Esther 2:1-13 ▼

1 After these things, at the ceasing of the fury of King Ahasuerus, he has remembered Vashti, and that which she did, and that which has been decreed concerning her;

2 and servants of the king, his ministers, say, “Let them seek for the king young women, virgins, of good appearance,

3 and the king appoints inspectors in all provinces of his kingdom, and they gather every young woman—virgin, of good appearance—to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and to give their purifications,

4 and the young woman who is good in the eyes of the king reigns instead of Vashti”; and the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and he does so.

5 A man, a Jew, there has been in Shushan the palace, and his name [is] Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite—

6 who had been removed from Jerusalem with the expulsion that was removed with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed—

7 and he is supporting Hadassah—she [is] Esther—daughter of his uncle, for she has neither father nor mother, and the young woman [is] of beautiful form, and of good appearance, and at the death of her father and her mother Mordecai has taken her to himself for a daughter.

8 And it comes to pass, in the word of the king, even his law, being heard, and in many young women being gathered to Shushan the palace, to the hand of Hegai, that Esther is taken to the house of the king, to the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women,

9 and the young woman is good in his eyes, and she receives kindness before him, and he hurries her purifications and her portions—to give to her, and the seven young women who are provided—to give to her, from the house of the king, and he changes her and her young women to a good [place in] the house of the women.

10 Esther has not declared her people, and her family, for Mordecai has laid a charge on her that she does not declare [it];

11 and during every day Mordecai is walking up and down before the court of the house of the women to know the welfare of Esther, and what is done with her.

12 And in the drawing near of the turn of each young woman to come in to King Ahasuerus, at the end of there being to her—according to the law of the women—twelve months, for so they fulfill the days of their purifications; six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes, and with the purifications of women,

13 and with this the young woman has come in to the king, all that she says is given to her to go in with her out of the house of the women to the house of the king;