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Esther becomes queen

2 Some time later, King Xerxes was not feeling so angry. He thought about Vashti and what she had done. He remembered the law that he had made, that she should not be queen any more. ^{[ a ]}

² The king's servants who helped him in the palace said, ‘We think that the king should send some men to look for beautiful young women for him. ³ The king could choose officers from every region of his kingdom to do this. They will bring all the beautiful young women here to Susa. Hegai will take care of them in the royal harem. ^{[ b ]} He is the eunuch who has that job. The young women will receive special oils and perfumes to make them more beautiful. ⁴ The king may choose the young woman that pleases him most. She may take the place of Vashti as queen.’

King Xerxes thought that this was a good idea. He did everything that the servants said.

⁵ A Jewish man called Mordecai lived in Susa. He was the son of Jair. Jair was the son of Shimei. Shimei was the son of Kish. Kish was a descendant of Benjamin. ⁶ When Nebuchadnezzar was king of Babylon, he had taken Kish away from Jerusalem as a prisoner. That was the time when Nebuchadnezzar also took Jeconiah, king of Judah, away to Babylon as well as other Jews. ^{[ c ]}

⁷ Mordecai was taking care of a young cousin called Hadassah. She was also called Esther. ^{[ d ]} Esther's mother and father were no longer alive. She was the daughter of Mordecai's uncle. When her parents died, Mordecai took care of her, as if she was his own daughter. Esther was very beautiful.

⁸ Esther was one of the young women that the king's officers took to Susa. That happened because of the king's command. The beautiful young women lived in the royal harem. Hegai had the authority to take care of them. ⁹ Hegai liked Esther and he was kind to her. As soon as Esther arrived, Hegai gave her special food and oils to make her more beautiful. He chose seven female servants from the king's palace to take care of her. Then he moved Esther and her servants to the best rooms in the harem.

¹⁰ Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew. That is what Mordecai had told her. ¹¹ Mordecai wanted to know what was happening to Esther. So every day he walked in the palace yard that was near the harem. He wanted to hear some news about her.

¹² All the young women stayed in the harem for 12 months. For six months they received myrrh oil for their bodies. Then they received perfume and different kinds of oil for another six months. After that time they could each go to the king's bedroom. ¹³ When the time came for a young woman to go to the king, she could take whatever she wanted with her. She would take those things with her from the harem to the king's room. ^{[ e ]}

¹⁴ She would go to be with the king in the evening. She would stay with him during that night. In the morning, she went to a different part of the harem. That was where the king's slave wives lived. One of the king's eunuchs, Shaashgaz, took care of them there. ^{[ f ]} After that, the young woman would only see the king again if he was pleased with her. Then he would ask for her by name.

¹⁵ One evening, it was the time for Abihail's daughter, Esther, to go to the king. Abihail was Mordecai's uncle. After Abihail had died, Mordecai took care of Esther as if she was his own daughter. Everyone who saw Esther liked her. When she went to the king, she took with her only the things that Hegai had suggested. ¹⁶ Esther went to King Xerxes in his royal rooms in the palace. That happened in the tenth month of the year, called Tebeth. King Xerxes had ruled for seven years.

¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than he loved any of the other women. He was more pleased with her than all the other young women. He put the royal crown on her head. He chose Esther to be queen, instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ The king gave a great feast for all the leaders and officers of his kingdom. He did it to give honour to Esther. He said that there would be a holiday for people in all the regions. He also gave expensive gifts to people.

Mordecai saves the king

¹⁹ Some time later, the young women all came together again in the harem. At this time, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, as one of his officers. ^{[ g ]}

²⁰ Esther still had not told anyone that she was a Jew. Mordecai had told her that she should not tell anyone. She continued to obey Mordecai, as she had done when she lived with him as his daughter.

²¹ One day, Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate. While he was there, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthana and Teresh, became angry with King Xerxes. They decided that they would kill the king. ²² Mordecai heard about this. So he told Queen Esther about it. Queen Esther told the king what Mordecai had said. ²³ The king sent his men to see if it was true. When he discovered that Mordecai had told the truth, he said that the two eunuchs must die. So his officers hanged them from a wooden tower until they were dead. They wrote about this event in the history book, while the king watched.

Footnotes

2:1 King Xerxes could not change the law. Because of this law he no longer had a queen.
2:3 (1) Often kings at the time of this story had many wives. The harem was the part of the palace where the king's wives lived. — (2) It was also the name of the wives of a man who has several wives. The men who looked after a harem were eunuchs.
2:6 Judah was the south part of Israel.
2:7 Hadassah was a Hebrew name. Esther was a Persian name.
2:13 Each young woman could choose what clothes and jewels she wanted to wear when she went to be with the king.
2:14 These women did not have any authority in the house. In the king's harem, some of these women did not see the king again. They did not have the authority that the queen had.
2:19 The king's gate at the palace was the place where the king's officers would meet.

