After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
And the king’s young men, those who served him, said, “Let them seek for the king young women, virgins, good of appearance.
And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather every young virgin, good of appearance, to Susa the fortress, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women; and let their ointments be given.
And the young woman who is good in the eyes of the king shall reign instead of Vashti.” And the word was good in the eyes of the king, and he did so.
Esther Finds Favor
There was a Jewish man in Susa the fortress, and his name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon carried away.
And he was bringing up Hadassah — she is Esther — the daughter of his uncle; for she had neither father nor mother. And the young woman was beautiful of form and good of appearance; and at the death of her father and her mother, Mordecai took her to himself as a daughter.
And it happened, when the king’s word and his law were heard, and when many young women were gathered to Susa the fortress, to the hand of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s house, to the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women.
And the young woman was good in his eyes, and she carried loyal love before him; and he hurried her ointments and her portions, to give them to her, and the seven young women fit to be given her from the king’s house; and he moved her and her young women to the best of the house of the women.
Esther had not told her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her that she should not tell.
And day after day Mordecai walked before the court of the house of the women, to know the welfare of Esther, and what would be done with her.
And when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus — at the end of her having been treated twelve months according to the law of the women, for so were the days of their ointments filled: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and with the ointments of the women —
then in this way the young woman went in to the king: whatever she said would be given her, to go with her from the house of the women to the king’s house.
In the evening she went in, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the hand of Shaashgaz the king’s eunuch, keeper of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and she was called by name.
And when the turn came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her to himself as a daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, said. And Esther was carrying favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
And Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, to his royal house, in the tenth month — that is the month Tebeth — in the seventh year of his reign.
Esther Becomes Queen
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she carried favor and loyal love before him above all the virgins; and he set the crown of the kingdom on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
And the king made a great feast for all his officials and his servants — the feast of Esther; and he made a release for the provinces, and gave a gift according to the hand of the king.
And when the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
Esther was not telling her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; and Esther did the word of Mordecai as when she was in his care.
Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs, of the keepers of the threshold, were angry, and sought to send a hand against King Ahasuerus.
And the matter became known to Mordecai, and he told Esther the queen; and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.
And the matter was sought out and found, and the two of them were hanged on a tree; and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
The words beneath the translation. Tap one to study it.