First Reading: Esther 14:1, 3-5, 12-14

¹ And Esther the queen, seized with deathly anxiety, fled to the Lord;
³ And she prayed to the Lord God of Israel, and said: “O my Lord, thou only art our King; help me, who am alone and have no helper but thee,
⁴ for my danger is in my hand.
⁵ Ever since I was born I have heard in the tribe of my family that thou, O Lord, didst take Israel out of all the nations, and our fathers from among all their ancestors, for an everlasting inheritance, and that thou didst do for them all that thou didst promise.
¹² Remember, O Lord; make thyself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion!
¹³ Put eloquent speech in my mouth before the lion, and turn his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him and those who agree with him.
¹⁴ But save us by thy hand, and help me, who am alone and have no helper but thee, O Lord.