Esther

I've finally arrived at my favorite book of the bible. I love the book of Eshter not only because it revolves around a strong female character but because it has several characters that unlike some in the bible, are rewarded for their steadfastness in their principles and beliefs while those with wicked intent are also "rewarded" for their actions. It's the perfect Karma story.

After she refuses to display her beauty for everyone to see, Queen Vashti is more or less impeached from her duties as queen by her husband the King Ahasuerus. Curious that while women are often depicted as cunning and having a tendency to use their sexuality for manipulating men, Vahti is expelled for being modest.

Ahasuerus holds a kind of beauty pageant to find a new queen, a "Miss Shushan" contest if you will, and chooses Esther. Esther accepts, but doesn't reveal that she is a Jew. Until then, she was the ward of her cousin Mordechai, who after unveiling an assassination attempt to the king, is in good favor with the court.

Mordechai is a faithful man. When Haman the prime minister of Shushan demands that he bow to him, he refuses. This results in disaster as Haman discovers that Mordechai is a Jew, inspiring a plan to kill all of the Jews, not just Mordechai.

When Mordechai finds out about the plans he starts fasting. Mordechai tells Esther what happened and tells her to meet with the king and try to stop it. Esther is afraid to see the King uninvited because it is punishable by death but Mordechai insists that she has to. asks all of the jews to fast and pray with her for three days, and on the third day she goes to Ahasuerus, and he doesn't punish her.

She asks the King to feast with Haman, since the way to a mans heart is through his stomach, and the two men eat together. Haman has built gallows to hang Mordechai with.
That night, the king can't sleep so he asks that someone read to him. While listening to the records, he finds out that Mordechai once saved his life, and decides something should be done to reward him. He asks Haman for ideas, who assumes that the king is talking about him. Haman says the man should be honored by riding the king's horse. To his great disappointment, the King tells Haman to do just that to his favorite person, Mordechai.

Later that night, Esther has another feast for the men and she confesses that she is a jew and that Haman is planning on killing her people. Filled with rage, Ahasuerus orders that Haman be hanged in the gallows he built for Mordechai.

Esther remains Queen, and Mordechai is given a position in the King's court.

What goes around comes around, Haman. And women can do anything they set their mind to, if they have faith in God and a great sense of timing.