1-3. (a) Why nao maet Esther feel fraet for go story lo hasband blo hem? (b) Olketa wanem kwestin abaotem Esther nao bae iumi storyim?

 IMAGINIM Esther taem hem wakabaot go lo courtyard lo palace lo Shushan. Maet hem trae for mekem heart blo hem no pampam lo datfala taem. Bat hem no isi. Datfala palace blo king hem luk spesol tumas and hem fit for mekem man fraet. Olketa wall blo palace garem olketa big karving blo olketa buluka wea garem wing, olketa man wea holem bow and arrow, and olketa lion. Hem garem tu olketa bigfala ston post and olketa statue. Datfala palace stap antap wanfala big flat area klosap lo olketa Zagros Maunten wea garem snow, and sapos man standap lo there hem savve luk go antap lo klin wata blo Choaspes river. Position and lukluk blo datfala palace hem mekem pipol wea go lo there for tingim hao datfala king garem big paoa, and king hia kolem hemseleva “datfala maeti king.” Hem nao man wea Esther go for lukim and datfala man hem hasband blo Esther.

² Esther hem wanfala faithful Jew gele and masbi hem no expectim for maritim samwan olsem Ahasuerus! a Hem man wea no followim example blo olketa man olsem Abraham, wea hambol and willing for lisin lo direction from Jehovah thru lo waef blo hem, Sarah. (Gen. 21:12) Disfala king no savve abaotem God blo Esther, Jehovah, or olketa Law blo Hem. Ahasuerus hem savve nomoa abaotem law blo Persia, and law blo Persia hem barava stopem wat Esther hem redi for duim. Wat nao datwan? Law hem sei sapos eniwan kam front lo king blo Persia bat king no invaetem hem for kam, hem bae fit for dae. And king hem no talem Esther for kam, bat Esther nao go lo king. Taem Esther kam insaed lo inner courtyard, king savve lukim hem from throne blo hem, lo datfala taem maet Esther feel olsem hem wakabaot go for dae blo hem nao.—Readim Esther 4:11; 5:1.

 ³ Why nao Esther putim laef blo hem lo danger? And wat nao iumi savve lanem from faith blo disfala nambawan woman? Firstaem, bae iumi storyim hao nao gogo Esther kamap queen lo Persia.

 4. Wat nao baekgraon blo Esther, and hao nao gogo kasin blo hem Mordecai lukaftarem hem?

⁴ Taem Esther pikinini yet, dadi and mami blo hem dae. Bible no storyim staka samting abaotem parents blo hem wea nemim hem lo Hadassah, wea lo Hebrew languis hem minim wanfala white flaoa wea olketa kolem “myrtle.” Taem parents blo Esther dae, wanfala relative blo hem wea nem blo hem Mordecai lukaftarem Esther. Mordecai hem kasin blo Esther, and hem wanfala mature man. Hem tekem Esther go stap lo haos blo hem and treatim hem olsem own dota blo hem.—Esther 2:5-7, 15.

5, 6. (a) Hao nao Mordecai lukaftarem Esther? (b) Hao nao laef blo Esther and Mordecai lo Shushan?

⁵ Mordecai and Esther tufala Jew and olketa stap olsem prisoner lo kapitol blo Persia, and maet pipol ting daonem olketa bikos lo religion blo olketa and Law wea olketa trae for followim. Bat luk olsem Esther hem klos lo kasin blo hem Mordecai wea teachim hem abaotem Jehovah, datfala God wea showimaot mercy. Hem God wea sevem pipol blo hem from staka trabol lo bifor and bae hem duim datwan lo future tu. (Lev. 26:44, 45) Luk olsem, Esther and Mordecai barava loyal and lovem each other.

