Esther 2

1 Some time later, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered what Vashti had done and what had been decreed against her.

And after this the king’s anger was pacified, and he no more mentioned Astin, bearing in mind what she had said, and how he had condemned her.

2 Then the king’s servants who waited upon him said, ‘Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king,

Then the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king chaste [and] beautiful young virgins.

3 and let the king appoint commissioners to all the provinces of his kingdom to gather them all to Susa the royal residence. Let them be brought into the women’s quarters under the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who has charge of the women. Then give them what is needed to make them beautiful,

And let the king appoint local governors in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them select fair [and] chaste young damsels [and bring them] to the city Susa, into the women’s apartment, and let them be consigned to the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women; and let things for purification and other attendance be given [to them].

4 and let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ The proposal pleased the king so he put it into action.

And let the woman who shall please the king be queen instead of Astin. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

5 In Susa the royal residence lived a Jew named Mordecai. He was son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite.

Now there was a Jew in the city Susa, and his name was Mardochæus, the [son] of Jairus, [the son] of Semeias, [the son] of Cisæus, of the tribe of Benjamin;

6 (Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the exiles who were deported with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon took captive.)

who had been brought a prisoner from Jerusalem, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried into captivity.

7 Mordecai had adopted Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, since she had neither father nor mother. The girl was shapely and beautiful; and after her father and mother died, Mordecai raised her as if she was his own daughter.

And he had a foster-child, daughter of Aminadab his father’s brother, and her name [was] Esther; and when her parents were dead, he brought her up for a wife for himself: and the damsel was beautiful.

8 When the king’s command and decree were known, many girls were gathered together to Susa the capital under the custody of Hegai. Esther was also taken into the king’s palace and placed under the custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.

And because the king’s ordinance was published, many damsels were gathered to the city Susa under the hand of Gai; and Esther was brought to Gai the keeper of the women.

9 The girl pleased him and gained his favour, so that he quickly gave her the cosmetics she needed to enhance her beauty and her allowance of food and the seven maids selected from the king’s household. He also transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem.

And the damsel pleased him, and she found favour in his sight; and he hasted to give her the things for purification, and her portion, and the seven maidens appointed her out of the palace: and he treated her and her maidens well in the women’s apartment.

10 Esther had not revealed her people nor her family background because Mordecai had ordered her not to.

But Esther discovered not her family nor her kindred: for Mardochæus had charged her not to tell.

11 Every day Mordecai would to walk in front of the courtyard of the harem and ask after Esther’s health and what was happening to her.

But Mardochæus used to walk every day by the women’s court, to see what would become of Esther.

12 The girls were prepared for meeting King Ahasuerus for twelve months: six months being treated with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. After the twelve months,

Now this was the time for a virgin to go in to the king, when she should have fulfilled twelve months; for so are the days of purification fulfilled, six months while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and women’s purifications.

13 each girl went in to the king. She was allowed to take with her whatever she wished from the women’s quarters,

And then [the damsel] goes in to the king; and [the officer] to whomsoever he shall give the command, will bring her to come in with him from the women’s apartment to the king’s chamber.

14 and would enter the palace in the evening and return the next morning to another part of the harem under the care of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz who was in charge of concubines. She would not go to the king again unless he desired her and summoned her by name.

She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women’s apartment, where Gai the king’s chamberlain [is] keeper of the women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.

15 When it was the turn of Esther (the girl adopted by Mordecai, daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go in to the king, she only took with her those things that Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, had advised her to take. Esther was liked by all who saw her.

And when the time was fulfilled for Esther the daughter of Aminadab the brother of Mardochæus’ father to go in to the king, she neglected nothing which the chamberlain, the women’s keeper, commanded; for Esther found grace in the sight of all that looked upon her.

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

So Esther went in to king Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 And the king loved her more than all the other women, and she became his favourite and won his affection. He placed the royal diadem on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

And the king loved Esther, and she found favour beyond all the [other] virgins: and he put on her the queen’s crown.

18 Then the king gave a great feast to all his officials and courtiers in honour of Esther, and he remitted the taxes of the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

And the king made a banquet for all his friends and great men for seven days, and he highly celebrated the marriage of Esther; and he made a release to those who were under his dominion.

19 All the time the virgins were assembled again, Mordecai was sitting as an offical at the king’s gate.

But Mardochæus served in the palace.

20 Esther had not revealed her people or family background because she still obeyed him as she had when he was bringing her up.

Now Esther had not discovered her kindred; for so Mardochæus commanded her, to fear God, and perform his commandments, as when she was with him: and Esther changed not her manner of life.

21 In those days while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the royal court attendants, Bigthan and Teresh, who guarded the entrance of the palace, became enraged and attempted to kill King Ahasuerus.

And two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mardochæus was promoted; and they sought to kill king Artaxerxes.

22 But Mordecai learned of the conspiracy and disclosed it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf.

And the matter was discovered to Mardochæus, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.

23 When the affair was investigated and the facts discovered, the conspirators were both hanged on the gallows. The incident was recorded in the presence of the king in the daily record of events.

And the king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them: and the king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the good offices of Mardochæus, as a commendation.