Esther Made Queen

2 Later, King Xerxes stopped being angry. Then he remembered Vashti and what she had done. He remembered his commands about her. ² Then the king’s personal servants had a suggestion. They said, “Search for beautiful young virgins for the king. ³ Let the king choose leaders in every province of his kingdom. Then let the leaders bring every beautiful young virgin to the capital city of Susa. These young women will be put with the group of the king’s women. They will be under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Then give beauty treatments to all of them. ⁴ Then let the one who is pleasing to the king become the new queen in Vashti’s place.” The king liked this suggestion, so he accepted it.

⁵ Now there was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Mordecai was the son of Jair, and Jair was the son of Shimei, and Shimei was the son of Kish. Mordecai was in the capital city, Susa. ⁶ Mordecai had been carried into captivity from Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He was with the group that was taken into captivity with King Jehoiachin of Judah. ⁷ Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah. She didn’t have a father or a mother, so Mordecai took care of her. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. Hadassah was also called Esther. She had a very pretty face and a good figure.

⁸ When the king’s command had been heard, many young women were brought to the capital city of Susa. They were put under the care of Hegai. Esther was one of these women. She was taken to the king’s palace and put into Hegai’s care. Hegai was in charge of the king’s women. ⁹ He liked Esther. She became his favorite, so he quickly gave Esther beauty treatments and special food. He chose seven slave women from the king’s palace and gave them to Esther. Then he moved Esther and her seven women servants into the best place where the king’s women lived. ¹⁰ Esther didn’t tell anyone she was a Jew. She didn’t tell anyone about her family background, because Mordecai had told her not to. ¹¹ Every day Mordecai walked back and forth near the area where the king’s women lived. He did this because he wanted to find out how Esther was, and what was happening to her.

¹² Before a young woman could take her turn to go in before King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments—six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. ¹³ When her time came to go in to the king, she could choose to wear or take whatever she wanted from the women’s living area. ¹⁴ In the evening the young woman would go to the king’s palace. And in the morning she would return to another area where the king’s women lived. Then she would be placed under the care of a man named Shaashgaz. He was the king’s eunuch in charge of the slave women. She would not go back to the king again unless he was pleased with her. Then he would call her by name to come back to him.

¹⁵ The time came for Esther to go to the king. She was the one Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail. All she wanted to take with her was what Hegai, the king’s officer in charge of the women, suggested. Everyone who saw Esther liked her. ¹⁶ So Esther was taken to King Xerxes in the palace. This happened in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his rule.

¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than any of the other young women, and she became his favorite. He approved of her more than any of the others. So King Xerxes put a crown on Esther’s head and made her the new queen in place of Vashti. ¹⁸ And the king gave a big party for Esther. It was for all his important people and leaders. He announced a festival in all the provinces and sent out gifts to people, because he was a generous king.

Mordecai Learns About an Evil Plan

¹⁹ Mordecai was sitting next to the king’s gate at the time the young women were gathered together the second time. ²⁰ Esther had still kept it a secret that she was a Jew. She had not told anyone about her family background. This is what Mordecai had told her to do. She still obeyed Mordecai just as she had done when he was taking care of her.

²¹ During the time Mordecai was sitting next to the king’s gate, this happened: Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king’s officers who guarded the doorway, became angry with the king. They began to make plans to kill King Xerxes. ²² But Mordecai learned about these plans and told Queen Esther. Then she told the king. She also told him that Mordecai was the one who had learned about the evil plan. ²³ Then the report was checked out. It was learned that Mordecai’s report was true. The two guards who had planned to kill the king were hanged on a post. All these things were written down in a book of the king’s histories in front of the king.

2 After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

² Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:

³ And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them:

⁴ And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

⁵ Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

⁶ Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

⁷ And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.

⁸ So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

⁹ And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.

¹⁰ Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it.

¹¹ And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should become of her.

¹² Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;)

¹³ Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.

¹⁴ In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.

¹⁵ Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her.

¹⁶ So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷ And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

¹⁸ Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.

¹⁹ And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.

²⁰ Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.

²¹ In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.

²² And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.

²³ And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.

