Esther was not only beautiful in face, but she had a very beautiful character.
She belonged to the people of God, called the Jews, who had been carried away captives from Palestine, and were now living in Persia.
Among these Jews was a man called Mordecai, who was much respected for his goodness, and he sat in the King's Gate.
When Esther's father and mother died, Mordecai took the little girl and brought her up as his own daughter. He taught her about God, and Esther was very obedient, and loved Mordecai very dearly.
Mordecai took the little girl and brought her up.
Then Esther was made Queen, and things went on peacefully; until one day Mordecai heard that there was a plot forming to kill King Ahasuerus. He at once secretly told Esther, and she told the King; and the two conspirators were both hanged. But the King forgot to thank Mordecai, though it was written down in the Chronicles of the Kingdom.
About that time the King took a great fancy to a man called Haman, who hated the Jews, and especially Mordecai, because he did not bow down to him when he passed.
So Haman obtained leave from the King to fix a day when all the Jews should be killed in the whole Kingdom.
But the City Shushan was much perplexed; for they knew, though the King did not, that his beloved Queen was a Jewess!