⁶ Maet Mordecai waka olsem wanfala official lo palace blo Shushan, hem savve evritaem sidaon lo gate, witim olketa nara wakaman blo king. (Esther 2:19, 21; 3:3) Iumi no barava sure, bat luk olsem taem young Esther hem gohed for growap, hem savve duim waka lo haos and lukaftarem kasin blo hem. Smol haos blo olketa maet stap lo nara saed lo river opposite lo datfala palace. Maet Esther enjoyim wei for go lo market lo Shushan, ples wea olketa man wakem olketa tings from gold and silver, and olketa narawan salem olketa samting wea olketa wakem. Esther maet no imaginim hao wanday bae  hem garem olketa expensive samting olsem. Hem barava no idea abaotem wat nao bae happen lo hem lo future.

 7. Why nao olketa aotem Vashti for no queen, and wat nao happen bihaen?

⁷ Wanday, taon blo Shushan fulap witim nius abaotem wanfala problem wea happen lo haos blo king. King Ahasuerus hem arrangem wanfala party witim olketa bigman blo hem, and olketa enjoyim staka kaikai and wine. During datfala feast, king disaed for kolem kam beautiful queen blo hem, Vashti, wea hem tu gohed for party lo nara haos witim olketa woman. Bat Vashti les for kam lo king. Datwan mek shame lo king and hem kros tumas. King askem olketa advaesa blo hem wat for duim for panisim Vashti. Disison blo olketa hem for aotem hem for no queen nao. So olketa servant blo king go lukaotem evri young virgin wea luk naes lo full land wea king rulim mekem king savve chusim wanfala niu queen.—Esther 1:1–2:4.

 8. (a) Why nao Mordecai maet lelebet wari abaotem Esther taem hem gohed for growap? (b) Hao nao iumi savve followim wanem Bible talem abaotem lukluk blo iumi? (Lukim tu Proverbs 31:30.)

⁸ Imaginim hao Mordecai mas barava hapi and praod taem hem lukim kasin blo hem Esther, gohed for growap. Bat maet hem wari lelebet tu, bikos Esther hem barava luk naes. Bible sei: “Datfala young gele hem luk naes tumas.” (Esther 2:7) Bible teachim iumi balance tingting abaotem lukluk blo iumi. Wei for luk naes hem no minim physical saed nomoa, bat hem minim wei for garem wisdom and for hambol tu. Sapos iumi no garem olketa wei olsem, bae iumi tingim iumiseleva nomoa, kamap praod, and garem olketa nara nogud wei. (Readim Proverbs 11:22.) Hao, iu lukim datwan tu? Maet Mordecai wari, waswe wei wea Esther luk naes, bae helpem Esther or spoelem hem? Bae iumi lukim wat hem happen.

 9. (a) Wat nao happen taem olketa servant blo king lukim Esther, and why nao hem no isi for hem lusim Mordecai? (b) Why nao Mordecai letem Esther for maritim man wea no worshipim Jehovah? (Lukim tu box.)

⁹ Olketa servant blo king lukim Esther. So taem olketa tekem go evri young gele, olketa tekem tu Esther from Mordecai and go lo palace blo king wea stap narasaed lo river. (Esther 2:8) Masbi hem no isi for tufala lusim each other, bikos Mordecai hem olsem dadi blo Esther. Hard tumas for Mordecai laekem dota blo hem wea hem adoptim, for maritim wanfala king wea no worshipim Jehovah, bat hem hard for stopem datwan for happen. b Masbi Esther barava lisin  taem Mordecai talem hem olketa advaes just bifor olketa tekem hem! Taem olketa leadim hem go lo palace lo Shushan, hem mas tingim staka samting. Bae wat nao happen lo hem lo palace?

10, 11. (a) Hao nao maet niu environment blo Esther affectim hem? (b) Hao nao Mordecai showimaot hem wari abaotem Esther?

¹⁰ Laef blo Esther barava change, evriting hem difren and staka samting hem niu lo hem. Olketa chusim hem and ‘staka nara young gele’ from evri difren kaen ples wea Persia rulim. Olketa kastom, languis, and wei blo olketa barava difren. Wanfala official wea nem blo hem Hegai nao lukaftarem olketa young gele hia and hem arrange for olketa kasem beauty treatment for wan full year, olketa bae kasem olketa massage witim olketa oil wea smel naes. (Esther  2:8, 12) Dat kaen laef savve mekem hem isi for olketa young gele hia tingim olketa seleva and focus nomoa lo lukluk blo olketa, diswan savve mekem olketa praod and laek compete witim each other. Bat hao, datwan affectim Esther?