Vashti’s Successor Sought

2 After these things, ^{( A )} when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and ^{( B )} what had been decided regarding her. ² Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “ ^{( C )} Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. ³ And may the king appoint overseers in ^{( D )} all the provinces of his kingdom, and have them ^{[ a ]} bring every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of ^{( E )} Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and ^{( F )} let their cosmetics be given to them . ⁴ Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the ^{[ b ]} suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

⁵ There was a Jew at the citadel in Susa whose name was ^{( G )} Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite, ⁶ ^{( H )} who had been taken from Jerusalem with the exiles who had been deported with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had deported. ⁷ He was the guardian to Hadassah, that is ^{( I )} Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young woman was beautiful of form and ^{[ c ]} face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther Finds Favor

⁸ So it came about, when the command and decree of the king were heard and ^{( J )} many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the ^{[ d ]} custody of ^{( K )} Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s ^{[ e ]} palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. ⁹ Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her ^{( L )} cosmetics and ^{[ f ]} food, gave her seven choice female attendants from the king’s palace, and transferred her and her attendants to the best place in the harem. ¹⁰ ^{( M )} Esther did not reveal her people or her kindred, because Mordecai had instructed her that she was not to reveal them . ¹¹ And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

¹² Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beauty treatment were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with balsam oil and the cosmetics for women— ¹³ the young woman would go in to the king in this way: anything that she ^{[ g ]} desired was given her to ^{[ h ]} take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would enter and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the ^{[ i ]} custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

¹⁵ Now when the turn of Esther, ^{( N )} the 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 ^{( O )} Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, ^{[ j ]} advised. And Esther was finding favor in the eyes of all who saw her. ¹⁶ So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

Esther Becomes Queen

¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that ^{( P )} he set the royal turban on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then ^{( Q )} the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts ^{( R )} in proportion to the king’s bounty.

¹⁹ ^{( S )} Now when the virgins were gathered together for the second time, then Mordecai ^{( T )} was sitting at the king’s gate. ²⁰ ^{( U )} Esther still had not revealed her relatives or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther did ^{[ k ]} what Mordecai told her just as she had ^{( V )} when under his care.

Mordecai Saves the King

²¹ In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, ^{( W )} Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to ^{[ l ]} attack King Ahasuerus. ²² But the ^{[ m ]} plot became known to Mordecai and ^{( X )} he informed Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name. ²³ Then when the plot was investigated and found to be so , they were both hanged on a wooden gallows ; and it was written in ^{( Y )} the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

Footnotes

Esther 2:3 Lit gather
Esther 2:4 Lit word
Esther 2:7 Lit good of appearance
Esther 2:8 Lit hand
Esther 2:8 Lit house
Esther 2:9 Lit portions
Esther 2:13 Lit said
Esther 2:13 Lit come
Esther 2:14 Lit hand
Esther 2:15 Lit said
Esther 2:20 Lit the command of Mordecai
Esther 2:21 Or kill ; lit put out a hand against
Esther 2:22 Lit matter , so also v 23

Esther Made Queen

2 Later when King Xerxes’ fury had subsided, ^{( A )} he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what he had decreed about her. ² Then the king’s personal attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king. ³ Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. ⁴ Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

⁵ Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, ^{( B )} ⁶ who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin ^{[ a ]} ^{( C )} king of Judah. ^{( D )} ⁷ Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, ^{( E )} had a lovely figure ^{( F )} and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

⁸ When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa ^{( G )} and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. ⁹ She pleased him and won his favor. ^{( H )} Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. ^{( I )} He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.

¹⁰ Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so. ^{( J )} ¹¹ Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.

¹² Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes ^{( K )} and cosmetics. ¹³ And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. ^{( L )} She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name. ^{( M )}

¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail ^{( N )} ) to go to the king, ^{( O )} she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor ^{( P )} of everyone who saw her. ¹⁶ She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal residence in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷ Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen ^{( Q )} instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ And the king gave a great banquet, ^{( R )} Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. ^{( S )} He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality. ^{( T )}

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

¹⁹ When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. ^{( U )} ²⁰ But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up. ^{( V )}

²¹ During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana ^{[ b ]} and Teresh, two of the king’s officers ^{( W )} who guarded the doorway, became angry ^{( X )} and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. ²² But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. ²³ And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled ^{( Y )} on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals ^{( Z )} in the presence of the king. ^{( AA )}

Footnotes

Esther 2:6 Hebrew Jeconiah, a variant of Jehoiachin
Esther 2:21 Hebrew Bigthan, a variant of Bigthana

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Table of Contents

Esther becomes queen

Mordecai saves the king

Footnotes

Esther Made Queen

Mordecai Learns About an Evil Plan

Vashti’s Successor Sought

Esther Finds Favor

Esther Becomes Queen

Mordecai Saves the King

Footnotes

Cross references

Esther Made Queen

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

Footnotes

Cross references

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Esther becomes queen

Mordecai saves the king

Footnotes

Esther Made Queen

Mordecai Learns About an Evil Plan

Vashti’s Successor Sought

Esther Finds Favor

Esther Becomes Queen

Mordecai Saves the King

Footnotes

Cross references

Esther Made Queen

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

Footnotes

Cross references

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