Esther 2

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 ministered to him said, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king.

3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women. And let their things for purification be given them,

4 and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.

5 There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace 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 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter. For she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful. And when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to Shushan the palace to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king's house to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. And he quickly gave her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were suitable to be given her out of the king's house. And he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women.

10 Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known.

11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.

12 Now when the turn of every maiden came to go in to king Ahasuerus, after it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, namely, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women),

13 then the maiden came to the king in this way: Whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women to the king's house.

14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, 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 chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked upon 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 And the king loved Esther above all the women. And she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

18 Then the king made a great feast to all his rulers and his servants, even Esther's feast, and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts according to the bounty of the king.

19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate.

20 Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people, as Mordecai had charged her. For Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, as when she was brought up with him.

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who kept the threshold, were angry, and sought to lay hands on king Ahasuerus.

22 And the thing became known to Mordecai, who showed it to Esther the queen, and Esther told the king of it in Mordecai's name.

23 And when inquiry was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree. And it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.