Esther 2

Vashti’s Successor Sought

1AfterH310 theseH428 thingsH1697 1when the angerH2534 of KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 had subsidedH7918, he rememberedH2142 VashtiH2060 and whatH834 she had doneH6213 and 2whatH834 had been decreedH1504 againstH5921 her. 2Then the king’sH4428 attendantsH5288, who servedH8334 him, saidH559, “3Let beautifulH2896 youngH5291 virginsH1330 be soughtH1245 for the kingH4428. 3Let the kingH4428 appointH6485 overseersH6496 in 4allH3605 the provincesH4082 of his kingdomH4438 that they may gatherH6908 everyH3605 beautifulH2896 youngH5291 virginH1330 to the citadelH1002 of SusaH7800, to the haremH1004H802, into the custodyH3027 of 5HegaiH1896, the king’sH4428 eunuchH5631, who is in chargeH8104 of the womenH802; and 6let their cosmeticsH8562 be givenH5414 them. 4Then let the youngH5291 ladyH5291 whoH834 pleasesH3190H5869 the kingH4428 be queenH4427 in placeH8478 of VashtiH2060.” And the matterH1697 pleasedH3190H5869 the kingH4428, and he didH6213 accordinglyH3651.

5Now there was at the citadelH1002 in SusaH7800 a JewH3064 whose nameH8034 was 7MordecaiH4782, the sonH1121 of JairH2971, the sonH1121 of ShimeiH8096, the sonH1121 of KishH7027, a BenjamiteH376H3228, 68whoH834 had been takenH1540 into exileH1540 from JerusalemH3389 with the captivesH1473 whoH834 had been exiledH1540 with JeconiahH3204 kingH4428 of JudahH3063, whomH834 NebuchadnezzarH5019 the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 had exiledH1540. 7He was bringingH539 up HadassahH1919, that is 9EstherH635, his uncle’sH1730 daughterH1323, for she hadH369 noH369 fatherH1 orH369 motherH517. Now the youngH5291 ladyH5291 was beautifulH3303 of formH8389 and 10faceH4758, and when her fatherH1 and her motherH517 diedH4194, MordecaiH4782 tookH3947 her as his own daughterH1323.

Esther Finds Favor

8So it cameH1961 about when the commandH1697 and decreeH1881 of the kingH4428 were heardH8085 and 11manyH7227 youngH5291 ladiesH5291 were gatheredH6908 to the citadelH1002 of SusaH7800 into the custodyH3027 of 12HegaiH1896, that EstherH635 was takenH3947 to the king’sH4428 13palaceH1004 into the custodyH3027 of HegaiH1896, who was in chargeH8104 of the womenH802. 9Now the youngH5291 ladyH5291 pleasedH3190H5869 him and foundH5375 favorH2617 with him. So he quicklyH926 providedH5414 her with her 14cosmeticsH8562 and 15foodH4490, gaveH5414 her sevenH7651 choiceH7200 maidsH5291 from the king’sH4428 palaceH1004 and transferredH8132 her and her maidsH5291 to the bestH2896 place in the haremH1004H802. 1016EstherH635 did not makeH5046 knownH5046 her peopleH5971 or her kindredH4138, for MordecaiH4782 had instructedH6680 her that she should not makeH5046 them knownH5046. 11EveryH3605 dayH3117 MordecaiH4782 walkedH1980 backH1980 and forth in frontH6440 of the courtH2691 of the haremH1004H802 to learnH3045 howH7965 EstherH635 was and howH4100 she faredH6213.

12Now when the turnH8447 of eachH5291 youngH5291 ladyH5291 cameH5060 to goH935 in to KingH4428 AhasuerusH325, afterH4480 the endH7093 of her twelveH8147H6240 monthsH2320 under the regulationsH1881 for the womenH802--for the daysH3117 of their beautificationH4795 were completedH4390 as followsH3651: sixH8337 monthsH2320 with oilH8081 of myrrhH4753 and sixH8337 monthsH2320 with spicesH1314 and the cosmeticsH8562 for womenH802-- 13the youngH5291 ladyH5291 would goH935 in to the kingH4428 in thisH2088 wayH2088: anythingH3605 that she 17desiredH559 was givenH5414 her to takeH935 with her from the haremH1004H802 to the king’sH4428 palaceH1004. 14In the eveningH6153 she would goH935 in and in the morningH1242 she would returnH7725 to the secondH8145 haremH1004H802, to the 18custodyH3027 of ShaashgazH8190, the king’sH4428 eunuchH5631 who was in chargeH8104 of the concubinesH6370. She would not againH5750 goH935 in to the kingH4428 unlessH3588H518 the kingH4428 delightedH2654 in her and she was summonedH7121 by nameH8034.

15Now when the turnH8447 of EstherH635, 19the daughterH1323 of AbihailH32 the uncleH1730 of MordecaiH4782 whoH834 had takenH3947 her as his daughterH1323, cameH5060 to goH935 in to the kingH4428, she did not requestH1245 anythingH1697 exceptH3588H518 whatH834 20HegaiH1896, the king’sH4428 eunuchH5631 who was in chargeH8104 of the womenH802, 21advisedH559. And EstherH635 foundH5375 favorH2580 in the eyesH5869 of allH3605 who sawH7200 her. 16So EstherH635 was takenH3947 to KingH4428 AhasuerusH325 to his royalH4438 palaceH1004 in the tenthH6224 monthH2320 whichH1931 is the monthH2320 TebethH2887, in the seventhH7651 yearH8141 of his reignH4438.

Esther Becomes Queen

17The kingH4428 lovedH157 EstherH635 moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 the womenH802, and she foundH5375 favorH2580 and kindnessH2617 with him moreH4480 thanH4480 allH3605 the virginsH1330, so that 22he setH7760 the royalH4438 crownH3804 on her headH7218 and madeH4427 her queenH4427 insteadH8478 of VashtiH2060. 18Then 23the kingH4428 gaveH6213 a greatH1419 banquetH4960, Esther’sH635 banquetH4960, for allH3605 his princesH8269 and his servantsH5650; he also madeH6213 a holidayH2010 for the provincesH4082 and gaveH5414 giftsH4864 24according to the king’sH4428 bountyH3027.

1925When the virginsH1330 were gatheredH6908 together the secondH8145 timeH8145, then MordecaiH4782 26was sittingH3427 at the king’sH4428 gateH8179. 2027EstherH635 had not yet made knownH5046 her kindredH4138 or her peopleH5971, evenH3512 as MordecaiH4782 had commandedH6680 her; for EstherH635 didH6213 28whatH3982 MordecaiH4782 toldH5046 her as she had doneH1961 29whenH3512 under his careH545.

Mordecai Saves the King

21In thoseH1992 daysH3117, while MordecaiH4782 was sittingH3427 at the king’sH4428 gateH8179, 30BigthanH904 and TereshH8657, twoH8147 of the king’sH4428 officialsH5631 from those who guardedH8104 the doorH5592, becameH7107 angryH7107 and soughtH1245 to 31layH7971 handsH3027 on KingH4428 AhasuerusH325. 22But the 32plotH1697 became knownH3045 to MordecaiH4782 and 33he toldH5046 QueenH4436 EstherH635, and EstherH635 34informedH559 the kingH4428 in Mordecai’sH4782 nameH8034. 23Now when the plotH1697 was investigatedH1245 and foundH4672 to be so, they were bothH8147 hangedH8518 on a 35gallowsH6086; and it was writtenH3789 in 36the BookH5612 of the ChroniclesH1697H3117 in the king’sH4428 presenceH6440.