Esther 2

¹ After these events, when King Ahasuerus’s anger had cooled, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

² Then the king’s young attendants said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

³ Let the king appoint officials in every province of his kingdom. Let them gather all the beautiful young virgins in Susa, the citadel, to the women’s quarters, under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch who guards the women; and let their cosmetics be given to them.

⁴ The young woman who pleases the king will become queen in place of Vashti.” This proposal pleased the king, and he did so.

⁵ There was a Jewish man in Susa, the citadel, named Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite.

⁶ He had been carried away from Jerusalem among the exiles taken with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had carried into exile.

⁷ He was raising Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, because she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was shapely and beautiful, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

⁸ When the king’s command and law were announced, many young women were gathered in Susa, the citadel, under Hegai’s care. Esther too was taken to the king’s house, under the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women.

⁹ The young woman pleased him and won his favor. He quickly provided her with her cosmetics and portions of food, as well as seven chosen young women from the king’s house, and moved her and her attendants to the best part of the women’s quarters.

¹⁰ Esther did not reveal her people or her family, because Mordecai had ordered her not to.

¹¹ Every day Mordecai walked in front of the courtyard of the women’s quarters to learn how Esther was doing and what would happen to her.

¹² Each young woman’s turn to go to King Ahasuerus came after twelve months of treatment prescribed for the women. That was how long their preparations lasted: six months with myrrh oil and six months with perfumes and the women’s cosmetics.

¹³ This was how the young woman went to the king: whatever she asked for was given to her to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s house.

¹⁴ She went in the evening, and in the morning she returned to the second women’s quarters, under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who guarded the concubines. She would not go to the king again unless he desired her and she was summoned by name.

¹⁵ When Esther’s turn came, she was the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai’s uncle, who had taken her as his own daughter. As she went to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who guarded the women, advised. And Esther won the favor of everyone who saw her.

¹⁶ Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus at the royal house in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she won his favor and kindness more than any of the virgins. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

¹⁸ The king held a great banquet for all his officials and servants, Esther’s banquet. He granted relief to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

¹⁹ When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

²⁰ Esther still did not reveal her family or her people, just as Mordecai had ordered her. Esther continued to obey Mordecai, as she had when she was under his care.

²¹ In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the threshold, became angry and plotted to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.

²² Mordecai learned of the plot and told Queen Esther, and Esther reported it to the king in Mordecai’s name.

²³ The matter was investigated and confirmed, and the two men were hanged on a wooden stake. This was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.

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