¹¹ Mordecai hem wari tumas abaotem Esther. Iumi savve readim hao evriday hem savve go klosap lo ples wea haos blo olketa woman hia stap, bikos hem laek for savve hao nao Esther. (Esther 2:11) Isisi hem herem samfala information abaotem Esther, maet hem herem from olketa servant wea waka lo datfala haos. Masbi hem smile and feel praod lo gele blo hem taem hem herem. Why nao olsem?

12, 13. (a) Hao nao pipol ting lo Esther? (b) Why nao Mordecai hapi for herem hao Esther no talemaot hem wanfala Jew?

¹² Hegai hem barava tinghae lo Esther so hem kaen lo Esther,  and givim hem sevenfala servant gele and best ples insaed lo haos blo olketa woman. Bible sei tu: “Evriwan wea lukim Esther olketa hapi lo hem.” (Esther 2:9, 15) Waswe, from Esther hem luk naes nao dastawe olketa hapi lo hem? Nomoa, no just datwan nao mekem pipol hapi lo hem.

¹³ For example, Bible sei: “Esther no storyim eni samting abaotem hu nao pipol blo hem or olketa relative blo hem bikos Mordecai talem hem for no talem eniwan.” (Esther 2:10) Mordecai talem Esther for no talemaot dat hem wanfala Jew, maet hem luksavve lo palace blo king staka pipol les lo olketa Jew. Masbi Mordecai hapi tumas for savve hao Esther gohed for wise and obey nomata hem stap seleva!

14. Hao nao olketa young pipol distaem savve followim example blo Esther?

¹⁴ Young pipol distaem savve duim sem samting for mekem heart blo parents and guardian blo olketa hapi. Taem olketa stap lo ples wea parents no lukim olketa, nomata witim pipol wea wei blo olketa nogud and raf, olketa savve strong for againstim datwan and gohed for followim olketa standard wea olketa savve hem stret. Taem olketa duim datwan, olsem Esther, olketa mekem heart blo Dadi blo olketa lo heven for hapi.—Readim Proverbs 27:11.

15, 16. (a) Wat nao mekem king for lovem Esther? (b) Why nao maet olketa change wea kamap lo laef blo Esther hem no isi?

¹⁵ Kasem taem blo Esther for go lo king, Esther savve chusim eni samting hem laekem for redyim hemseleva and mekem hemseleva for luk naes go moa. Nomata olsem, Esther hambol and no askem eni samting winim wanem Hegai talem hem for tekem. (Esther 2:15) Maet hem luksavve wei for luk naes nomoa bae no mekem king for lovem hem, bat for garem hambol wei nao important. Hao, Esther garem stret tingting?

¹⁶ Bible sei: “Gogo, king lovem Esther winim evri nara gele and king hapi tumas lo hem and laekem Esther winim eni nara virgin. So hem putim crown lo hed blo Esther and mekem hem for queen changem Vashti.” (Esther 2:17) Masbi hem no isi for disfala hambol gele wea hem wanfala Jew for deal witim big change lo laef blo hem, bikos hem kamap queen and waef blo barava paoaful king lo earth lo datfala taem. Waswe, datfala position wea hem kasem mekem hem for praod? Barava nomoa nao!

17. (a) Lo olketa wanem wei nao Esther gohed obeyim man wea adoptim hem? (b) Why nao example blo Esther hem important for iumi distaem?

¹⁷ Esther gohed obeyim man wea adoptim hem, Mordecai. Hem no talemaot dat hem wanfala Jew. And tu, taem Mordecai faendaot samwan laek for killim dae Ahasuerus, Esther obeyim Mordecai and  hem mek sure olketa warnim king. From datwan, plan blo olketa man hia fail. (Esther 2:20-23) Esther gohed showimaot faith lo God taem hem hambol and obey. Iumi barava need for followim example blo Esther bikos distaem staka pipol bighed and no laek for obey. Nomata olsem, pipol wea garem tru faith tinghae lo wei for obey olsem Esther.

