New American Standard Bible 1995

Esther 2

Vashti’s Successor Sought

1After these things 1when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and 2what had been decreed against her. 2Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “3Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3Let the king appoint overseers in 4all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of 5Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and 6let their cosmetics be given them. 4Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

5Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was 7Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6 8who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7He was bringing up Hadassah, that is 9Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and 10face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther Finds Favor

8So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and 11many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of 12Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s 13palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her 14cosmetics and 15food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10 16Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. 11Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

12Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women--for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women-- 13the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she 17desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the 18custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15Now when the turn of Esther, 19the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what 20Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, 21advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Esther Becomes Queen

17The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that 22he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18Then 23the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts 24according to the king’s bounty.

19 25When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai 26was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 27Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did 28what Mordecai told her as she had done 29when under his care.

Mordecai Saves the King

21In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, 30Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to 31lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22But the 32plot became known to Mordecai and 33he told Queen Esther, and Esther 34informed the king in Mordecai’s name. 23Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a 35gallows; and it was written in 36the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

Notes

1. Esther 2:1 Esth 7:10 ↩
2. Esther 2:1 Esth 1:19, 20 ↩
3. Esther 2:2 1 Kin 1:2 ↩
4. Esther 2:3 Esth 1:1, 2 ↩
5. Esther 2:3 Esth 2:8, 15 ↩
6. Esther 2:3 Esth 2:9, 12 ↩
7. Esther 2:5 Esth 3:2 ↩
8. Esther 2:6 2 Kin 24:14, 15; 2 Chr 36:10 ↩
9. Esther 2:7 Esth 2:15 ↩
10. Esther 2:7 Lit good of appearance ↩
11. Esther 2:8 Esth 2:3 ↩
12. Esther 2:8 Esth 2:3, 15 ↩
13. Esther 2:8 Lit house ↩
14. Esther 2:9 Esth 2:3, 12 ↩
15. Esther 2:9 Lit portions ↩
16. Esther 2:10 Esth 2:20 ↩
17. Esther 2:13 Lit said ↩
18. Esther 2:14 Lit hand ↩
19. Esther 2:15 Esth 2:7; 9:29 ↩
20. Esther 2:15 Esth 2:3, 8 ↩
21. Esther 2:15 Lit said ↩
22. Esther 2:17 Esth 1:11 ↩
23. Esther 2:18 Esth 1:3 ↩
24. Esther 2:18 Esth 1:7 ↩
25. Esther 2:19 Esth 2:3, 4 ↩
26. Esther 2:19 Esth 2:21; 3:2 ↩
27. Esther 2:20 Esth 2:10 ↩
28. Esther 2:20 Lit the word of Mordecai ↩
29. Esther 2:20 Esth 2:7 ↩
30. Esther 2:21 Esth 6:2 ↩
31. Esther 2:21 Lit send a hand against ↩
32. Esther 2:22 Lit matter, so also v 23 ↩
33. Esther 2:22 Esth 6:1, 2 ↩
34. Esther 2:22 Lit told ↩
35. Esther 2:23 Lit tree ↩
36. Esther 2:23 Esth 10:2 ↩