The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Septuagint 02
1 After this,the king’s anger waspacified,
and he no more mentioned Vashti, bearing
in mind what she had said, and how he had
condemned her.
2 Then the servants of the king said, “Let
chaste, beautiful young virgins be sought
for the king.
3 Let the king appoint local governors
in all the provinces of his kingdom, and
let them select beautiful, chaste young
ladies and bring them to the city Susa,
into the women’s apartment. Let them be
consigned to the king’s chamberlain, the
keeper of the women. Then let things for
purification and other needs be given to
them.
4Let the woman who pleases the king be
queen instead of Vashti.” This thing
pleased the king; and he did so.
5 Now there was a Jew in the city Susa,
and his name was Mordecai, the son of
Jairus, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,
of the tribe of Benjamin.
6 He had been brought as a prisoner
from Jerusalem, whom Nebuchadnezzar
king of Babylon had carried into captivity.
7 He had a foster child, daughter of Aminadab
his father’s brother. Her name was
Esther. When her parents died, he brought
her up to womanhood as his own. This
lady was beautiful.
8 And because the king’s ordinance was
published, many ladies were gathered to
the city of Susa under the hand of Hegai;
and Esther was brought to Hegai, the
keeper of the women.
9 The lady pleased him, and she found
favor in his sight. He hurried to give her
the things for purification, her portion,
and the seven maidens appointed her out
of the palace. He treated her and her
maidens well in the women’s apartment.
10 But Esther didn’t reveal her family or
her kindred,for Mordecaihad chargedher
not to tell.
11 But Mordecai used to walk every day
by the women’s court, to see what would
become of Esther.
12 Now this was the time for a virgin
to go into the king, when she had completed
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 And then the lady goes in to the king.
The officer that he commands to do so will
bring her to come in with him from the
women’s apartment to the king’s chamber.
14 She enters in the evening, and in
the morning she departs to the second
women’s apartment, where Hegai the
king’s chamberlain is keeper of the
women. She doesn’t go in to the king again,
unless she is called by name.
15 And when the time was fulfilled for Esther the
daughter of Aminadab the brother
of Mordecai’s 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 who
looked at her.
16 So Esther went in to King Ahasuerus
in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the
seventh year of his reign.
17 The king loved Esther, and she found
favor beyond all the other virgins. He put
the queen’s crown on her.
18 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 granted a remission of taxes
to those who were under his dominion.
19 Meanwhile, Mordecai served in the
courtyard.
20 Now Esther had not revealed her
country, for so Mordecai commanded her,
to fear God, and perform his commandments,
as when she was with him. Esther
didn’t change her manner of life.
21 Two chamberlains of the king, the
chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved,
becauseMordecai waspromoted; andthey
sought to kill King Ahasuerus.
22 And the matter was discovered by
Mordecai, and he made it known to Esther,
and she declared to the king the matter of
the conspiracy.
23 And the king examined the two chamberlains
and hanged them. Then the king
gave orders to make a note for a memorial
in the royal library of the goodwill shown
by Mordecai, as a commendation.