18. (a) Why nao Mordecai no laek for baodaon lo Haman? (Lukim tu footnote.) (b) Hao nao olketa man and woman wea garem faith distaem savve followim example blo Mordecai?

¹⁸ Wanfala man wea nem blo hem Haman kamap bigman lo palace blo Ahasuerus. King chusim hem for kamap prime minister, wea minim Haman hem main advaesa blo hem and mek-tu man wea garem paoa. King talem tu dat evri man wea lukim Haman mas baodaon lo hem. (Esther 3:1-4) For Mordecai, datfala law hem lelebet hard for followim. Nomata hem mas obeyim king, lo semtaem hem mas no againstim God. And Haman hem wanfala Agagite. Datwan minim, hem from laen blo Agag, datfala Amalekite king wea profet Samuel killim dae. (1 Sam. 15:33) Olketa Amalekite barava wicked and olketa chus for mekem olketa seleva kamap enemy blo Jehovah and Israel. So Jehovah sei for finisim olketa. c (Deut. 25:19) Hao, hem fitim for wanfala faithful Jew baodaon lo wanfala Amalekite? Mordecai hard for duim. Hem disaed for no baodaon lo Haman. Distaem tu, olketa man and woman wea garem faith, willing for putim laef blo olketa lo danger from olketa followim disfala principle for obeyim God winim olketa man.”—Acts 5:29.

19. Wat nao Haman laek for duim, and wat nao hem talem lo king?

¹⁹ Haman barava kros. Bat hem no just laek for killim dae Mordecai nomoa. Hem laek for killim dae evri pipol blo Mordecai tu! Haman story lo king and talem nogud story abaotem olketa Jew. Taem hem story lo king hem no talem hu nao datfala grup, bat hem sei olketa nating important, and hem sei olketa “stap evriwea lo evri province.” And hem sei olketa nating obeyim olketa law blo king, wea minim olketa savve bighed againstim king. Hem sei bae hem givim bigfala selen lo treasury blo king for sapotim wei for killim dae evri Jew anda lo rul blo king. d Ahasuerus agree and givim  Haman ring blo king for stampim eni order wea hem ting for raetem.—Esther 3:5-10.

20, 21. (a) Hao nao announcement blo Haman affectim olketa Jew wea stap anda lo rul blo Persia, and Mordecai tu? (b) Wat nao Mordecai askem Esther for duim?

²⁰ Olketa sendem go olketa messenger lo olketa horse lo evri ples anda lo rul blo Persia for talemaot datfala announcement hao olketa Jew bae dae. Imaginim taem olketa Jew wea stap farawe lo Jerusalem herem datfala announcement, olketa hia just go bak lo Babylon and trae for buildim wanfala city wea still no garem eni wall for protectim olketa. Taem Mordecai herem datfala nius, maet hem tingim olketa lo Jerusalem and olketa fren and relative blo hem lo Shushan. From hem sorre tumas, hem brekem kaleko blo hem, werem kaleko for sorre, putim asis lo hed blo hem and hem go insaed lo taon and krae big. Bat Haman sidaon for drink nomoa witim king, hem nating warim feeling blo olketa Jew and olketa fren blo olketa lo Shushan.—Readim Esther 3:12–4:1.

²¹ Mordecai savve dat hem mas duim samting for servem olketa Jew. Bat wat nao bae hem duim? Esther herem dat Mordecai sorre tumas and hem sendem kaleko for hem, bat Mordecai no acceptim. Maet for longtaem hem tingim why nao God blo hem Jehovah letem olketa for tekem Esther from hem and mekem hem kamap  queen. Distaem hem start for luksavve why Jehovah letem datwan for happen, so Mordecai sendem message go lo queen Esther and askem hem for go story lo king ‘on behalf lo pipol blo hem.’—Esther 4:4-8.

