2
1 After
these things, when
the wrath of
King Ahasuerus was
pacified, he
remembered Vashti,
and what she
had done, and
what was decreed
against her.
2 Then
the king’s
servants who
served him said, “Let
beautiful young
virgins be sought
for the king.
3 Let
the king appoint
officers in all
the provinces of
his kingdom, that
they may gather
together all the
beautiful young
virgins to the
citadel of Susa,
to the women’s
house, to the
custody of Hegai
the king’s eunuch,
keeper of the
women. Let
cosmetics be given
them;
4 and
let the maiden
who pleases the
king be queen
instead of Vashti.”
The thing pleased
the king, and
he did so.
5 There
was a certain Jew
in the citadel
of Susa whose
name was Mordecai,
the son of
Jair, the son
of Shimei, the
son of Kish,
a Benjamite,
6 who
had been carried
away from
Jerusalem with the
captives who
had been carried
away with Jeconiah
king of Judah, whom
Nebuchadnezzar the
king of Babylon
had carried away.
7 He
brought up
Hadassah, that is,
Esther, his uncle’s
daughter; for she
had neither father nor mother.
The maiden was
fair and beautiful;
and when her father
and mother were
dead, Mordecai
took her for
his own daughter.
8 So,
when the king’s
commandment and
his decree was
heard, and when
many maidens were
gathered together
to the citadel
of Susa, to
the custody of
Hegai, Esther was
taken into the
king’s house, to
the custody of
Hegai, keeper of
the women.
9 The
maiden pleased him,
and she obtained
kindness from him.
He quickly gave
her cosmetics and
her portions of
food, and the
seven choice
maidens who were
to be given
her out of
the king’s house.
He moved her and
her maidens to
the best place
in the women’s
house.
10 Esther had
not made known
her people nor
her relatives,
because Mordecai
had instructed her
that she should
not make it
known.
11 Mordecai
walked every day
in front of
the court of
the women’s house,
to find out
how Esther was
doing, and what
would become of
her.
12 Each
young woman’s turn
came to go
in to
King Ahasuerus after
her purification
for twelve
months (for so
were the days
of their
purification accomplished,
six months with
oil of myrrh,
and six months
with sweet fragrances
and with preparations
for beautifying women).
13 The
young woman then
came to the
king like this:
whatever she desired
was given her
to go with
her out of
the women’s house
to the king’s
house.
14 In
the evening she
went, and on
the next day
she returned into
the second women’s
house, to the
custody of
Shaashgaz, the
king’s eunuch, who
kept the
concubines. She
came in to
the king no
more, unless the
king delighted in
her, and she
was called by
name.
15 Now
when the turn
of Esther, the
daughter of Abihail
the uncle of
Mordecai, who had
taken her for
his daughter, came
to go in
to the king,
she required
nothing but what
Hegai the king’s
eunuch, the keeper
of the women,
advised. Esther obtained favor
in the sight
of all those
who looked at
her.
16 So Esther
was taken to
King Ahasuerus into
his royal house
in the tenth
month, which is
the month Tebeth,
in the seventh
year of his
reign.
17 The
king loved Esther more than
all the women,
and she obtained
favor and kindness
in his sight more
than all the
virgins; so that
he set the
royal crown on
her head, and
made her queen
instead of Vashti.
18 Then
the king made
a great feast
for all his
princes and his
servants, even Esther’s
feast; and
he proclaimed a
holiday in the
provinces, and
gave gifts
according to the
king’s bounty.
19 When
the virgins were
gathered together
the second time,
Mordecai was
sitting in the
king’s gate.
20 Esther had
not yet made
known her
relatives nor her
people, as
Mordecai had
commanded her;
for Esther obeyed Mordecai,
like she did
when she was
brought up by
him.
21 In
those days, while
Mordecai was
sitting in the
king’s gate, two
of the king’s
eunuchs, Bigthan and
Teresh, who were
doorkeepers, were
angry, and sought
to lay hands
on the
King Ahasuerus.
22 This
thing became known
to Mordecai, who
informed Esther the
queen; and Esther
informed the king
in Mordecai’s name.
23 When
this matter was
investigated, and
it was found
to be so,
they were both
hanged on a
gallows; and it
was written in
the book of
the chronicles in
the king’s
presence.