Esther 2

1AfterH310 theseH428 things, when the wrathH2534 of kingH4428 AhasuerusH325 was pacified, he rememberedH2142 VashtiH2060, and whatH834 sheH834 had doneH6213, and whatH834 was decreedH1504 againstH5921 herH5921. 2Then saidH559 the king’sH4428 servantsH5288 that ministeredH8334 unto him, Let there be fair youngH5288 virginsH1330 soughtH1245 for the kingH4428: 3and letH5414 the kingH4428 appointH6485 officersH6485 in allH3605 the provincesH4082 of his kingdomH4438, that youngH5291 virginsH1330 unto Shushan the palaceH1004, they may gatherH6908 togetherH6908 allH3605 the fair to the houseH1004 of the womenH802, unto the custodyH3027 of HegaiH1896 the king’sH4428 chamberlain, keeperH8104 of the womenH802; and letH5414 their things for purification be givenH5414 them: 4and letH3651 the maiden whichH834 pleaseth the kingH4428 be queen insteadH8478 of VashtiH2060. And the thingH1697 pleasedH3190 the kingH4428, and he didH6213 soH3651. 5There was a certainH376 JewH3064 in Shushan the palace, whoseH1121 nameH8034 was MordecaiH4782, the sonH1121 of JairH2971, the sonH1121 of ShimeiH8096, the sonH1121 of KishH7027, a BenjamiteH1145; 6who had been carriedH1540 awayH1540 from JerusalemH3389 with the captivesH1540 whichH834 had been carriedH1540 awayH1540 with JeconiahH3204 kingH4428 of JudahH3063, whomH834 NebuchadnezzarH5019 he kingH4428 of BabylonH894 had carriedH1540 awayH1540. 7And he broughtH3947 upH853 HadassahH1919, that is, EstherH635, his uncle’sH1730 daughterH1323: for sheH1931 had neitherH369 fatherH1 norH369 motherH517, and the maiden was fairH3303 and beautifulH3303; and when herH3947 fatherH1 and motherH517 were deadH4194, MordecaiH4782 tookH3947 herH3947 for his ownH1961 daughterH1323. 8SoH3947 it cameH1961 to passH1961, when the king’sH4428 commandmentH1697 and his decreeH1881 was heardH8085, and when manyH7227 maidensH5291 were gatheredH6908 togetherH6908 unto Shushan the palaceH1004, to the custodyH3027 of HegaiH1896, that EstherH635 was takenH3947 intoH413 the king’sH4428 houseH1004, to the custodyH3027 of HegaiH1896, keeperH8104 of the womenH802. 9And the maiden pleasedH3190 him, and sheH2896 obtainedH5375 kindnessH2617 of him; and he speedily gaveH5414 herH802 herH802 things for purification, with herH802 portionsH4490, and the sevenH7651 maidensH5291, whichH5869 were meetH6440 to be givenH5414 herH802, outH6440 of the king’sH4428 houseH1004: and he removedH5375 herH802 and herH802 maidensH5291 to the bestH2896 placeH5414 of the houseH1004 of the womenH802. 10EstherH635 had notH3808 shewed herH5046 peopleH5971 norH3808 herH5046 kindredH4138: for MordecaiH4782 had chargedH6680 herH5046 that sheH834 should notH3808 shew it. 11And MordecaiH4782 walkedH1980 everyH3605 dayH3117 beforeH6440 the courtH2691 of the women’s houseH1004, to knowH3045 howH4100 EstherH635 didH6213, and whatH4100 should becomeH1980 of herH3605. 12NowH1961 when the turnH1961 of everyH3117 maiden was comeH935 to goH935 in to kingH4428 AhasuerusH325, afterH7093 that it had been doneH1961 to herH413 accordingH413 to the lawH1881 for the womenH802, twelveH6240 monthsH2320, (for soH3651 were the daysH3117 of their purifications accomplishedH4390, to wit, sixH8337 monthsH2320 with oilH8081 of myrrhH4753, and sixH8337 monthsH2320 with sweetH1314 odours, and with the things for the purifying of the womenH802,) 13then in this wise cameH935 the maiden unto the kingH4428, whatsoeverH3605 sheH834 desiredH559 was givenH5414 herH3605 to goH935 with herH3605 outH413 of the houseH1004 of the womenH802 unto the king’sH4428 houseH1004. 14In the eveningH6153 sheH1931 wentH935, and on the morrow sheH1931 returnedH7725 intoH413 the secondH8145 houseH1004 of the womenH802, to the custodyH3027 of ShaashgazH8190, the king’sH4428 chamberlain, whichH1931 keptH8104 the concubinesH6370: sheH1931 cameH935 in unto the kingH4428 noH3808 moreH5750, exceptH518 the kingH4428 delighted in herH413, and that sheH1931 were calledH7121 by nameH8034. 15NowH1961 when the turnH1961 of EstherH635, the daughterH1323 of AbihailH32 the uncleH1730 of MordecaiH4782, who had takenH3947 herH3605 for his daughterH1323, was comeH935 to goH935 in unto the kingH4428, sheH834 requiredH1697 nothingH3808 but whatH834 HegaiH1896 the king’sH4428 chamberlain, the keeperH8104 of the womenH802, appointed. And EstherH635 obtainedH5375 favour in the sightH5869 of allH3605 them that lookedH7200 uponH935 herH3605. 16SoH3947 EstherH635 was takenH3947 unto kingH4428 AhasuerusH325 intoH413 his houseH1004 royalH4438 in the tenthH6224 monthH2320, whichH1931 is the monthH2320 TebethH2887, in the seventhH7651 yearH8141 of his reignH4438. 17And the kingH4428 lovedH157 EstherH635 aboveH6440 allH3605 the womenH802, and sheH635 obtainedH5375 graceH2580 and favour in his sightH6440 more thanH4428 allH3605 the virginsH1330; soH5375 that he setH7760 the royalH4438 crownH3804 uponH802 herH3605 headH7218, and madeH7760 herH3605 queen insteadH8478 of VashtiH2060. 18Then the kingH4428 madeH6213 a greatH1419 feastH4960 unto allH3605 his princesH8269 and his servantsH5650, evenH853 Esther’sH635 feastH4960; and he madeH6213 a release to the provincesH4082, and gaveH5414 giftsH4864, accordingH3027 to the bountyH3027 of the kingH4428. 19And when the virginsH1330 were gatheredH6908 togetherH6908 the secondH8145 time, then MordecaiH4782 satH3427 in the king’sH4428 gateH8179. 20EstherH635 had notH369 yet shewed herH5046 kindredH4138 norH369 herH5046 peopleH5971; as MordecaiH4782 had chargedH6680 herH5046: for EstherH635 didH6213 the commandmentH6680 of MordecaiH4782, like as when sheH834 was broughtH1961 upH5921 with him. 21In thoseH1992 daysH3117, whileH3117 MordecaiH4782 satH3427 in the king’sH4428 gateH8179, twoH8147 of the king’sH4428 chamberlains, BigthanH904 and TereshH8657, of thoseH1992 which keptH8104 the door, were wroth, and soughtH1245 to layH7971 handsH3027 on the kingH4428 AhasuerusH325. 22And the thingH1697 was knownH3045 to MordecaiH4782, who shewed it unto EstherH635 the queenH4436; and EstherH635 toldH5046 the kingH4428 thereof in Mordecai’sH4782 nameH8034. 23And when inquisition was madeH1245 of the matterH1697, and it was foundH4672 to be soH1697, they were bothH8147 hangedH8518 on a treeH6086: and it was writtenH3789 in the bookH5612 of the chroniclesH1697 beforeH6440 the kingH4428.