22. Why nao Esther fraet for go story lo hasband blo hem wea king? (Lukim tu footnote.)

²² Esther mas barava fraet taem hem herem datfala message. Datwan hem barava testim faith blo hem. Hem fraet, and hem talem datwan lo Mordecai. Hem remindim Mordecai abaotem law blo king. If hem go lo king taem king no invaetem hem, bae hem savve dae. Only if king pointim golden scepter go lo hem bae hem no dae. Maet Esther tingim samting wea happen lo Vashti, taem Vashti no obeyim komand blo king. And maet hem ting, ‘waswe eni reason stap for king no killim hem dae?’ Esther talem Mordecai dat king no invaetem hem for 30 days finis! From datwan, hem isi for hem tingse king no hapi lo hem. e—Esther 4:9-11.

23. (a) Wat nao Mordecai talem for strongim faith blo Esther? (b) Why nao Mordecai hem wanfala gud example for iumi?

²³ Mordecai talem samting wea strongim faith blo Esther. Hem sei if Esther no duim samting, Jehovah bae iusim narawan for servem pipol blo hem. Bat Esther shud no tingse hem bae misstim persecution. Diswan showimaot Mordecai garem strong faith lo Jehovah, and savve Jehovah bae no letem eniwan for finisim pipol blo hem and olketa promis blo hem mas kamap tru. (Josh. 23:14) Then Mordecai sei lo Esther: “Iumi no savve maet hem nao why iu kamap queen for helpem pipol blo iu lo kaen hard taem olsem wea kasem iumi distaem.” (Esther 4:12-14) Mordecai hem gudfala example  for iumi followim, iaman? Hem barava trustim God blo hem Jehovah. Waswe lo iumi?—Prov. 3:5, 6.

24. Hao nao Esther showim faith and no fraet?

²⁴ Hem kasem taem for Esther disaed. Hem askem Mordecai and olketa nara Jew for fasting witim hem for thri days, and hem talem disfala toktok wea showimaot wei wea hem brave and garem faith: “Sapos mi bae dae, mi willing for dae.” (Esther 4:15-17) Masbi hem prea strong lo thrifala day hia winim eni nara taem lo laef blo hem. Then hem kasem taem for go. Hem werem best royal kaleko wea hem garem, and duim evriting wea hem fit for duim mekem king acceptim hem. Then hem go nao.

25. Describem samting wea happen taem Esther go lo hasband blo hem.

²⁵ Olsem iumi storyim lo start blo disfala chapter, Esther wakabaot go lo palace blo king. Iumi savve imaginim hao hem ting and hao hem gohed for prea strong. Taem hem go insaed lo datfala courtyard, hem savve lukim go Ahasuerus sidaon lo throne blo hem. Maet hem luk go lo Ahasuerus wea garem beard and wea hair blo hem koel kam daon lo tufala saed lo feis blo hem and maet hem trae for luksavve lo feeling blo Ahasuerus. If hem mas weit, masbi hem feel olsem hem weit for longtaem. Bat then hasband blo hem lukim hem. For sure hem sapraes for lukim hem, bat maet hem smile lelebet taem hem pointim go golden scepter lo Esther!—Esther 5:1, 2.

26. Why nao olketa tru Christian needim wei for no fraet olsem Esther, and why nao datwan hem just first samting wea hem duim?

²⁶ Esther hem lukim king and king acceptim hem for story. Hem stand for God and pipol blo hem. Datwan hem nambawan example blo faith for iumi evri servant blo God distaem. Olketa tru Christian distaem tu tinghae lo olketa example olsem. Jesus hem sei pipol bae luksavve lo olketa tru follower blo hem taem olketa showimaot love and willing for sakrifaesim seleva. (Readim John 13:34, 35.) For showimaot love olsem, man mas brave olsem Esther. Bat nomata Esther duim samting for sevem pipol blo God lo datfala day, waka blo hem no finis yet. Hao nao bae hem convincim king for luksavve dat favorite advaesa blo hem Haman, hem wanfala wicked man? Wat nao bae hem duim for sevem pipol blo hem? Bae iumi storyim thrifala kwestin hia lo next chapter.