Esther 2

1After these thingsH1697, whenH834 the fury of kingH4428 AhasuerusH325 was appeased, he rememberedH2142 VashtiH2060, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. 2Then saidH559 the king's servantsH5288 that attended upon him, Let there be maidens, virginsH1330 of beautiful countenance, soughtH1245 for the kingH4428; 3and let the kingH4428 appointH6485 officersH6485 in all the provincesH4082 of his kingdomH4438, that they may gatherH6908 togetherH6908 all the youngH5291 virginsH1330 of beautiful countenance to Shushan the fortress, to the houseH1004 of the womenH802, unto the custody of HegaiH1896 the king's chamberlain, keeperH8104 of the womenH802; and let their things for purification be givenH5414. 4And let the maiden that pleaseth the kingH4428 be queen instead of VashtiH2060. And the thingH1697 pleased the kingH4428; and he did soH3651. 5There was in Shushan the fortress a certain JewH3064, whose nameH8034 was MordecaiH4782, the sonH1121 of JairH2971, the sonH1121 of ShimeiH8096, the sonH1121 of KishH7027, a Benjaminite, 6who had been carried away from JerusalemH3389 with the captives who had been carried away with JeconiahH3204 kingH4428 of JudahH3063, whom NebuchadnezzarH5019 the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 had carried away. 7And he brought up Hadassah, that is, EstherH635, his uncle's daughterH1323; for she had neither fatherH1 nor motherH517 — and the maiden was fair and beautifulH3303 — and when her fatherH1 and motherH517 wereH1961 dead, MordecaiH4782 tookH3947 her for his own daughterH1323. 8And it came to pass when the king's commandment and his decree wasH1961 heardH8085, and when manyH7227 maidens wereH1961 gatheredH6908 togetherH6908 unto Shushan the fortress, unto the custody of HegaiH1896, that EstherH635 also wasH1961 brought into the king's houseH1004, unto the custody of HegaiH1896, keeperH8104 of the womenH802. 9And the maiden pleased him, and obtained favour before him; and he speedily gaveH5414 her her things for purification, and her portionsH4490, and the sevenH7651 maidens selected to be givenH5414 her, out of the king's houseH1004; and he removed her and her maidsH5291 to the bestH2896 [place] of the houseH1004 of the womenH802. 10EstherH635 had not made known her peopleH5971 nor her birthH4138; for MordecaiH4782 had charged her that she should not make it known. 11And MordecaiH4782 walkedH1980 every dayH3117 before the courtH2691 of the women's houseH1004, to knowH3045 howH4100 EstherH635 did, and what should become of her. 12And when every maiden's turn cameH935 to goH935 in to kingH4428 AhasuerusH325 after that she had beenH1961 treated for twelve monthsH2320, according to the manner of the womenH802 (for soH3651 wereH1961 the daysH3117 of their purification accomplished — sixH8337 monthsH2320 with oilH8081 of myrrhH4753, and sixH8337 monthsH2320 with spicesH1314, and with things for the purifying of the womenH802, 13and thus cameH935 the maiden in unto the kingH4428), whatever she desired was givenH5414 her to goH935 with her out of the houseH1004 of the womenH802 to the king's houseH1004. 14In the eveningH6153 she wentH935, and on the morrow she returnedH7725 into the secondH8145 houseH1004 of the womenH802, unto the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, keeperH8104 of the concubinesH6370. She cameH935 in to the kingH4428 no more, unless the kingH4428 delighted in her, and she were calledH7121 by nameH8034. 15And when the turn of EstherH635, the daughterH1323 of AbihailH32 the uncleH1730 of MordecaiH4782, who had takenH3947 her for his daughterH1323, cameH935 to goH935 in to the kingH4428, she required nothing but what HegaiH1896 the king's chamberlain, keeperH8104 of the womenH802, appointed. And EstherH635 obtained graceH2580 in the sight of all them that sawH7200 her. 16So EstherH635 was takenH3947 to kingH4428 AhasuerusH325, into his royal houseH1004, in the tenthH6224 monthH2320, that is, the monthH2320 Tebeth, in the seventh yearH8141 of his reignH4438. 17And the kingH4428 lovedH157 EstherH635 above all the womenH802, and she obtained graceH2580 and favour in his sight more than all the virginsH1330, and he setH7760 the royal crownH3804 upon her headH7218, and madeH7760 her queen instead of VashtiH2060. 18And the kingH4428 madeH6213 a greatH1419 feastH4960 to all his princesH8269 and his servantsH5650, Esther's feastH4960; and he madeH6213 a release to the provincesH4082, and gaveH5414 presents according to the king's bounty. 19And when the virginsH1330 were gatheredH6908 togetherH6908 the secondH8145 timeH8145, MordecaiH4782 satH3427 in the king's gateH8179. 20(EstherH635, as MordecaiH4782 had charged her, had not yet madeH6213 known her birthH4138 nor her peopleH5971; for EstherH635 did what MordecaiH4782 toldH5046 her, like as when she was brought up with him.) 21In those daysH3117, while MordecaiH4782 satH3427 in the king's gateH8179, twoH8147 of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and TereshH8657, of those which keptH8104 the threshold, were wroth, and soughtH1245 to lay handH3027 on the kingH4428 AhasuerusH325. 22And the thingH1697 became knownH3045 to MordecaiH4782, and he related it to EstherH635 the queenH4436, and EstherH635 toldH5046 it to the kingH4428 in Mordecai's nameH8034. 23And the matterH1697 was investigated and foundH4672 out; and they were both hangedH8518 on a treeH6086. And it was writtenH3789 in the bookH5612 of the chronicles before the kingH4428.