The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Esther 02
1 After these things, when the wrath of
King Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti,
and what she had done, and
what was decreed against her.
2 Then the king’s servants who served
him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be
sought for the king.
3 Let the king appoint officers in all the
provinces of his kingdom, that they may
gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s
house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s
eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
4 and let them aiden whopleases the king
be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing
pleased the king, and he did so.
5 There was a certain Jew in the citadel
of Susa whose name was Mordecai,the son
of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a
Benjamite,
6 who had been carried away from
Jerusalem with the captives who had been
carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah,
whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
7 He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter;
for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was
fair and beautiful; and when her father
and mother were dead, Mordecai took her
for his own daughter.
8 So, when the king’s commandment and
his decree was heard, and when many
maidens were gathered together to the
citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai,
Esther was taken into the king’s house, to
the custody of Hegai, keeper ofthe women.
9 The maiden pleased him, and she obtainedkindness fromhim.
Hequickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food,
and the seven choice maidens who were to
be given her out of the king’s house. He
moved her and her maidens to the best
place in the women’s house.
10 Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai
had instructed her that she should not
make it known.
11 Mordecai walked every day in front
of the court of the women’s house, to find
outhow Esther was doing, and what would
become of her.
12 Each young woman’s turn came to go
in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the
days of their purification accomplished,
six months with oil of myrrh, and six
months with sweet fragrances and with
preparations for beautifying women).
13 The young woman then came to the
king like this: whatever she desired was
given her to go with her out ofthe women’s
house to the king’s house.
14 In the evening she went, and on
the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of
Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept
the concubines. She came in to the king no
more, unless the king delighted in her, and
she was called by name.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, the
daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter,
came to go in to the king, she required
nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch,
the keeper of the women, advised. Esther
obtained favor in the sight of all those who
looked at her.
16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus
into his royal house in the tenth month,
which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh
year of his reign.
17 The king loved Esther more than all
the women, and she obtained favor and
kindness in his sight more than all the
virgins; so that he set the royal crown on
her head, and made her queen instead of
Vashti.
18 Then the king made a greatfeastfor all
his princes and his servants, even Esther’s
feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the
provinces, and gave gifts according to the
king’s bounty.
19 When the virgins were gathered together
the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.
20 Esther had not yet made known her
relatives nor her people, as Mordecai
had commanded her; for Esther obeyed
Mordecai, like she did when she was
brought up by him.
21 In those days, while Mordecai was
sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s
eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were
doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to
lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
22 This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and
Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s
name.
23 When this matter was investigated,
and it was found to be so, they were both
hanged on a gallows; and it was written
in the book of the chronicles in the king’s
presence.