Esther 2

1 Later on, after all this had happened, King Xerxes' anger subsided and he thought about Vashti and what she'd done, and the decree issued against her.

And after this the king's anger was pacified, and he no more mentioned Astin, bearing in mind what she had said, and how he had condemned her.

2 His advisors suggested to him, “Why not order a search to find beautiful young virgins for Your Majesty?

Then the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king chaste [and] beautiful young virgins.

3 Your Majesty should put officers in charge in each province of his empire to gather all the beautiful young women and bring them to the king's harem at the fortress of Susa. They should placed under the supervision of Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the women, and they should be given beauty treatments.

And let the king appoint local governors in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them select fair [and] chaste young damsels [and bring them] to the city Susa, into the women's apartment, and let them be consigned to the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women; and let things for purification and other attendance be given [to them].

4 The young woman the king finds most attractive can become queen in place of Vashti.” The king thought this was a good idea, so he acted upon it.

And let the woman who shall please the king be queen instead of Astin. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

5 There was a Jewish man living in the fortress of Susa named Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite

Now there was a Jew in the city Susa, and his name was Mardochaeus, the [son] of Jairus, [the son] of Semeias, [the son] of Cisaeus, of the tribe of Benjamin;

6 who was among those taken prisoner with King Jehoiachin of Judah and carried into exile from Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.

who had been brought a prisoner from Jerusalem, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried into captivity.

7 He had brought up Hadassah (or Esther), his uncle's daughter, because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. After her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.

And he had a foster child, daughter of Aminadab his father's brother, and her name [was] Esther; and when her parents were dead, he brought her up for a wife for himself: and the damsel was beautiful.

8 When the king's order and decree had been announced, many young women were brought to the fortress of Susa under the supervision of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the king's palace and placed under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.

And because the king's ordinance was published, many damsels were gathered to the city Susa under the hand of Gai; and Esther was brought to Gai the keeper of the women.

9 Esther caught his eye and he treated her favorably. He quickly arranged beauty treatments and special food for her. He also provided her with seven specially-chosen maids from the king's palace, and moved her and her maids to the best location in the harem.

And the damsel pleased him, and she found favour in his sight; and he hasted to give her the things for purification, and her portion, and the seven maidens appointed her out of the palace: and he treated her and her maidens well in the women's apartment.

10 Esther had not let anyone know her nationality or who her family was, because Mordecai had ordered her not to.

But Esther didn’t reveal her family nor her kindred: for Mardochaeus had charged her not to tell.

11 Each day Mordecai spent time walking around in front of the courtyard of the harem so he could find out how Esther was doing and what was happening to her.

But Mardochaeus used to walk every day by the women's court, to see what would become of Esther.

12 Before it was the turn of a young woman to go to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments for women that were required: six months with oil of myrrh, and six with perfumed oils and ointments.

Now this was the time for a virgin to go into the king, when she should have fulfilled 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 When it was time for the young woman to go to the king, she was given whatever she asked for to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.

And then [the damsel] goes in to the king; and [the officer] to whoever he shall give the command, will bring her to come in with him from the women's apartment to the king's chamber.

14 In the evening she would go, and in the morning she would return to a different harem under the supervision of Shaashgaz, who was the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not go back to be with the king again unless he was particularly attracted to her and called for her by name.

She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women's apartment, where Gai the king's chamberlain [is] keeper of the women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.

15 (Esther was the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai's uncle. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.) When it was Esther's turn to go to the king, she didn't ask for anything to take with her except what Hegai advised. (He was the king's eunuch in charge of the women.) Esther was looked on with admiration by everybody.

And when the time. was fulfilled for Esther the daughter of Aminadab the brother of Mardochaeus' 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 that looked upon her.

16 Esther was taken to King Xerxes into his royal palace, in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

So Esther went in to king Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women. He treated her more favorably and with greater kindness than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

And the king loved Esther, and she found favour beyond all the [other] virgins: and he put on her the queen's crown.

18 The king gave a great feast for all his officials and administrators—Esther's feast. He also declared it a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed generous gifts.

And 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 made a release to those who were under his dominion.

19 Even though there had been a second gathering of virgins, and Mordecai had been given a position by the king,

But Mardochaeus served in the palace.

20 Esther still did not let anyone know about her family or her nationality, as Mordecai had ordered her. She followed Mordecai's instructions just as she did when he brought her up.

Now Esther had not revealed her kindred; for so Mardochaeus commanded her, to fear God, and perform his commandments, as when she was with him: and Esther changed not her manner of life.

21 At that time, as Mordecai was doing his work at the palace gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two eunuchs who guarded the entrance to the king's rooms, became furious with King Xerxes and looked for a way to assassinate him.

And two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mardochaeus was promoted; and they sought to kill king Artaxerxes.

22 Mordecai found out about the plot and reported it to Queen Esther. Esther in turn told the king on Mordecai's behalf.

And the matter was revealed to Mardochaeus, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.

23 When the plot was investigated and found to be true, both men were impaled on poles. This was recorded in the official Book of Records by order of the king.

And the king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them: and the king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the good offices of Mardochaeus, as a commendation.