God able to deliver thee from the lions?" Then Daniel said, "O King,
live for ever. My God hath sent His angel and shut the lions'
mouths."

[Illustration: DANIEL AND THE LIONS.]




ESTHER BEFORE THE KING.


Ahasuerus reigned over the vast empire of Persia, and Esther, the
adopted daughter of a Jew named Mordecai, was Queen. None in the
palace knew she was a Jewess, for Mordecai had charged her not to make
it known. He abode in the king's palace, and was one of the king's
servants.

Ahasuerus promoted Haman, one of his courtiers, a cruel and wicked
man, to be over all his princes and officers; and all bowed down to
Haman and did him reverence except Mordecai, the Jew. Then was Haman
filled with wrath against Mordecai and his people, and obtained from
the king a decree ordering that all the Jews throughout his dominions
should be slain. Mordecai informed Queen Esther of this decree, and
bade her go to the king and plead for her people. Now it was one of
the laws of the palace that no one should approach the king in the
inner court unless he had been previously called; the penalty for not
obeying this law being death, unless the king should hold out the
golden sceptre to the offender so that he might live. Esther knew the
danger of approaching the king uncalled for, but she bade Mordecai to