Additions to the Book of Esther - her prayers (excerpt)

13:8 - 14:19 (translated by Edgar Goodspeed)
And she (Esther) besought the Lord, calling to mind all the doings of the Lord, "Lord, You King, who rule over all, for all is in Your power, and there is no one who can oppose You when You choose to save Israel, for You made heaven and earth, and every wonderful thing under heaven, and You are Lord of all, and there is no one who can resist you, who are the Lord; You know all things; You know, Lord, that it was not in insolence or arrogance or vainglory that I did this, and refused to bow down to this proud Haman, for I would have been willing to kiss the soles of his feet, to save Israel.  But I did it so as not to set the glory of man above the glory of God, and I will bow down to no one but You, my Lord, and I will not do it in pride.  Now, Lord God and King, God of Abraham, spare Your people, for they are looking at us to consume us, and they desire to destroy the inheritance that has been Yours from the beginning.  Do not be indifferent to Your portion, which You ransomed for Youself from the land of Egypt.  Hear my prayer, and have mercy on Your heritage; turn our mourning into feasting, so that we may live, and sing praise to Your name, Lord; do not destroy the mouth of those who praise You."  And all Israel cried out with all their might, for death was before their eyes.
14:1 -- Then Esther, the queen, overwhelmed with deadly anxiety, fled to the Lord; she took off her splendid clothing and put on garments of distress and mourning, and instead of the rarest perfumes, she covered her head with ashes and dung, and she abased her body utterly, and every part that she delighted to adorn she covered with her tangled hair.  And she prayed to the Lord,
"My Lord, our King, You stand alone; help me who am alone, and have no helper but You; for my danger is in my hand.  Ever since I was born, I have heard in the tribe of my family that You, Lord, took Israel from among all the nations, and our forefathers from among all their ancestors for an everlasting possession, and that You did for them all that You promised.  But now we have sinned before You, and You have handed us over to our enemies, because we glorified their gods; You are upright, Lord.  And now they are not satisfied that we are in bitter captivity but they have made an agreement with their idols to abolish what Your mouth has ordained, and destroy Your possession, and stop the mouths of those who praise You and quench the glory of Your house, and Your altar, and open the mouths of the heathen to praise unreal gods, so that a mortal king may be magnified forever.  Lord, do not give up Your scepter to those who have no being, and do not let them mock at our fall, but turn their plan against themselves, and make an example of the man who has begun this against us.  Remember, Lord; make Yourself known in this time of our affliction and give me courage, King of the gods and holder of all dominion.  Put eloquent speech in my mouth, before this lion, and change his heart to hate the man who is fighting against us, so that there may be an end of him, and of those who support him.  But save us by Your hand, and help me, who stand alone, and have no one but You, Lord.  You know everything, and You know that I hate the spledor of the wicked, and abhor the bed of the uncircumcised and of any alien.  You know what I am forced to do -- that I abhor the symbol of my proud position, which is placed upon my head on the days when I appear in public; I abhor it like a filthy rag, and never wear it in private.  Your slave has not eaten at Haman's table, and I have not honored the king's feast, or drunk the wine of the libations.  Your slave has had not joy from the day I was brought here until now, except in You, Lord God of Abraham.  O God, whose might is over all, hear the voice of the despairing, and save us from the hands of evildoers, and save me from what I fear."