Esther 2:3-23 ▼

3 And let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and they shall gather every young woman, virgin, beautiful of appearance, to Susa the citadel, to the house of the women, into the hand of Hegai the eunich of the king, the keeper of the women, and to give their cosmetics.

4 And the young woman who is good in the eyes of the king shall be queen in place of Vashti.” And this word was good in the eyes of the king, and he did so.

5 There was a man, a Jew, in Susa the citadel—and his name was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a man of Benjamin—

6 who had been removed from Jerusalem with the exiles who had been removed with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had removed.

7 And he was supporting Hadassah—she is Esther—daughter of his uncle, for there was not unto her father or mother, and the young woman was lovely of form and beautiful of appearance, and at the death of her father and her mother, Mordecai had taken her to himself for a daughter.

8 And it came to pass, in the hearing of the word of the king and his law, that many young women were gathered to Susa the citadel, into the hand of Hegai, and Esther was taken into the house of the king, into the hand of Hegai, the keeper of the women.

9 And the young woman was good in his eyes, and she lifted up kindness before his face, and he hurried to give her cosmetics, and he gave her portions to her, and seven young women chosen to give to her, from the house of the king, and he changed her and her young women for the good of the house of the women.

10 Esther had not declared her people and her kindred, for Mordecai had laid a charge on her that she should not declare it.

11 And in every day by day, Mordecai was going about before the face of the court of the house of the women to know the peace of Esther, and what was being done with her.

12 And in the approaching of the turn of young woman by young woman to come in to King Ahasuerus, from the end of her being there, according to the law of the women, two and ten months—for thus were filled the days of their beautification: Six months with the oil of myrrh, and six months with the spices and with the cosmetics of women.

13 And at this the young woman would go to the king. All that she said was given to her, to come with her from the house of the women to the house of the king.

14 In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second house of the women, into the hand of Shaashgaz the eunuch of the king, keeper of the concubines. She would not come in again to the king, except if the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

15 And in the approaching of the turn of Esther daughter of Abihail uncle of Mordecai, whom he had taken to himself for a daughter, to come in to the king, she did not seek a thing except for that which Hegai the eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, had said. And Esther lifted up favor in the eyes of all seeing her.

16 And Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into the house of royalty, in the tenth month—it is the month of Tebeth—in the seventh year of his reign.

17 And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she lifted favor and kindness before his face more than all the virgins. And he set a crown of royalty on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

18 And the king made a great feast for all his officials and servants—the feast of Esther—and he made a time of rest for the provinces, and he gave gifts according to the hand of the king.

19 And the virgins were gathered a second time, and Mordecai was sitting at the gate of the king.

20 Esther was not declaring her kindred and her people, as Mordecai had laid a charge on her, and the command of Mordecai Esther did as when she was in her being brought up by him.

21 And in those days, Mordecai was sitting at the gate of the king, Bigthan became angry, and Teresh—two of the eunuchs of the king, from the keepers of the threshold—and they sought to stretch out a hand against King Ahasuerus.

22 And the matter became known to Mordecai, and he declared it to Esther the queen. And Esther spoke to the king in the name of Mordecai.

23 And the matter was sought out and was found, and the two of them were hanged on a tree, and it was written in the Book of the Words of the Days before the face of the king.