number were the ten sons of Haman, who were hanged, probably on the same gallows on which their father Haman died. The Jews made great rejoicing over their deliverance,\n\n\n 596\t118\n 597\t\n 598\tand, by order of Esther and Mordecai, the 13th, 14th, and 15th days of Adar were consecrated to be annually observed as a commemoration of this deliverance. The 13th is a fast because of the destruction intended, and the other days are a feast because of the deliverance vouchsafed. The fast is called the Fast of Esther, and the feast Purim.\n 599\t\n 600\tOne lesson which we may learn from this narrative is that God always raises up fitting instrumentalities for the accomplishment of great purposes in His kingdom. Wherever there is a crisis there is a man or woman to meet its responsibilities and to discharge its obligations. This principle is illustrated in every age in the history of the Church. When Israel is to be led out of Egypt, God has a Moses. When Moses lays down the honor of leadership, God has a Joshua, courageous and strong, to lead the people through trial into triumph. When the Philistines were to be destroyed, God sent Samson into the conflict. When kingdoms were to be\n\n\n 601\t119\n 602\tunited, God raised up David. When he lays down the sceptre, Solomon is ready to carry the work forward to greater heights of national glory. When it seemed as if every knee had bowed to Baal, God gave His people Elijah, fierce and strong, to stand for the right and to rebuke the wrong. When the Gospel was to be carried to the Gentiles, God had the Apostle Paul, trained in the school of Gamaliel and in the deserts of Arabia. When great doctrines were to be formulated, God raised up Augustine, and in later days Luther. Later still a Wesley and a Whitefield come forward to rouse England and America from a dead orthodoxy to a living and working faith. God gave us Florence Nightingale to sing her song in the darkest night of the Crimean War, and to call by her brave example into patriotic service in our day of trial noble American women to follow in her footsteps. God be thanked for the noble women, by whatever name they are called, in whatever century or clime they\n\n\n 603\t120\n 604\t\n 605\thave lived, who sought the honor of God and the salvation of their race! In proportion as we are faithful in that which is least, God will enable us to be successful in that which is greatest.\n\n","title":"III"},"relationships":[{"peer":"01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS","peer_label":"More Classics","peer_type":"collection","predicate":"collection"},{"peer":"01KFXVBT1MB5H7GWRGC9S7NF0J","peer_label":"Chunk 1","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KFXVBT1PQTTB0NWZVA87G4VM","peer_label":"Chunk 2","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KFXVBT216510SBH1Y4CVJY11","peer_label":"Chunk 3","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"contains"},{"peer":"01KFXVBT1ZTYHYYQX9Q104GFQA","peer_label":"Chunk 4","peer_type":"chunk","predicate":"contains"}],"ver":3,"created_at":"2026-01-26T19:08:54.365Z","ts":"2026-01-26T19:10:55.095Z","edited_by":{"method":"manual","user_id":"01KFF5C36SQEVDHC9CBNZZJH9K"}}