these decrees should be hanged on a gallows and his house be laid in ruins.

The Samaritans did as the king told them, because they were afraid to disobey him. They did not interfere with the Jews again, but gave them the animals they needed for sacrifice, and all that the king commanded.

There was a man named Ezra who was a priest of God, a teacher of the law of Moses, and a true servant of God. He lived in Babylon when Artaxerxes reigned in Persia. He was a Jew, and loved his people, and was anxious to instruct them in the laws and ways of God and that the people should obey the laws and thus insure the favor of God.

The king not only allowed him to go to Jerusalem, but he told him to carry with him the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors had offered to God.

With this money Ezra was to buy animals for sacrifices, and meat offerings, and drink offerings. The vessels which they gave him for God's service they were to present before the Lord at Jerusalem, and the king said that whatever they needed should be taken out of the king's treasure-house.

The king also gave orders that all the treasuries in the provinces beyond the river, to which Ezra was going, should give him an hundred talents of silver, an hundred measures of wheat, an hundred butts of wine, an hundred butts of oil, and salt, without prescribing how much.

Artaxerxes said that whatever God had commanded should be done, so that his displeasure should not rest upon his realms and his sons.

Ezra was commanded by the king to set magistrates and judges, who should judge the people beyond the river—that is, in the land of Judah-and who should teach the law to those who did not understand it. He was also to execute judgment, either by death, banishment to a strange land, or by taking from them their goods, or by imprisonment, all who would not do the law of God and the law of the king.

Ezra rejoiced, and was grateful to God, who had so turned the heart of the king towards him, and who had given him such a deep interest in the work of building the temple.

It was now about time for Ezra to leave Babylon, but

before leaving, he gathered together some of the priests and Levites, and the chief men of the Jews by the river Ahava, where they lived in tents three days.

He proclaimed a fast before the Lord, and sought of him the right way, and asked that his protecting care might be over them.

Ezra was ashamed to ask the king that a band of soldiers and horsemen might go with them, because he had told the king that God would ever protect those who sought his face. So God saw the fasting of Ezra and his company, and he heard their prayers. Then all those who had come from Babylon with Ezra, and who had been saved from their enemies, offered up sacrifices to God at Jerusalem: twelve bullocks, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve goats, and they gave the king's letters unto the king's officers and governors, who ruled over the provinces, and they helped the people in building the house of God, according to the command of the king.

At this time the people began to disobey the Lord, and to make friends with the heathen and take heathen women for their wives, and the princes and rulers were chief in the trespass.

When Ezra heard of it he rent his garments and mantle, and plucked off the hair of his head and of his beard, and was sad and astonished. Then all those persons who feared God were afraid lest God would punish the people for their disobedience.

Ezra sat astonished until the evening sacrifice was offered in the temple. Then he went up to the house of the Lord, and knelt down and spread out his hands unto the Lord, and said, O my God, I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee, for our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is grown up unto the heavens. Since the days of our fathers we have sinned against thee, and because of our sins thou hast let our enemies triumph over us, and we have been delivered to the sword, captivity, spoil, and confusion of face. But thou hast showed us mercy and put it in the heart of the king of Persia to allow us to come back and build the temple at Jerusalem,

And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments; we have made friends with the people of Canaan and taken wives from among them. O Lord, thou art good, for thou dost permit us still to live.

When Ezra had prayed and confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a great crowd of men, women, and children gathered around him, weeping very sore for the sins which had been committed.

Then Shechaniah, one of the chief men of Israel, replied to Ezra and said, We have trespassed against our God, and taken strange wives of the people of the land; yet there is hope for us, if we promise to put away our wives. Be of good courage. Ezra, command us, and we will obey thee.

Then Ezra stood up, and made the priests, Levites, and all the people confess their sins, and promise to renounce them. And the people were told that whoever would not assemble within three days at Jerusalem to join in confession of their sins to God, their property would be taken from them.

So the people came within the three days, and when they were assembled, Ezra said to them, Ye have transgressed and have taken strange wives to increase the trespass of Israel. Now make confession unto the Lord God of your fathers, and obey him. Separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.

Then all the congregation answered with a loud voice, As thou hast said, so must we do.

But as there was much rain, so that the people could not remain together, they asked Ezra to set a time when those who had taken heathen wives should come before the rulers and be judged by them, and told what they should do, that the fierce wrath of God might be turned away from them.

And Ezra and some of the rulers, on the first day of the tenth month, sat down to examine the matter. And those who had heathen wives confessed their sin, and promised to put it away.

And there were so many who came to confess and promise amendment that it took the rulers three months to take down their names, and to tell them what they should do.

CHAPTER XXIX.

ESTHER.

WHEN the Jews, as a people, returned to Jerusalem, there were some of them that remained scattered throughout Persia, of which country Ahasuerus was king.

Ahasuerus lived in his palace in Shushan, and in the third

year

of his reign he made a magnificent feast, to which he invited all the nobles and princes of his kingdom.

The feast lasted one hundred and eighty days, and afterwards the king made a feast for all the people that were in Shushan, great and small.

This feast lasted seven days and was held in the court that looked out upon a garden of the king's palace.

Rich curtains of white, green, and blue hung upon the marble pillars. The couches were of gold and silver, and the floor of various colored stones.

The guests reclined at table and drank, from vessels of gold, as much wine as they pleased.

And Vashti the queen also made a feast for the women of Shushan.

On the seventh day of the feast, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded the seven chamberlains that waited upon him to bring Vashti into his pres

ence.

She was to wear the crown-royal to show the people and the princes her beauty. But Vashti refused to obey the king's command, and the seven chamberlains went back to the king without her.

This made the king very angry, and he asked his wise men, What shall we do with the queen Vashti because she has not. performed the commandment. Memucan, one of the wise men, said, Vashti has done wrong, not to the king only, but also to all the princes and people of the kingdom. For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes.