Esther 2

Seeking Vashti’s Successor

1Some time laterH310H1697H428, when the angerH2534 of KingH4428 XerxesH325 had subsidedH7918, he rememberedH2142 VashtiH2060 andH853 whatH834 she had doneH6213, andH853 whatH834 had been decreedH1504 against herH5921.

2Then the king’sH4428 attendantsH5288H8334 proposedH559, “Let a search be madeH1245 for beautifulH2896H4758 youngH5291 virginsH1330 for the kingH4428, 3and let the kingH4428 appointH6485 commissionersH6496 in eachH3605 provinceH4082 of his kingdomH4438 to assembleH6908 allH3605 the beautifulH2896H4758 youngH5291 womenH1330 intoH413 the haremH1004H802 atH413 the citadelH1002 of SusaH7800. Let them be placedH413 under the careH3027 of HegaiH1896, the king’sH4428 eunuchH5631 in charge ofH8104 the womenH802, and let them be givenH5414 beauty treatmentsH8562. 4Then let the young womanH5291 whoH834 pleasesH3190H5869 the kingH4428 become queenH4427 in placeH8478 of VashtiH2060.”

This suggestionH1697 pleasedH3190H5869 the kingH4428, and he actedH6213 accordinglyH3651.

Esther Finds Favor

5Now there wasH1961 at the citadelH1002 of SusaH7800 a JewishH3064 manH376 from the tribe of BenjaminH1145 namedH8034 MordecaiH4782 sonH1121 of JairH2971, the sonH1121 of ShimeiH8096, the sonH1121 of KishH7027. 6HeH834 had been carried into exileH1540 from JerusalemH3389 by NebuchadnezzarH5019 kingH4428 of BabylonH894 amongH5973 those taken captiveH1473 withH5973 JeconiahH32041 kingH4428 of JudahH3063.

7AndH1961 Mordecai had brought upH539 HadassahH1919 (that isH1931, EstherH635), the daughterH1323 of his uncleH1730, becauseH3588 she did notH369 have a fatherH1 or motherH517. The young womanH5291 was lovelyH3303 in formH8389 andH2896 appearanceH4758, and when her fatherH1 and motherH517 had diedH4194, MordecaiH4782 had taken herH3947 as his own daughterH1323.

8WhenH1961 the king’sH4428 commandH1697 and edictH1881 had been proclaimedH8085, manyH7227 young womenH5291 gatheredH6908 atH413 the citadelH1002 of SusaH7800 underH413 the careH3027 of HegaiH1896. EstherH635 was also takenH3947 toH413 the palaceH1004H4428 and placed underH413 the careH3027 of HegaiH1896, the custodianH8104 of the womenH802. 9And the young womanH5291 pleased himH3190H5869 and obtainedH5375 hisH6440 favorH2617, so he quicklyH926 providedH5414 her with beauty treatmentsH8562 and the special dietH4490. He assignedH5414 to her sevenH7651 selectH7200 maidservantsH5291 from the palaceH1004H4428 and transferred herH8138 with themH5291 to the bestH2896 placeH1004 in the haremH802.

10EstherH635 did notH3808 revealH5046 her peopleH5971 orH853 her lineageH4138, becauseH3588 MordecaiH4782 had instructedH6680 herH5921 notH3808 to do soH5046. 11And every dayH3605H3117 MordecaiH4782 would walk back and forthH1980 in frontH6440 of the courtH2691 of the haremH1004H802 to learnH3045 aboutH853 Esther’sH635 welfareH7965 and whatH4100 was happeningH6213 to her.

12In the twelveH8147H6240 monthsH2320H3588H3651H4390H3117 beforeH5291 her turnH8447H5060 to goH935 toH413 KingH4428 XerxesH325H7093H1961, the haremH802 regulation requiredH1881 each young womanH802 to receive beauty treatmentsH4795 with oilH8081 of myrrhH4753 for sixH8337 monthsH2320, and then with perfumesH1314 and cosmeticsH8562 for another sixH8337 monthsH2320. 13WhenH2088 the young womanH5291 would goH935 toH413 the kingH4428, she was givenH5414 whateverH3605 she requestedH559 to takeH935 with herH5973 from the haremH1004H802 toH5704 the king’sH4428 palaceH1004. 14SheH1931 would goH935 there in the eveningH6153, and in the morningH1242 sheH1931 would returnH7725 toH413 a secondH8145 haremH1004H8022 underH413 the careH3027 of ShaashgazH8190, the king’sH4428 eunuchH5631 in charge ofH8104 the concubinesH6370. She would notH3808 returnH935H5750 toH413 the kingH4428 unlessH3588H518 heH4428 delightedH2654 in her and summoned herH7121 by nameH8034.

15Now EstherH635 was the daughterH1323 of AbihailH32, the uncleH1730 from whom MordecaiH4782 had adoptedH3947 her as his own daughterH1323. And when it was her turnH8447H5060 to goH935 toH413 the kingH4428, she did notH3808 ask forH1245 anythingH1697 exceptH3588H518 whatH834 HegaiH1896, the king’sH4428 trusted officialH5631 in charge ofH8104 the haremH802H1961, had advisedH559. And EstherH635 foundH5375 favorH2580 in the eyesH5869 of everyoneH3605 who saw herH7200.

16SheH635 was takenH3947 toH413 KingH4428 XerxesH325 inH413 the royalH4438 palaceH1004 in the tenthH6224H1931 monthH2320, the monthH2320 of TebethH2887,3 in the seventhH7651 yearH8141 of his reignH4438.

Esther Becomes Queen

17And the kingH4428 lovedH157 EstherH635 more than allH3605 the other womenH802, and she foundH5375 graceH2580 and favorH2617 in his sightH6440 more than allH3605 of the other virginsH1330. So he placedH7760 the royalH4438 crownH3804 upon her headH7218 and made her queenH4427 in place ofH8478 VashtiH2060.

18Then the kingH4428 heldH6213 a greatH1419 banquetH4960, Esther’sH635 banquetH4960, for allH3605 his officialsH8269 and servantsH5650. He proclaimedH6213 a tax holidayH2010 in the provincesH4082 and gaveH5414 giftsH4864 worthy of the king’sH4428 bountyH3027.

19When the virginsH1330 were assembledH6908 a secondH8145 time, MordecaiH4782 was sittingH3427 at the king’sH4428 gateH8179.4 20EstherH635 still had notH369 revealedH5046 her lineageH4138 or her peopleH5971, just asH834 MordecaiH4782 had instructedH6680H5921. SheH635 obeyedH6213 Mordecai’sH4782 commandH3982, asH834 she had doneH1961 under his careH545H854.

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

21In thoseH1992 daysH3117, while MordecaiH4782 was sittingH3427 at the king’sH4428 gateH8179, BigthanH9045 and TereshH8657, twoH8147 of the king’sH4428 eunuchsH5631 who guardedH8104 the entranceH5592, grew angryH7107 and conspiredH1245 to assassinateH7971H3027 KingH4428 XerxesH325.

22When MordecaiH4782 learnedH3045 of the plotH1697, he reportedH5046 it to QueenH4436 EstherH635, and sheH635 informedH559 the kingH4428 on Mordecai’s behalfH4782H8034.

23After the reportH1697 had been investigatedH1245 and verifiedH4672, bothH8147 officials were hangedH8518 onH5921 the gallowsH6086. And all this was recordedH3789 in the BookH5612 of the ChroniclesH1697H31176 in the presenceH6440 of the kingH4428.