< Esther 2 >

1 After the things these when subsided [the] anger of the king Ahasuerus he remembered Vashti and [that] which she had done and [that] which it had been decreed on her.
After this, when the wrath of king Assuerus was appeased, he remembered Vasthi, and what she had done and what she had suffered:
2 And they said [the] young men of the king [who were] serving him let people seek for the king young women virgins good of appearance.
And the king’s servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,
3 And let him appoint the king appointees in all [the] provinces of kingdom his and let them gather every girl virgin good of appearance to Susa the citadel to [the] house of the women into [the] hand of Hegai [the] eunuch of the king [the] keeper of the women and let him give rubbings their.
And let some persons be sent through all the provinces to look for beautiful maidens and virgins: and let them bring them to the city of Susan, and put them into the house of the women under the hand of Egeus the eunuch, who is the overseer and keeper of the king’s women: and let them receive women’s ornaments, and other things necessary for their use.
4 And the young woman who she will be good in [the] eyes of the king she will reign in place of Vashti and it was good the word in [the] eyes of the king and he did thus.
And whosoever among them all shall please the king’s eyes, let her be queen instead of Vasthi. The word pleased the king: and he commanded it should be done as they had suggested.
5 A man Jewish he was in Susa the citadel and name his [was] Mordecai [the] son of Jair [the] son of Shimei [the] son of Kish a man a Jaminite.
There was a man in the city of Susan, a Jew, named Mardochai, the son of Jair, the son of Semei, the son of Cis, of the race of Jemini,
6 Who he had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the exile[s] which it had been taken into exile with Jeconiah [the] king of Judah whom he had taken into exile Nebuchadnezzar [the] king of Babylon.
Who had been carried away from Jerusalem at the time that Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon carried away Jechonias king of Juda,
7 And he was raising Hadassah that [is] Esther [the] daughter of uncle his for not [belonged] to her a father and a mother and the young woman [was] beautiful of shape and good of appearance and at [the] death of father her and mother her he took her Mordecai of him to a daughter.
And he had brought up his brother’s daughter Edissa, who by another name was called Esther: now she had lost both her parents: and was exceeding fair and beautiful. And her father and mother being dead, Mardochai adopted her for his daughter.
8 And it was when were heard [the] edict of the king and orders his and when were gathered young women many to Susa the citadel into [the] hand of Hegai and she was taken Esther to [the] house of the king into [the] hand of Hegai [the] keeper of the women.
And when the king’s ordinance was noised abroad, and according to his commandment many beautiful virgins were brought to Susan, and were delivered to Egeus the eunuch: Esther also among the rest of the maidens was delivered to him to be kept in the number of the women.
9 And she was good the young woman in view his and she bore favor before him and he hastened rubbings her and portions her to give to her and [the] seven the servant girls chosen to give to her from [the] house of the king and he moved her and servant girls her to [the] good [place] of [the] house of the women.
And she pleased him, and found favour in his sight. And he commanded the eunuch to hasten the women’s ornaments, and to deliver to her her part, and seven of the most beautiful maidens of the king’s house, and to adorn and deck out both her and her waiting maids.
10 Not she had told Esther people her and kindred her for Mordecai he had commanded to her that not she will tell.
And she would not tell him her people nor her country. For Mardochai had charged her to say nothing at all of that:
11 And on every day and day Mordecai [was] walking back and forth to front of [the] court of [the] house of the women to know [the] welfare of Esther and what? was it done with her.
And he walked every day before the court of the house, in which the chosen virgins were kept, having a care for Esther’s welfare, and desiring to know what would befall her.
12 And when arrived [the] turn of a young woman and a young woman to go - to the king Ahasuerus from [the] end to be for her according to [the] regulation of the women two [plus] ten month[s] for thus they were completed [the] days of rubbings their six months with [the] oil of myrrh and six months with balsam oil and with [the] rubbings of women.
Now when every virgin’s turn came to go in to the king, after all had been done for setting them off to advantage, it was the twelfth month: so that for six months they were anointed with oil of myrrh, and for other six months they used certain perfumes and sweet spices.
13 And in this [way] the young woman [was] going into the king all that she said it was given to her to go with her from [the] house of the women to [the] house of the king.
And when they were going in to the king, whatsoever they asked to adorn themselves they received: and being decked out, as it pleased them, they passed from the chamber of the women to the king’s chamber.
14 In the evening - she [was] going and in the morning she [was] returning to [the] house of the women second in [the] hand of Shaashgaz [the] eunuch of the king [the] keeper of the concubines not she went again into the king that except he delighted in her the king and she was summoned by name.
And she that went in at evening, came out in the morning, and from thence she was conducted to the second house, that was under the hand of Susagaz the eunuch, who had the charge over the king’s concubines: neither could she return any more to the king, unless the king desired it, and had ordered her by name to come.
15 And when arrived [the] turn of Esther [the] daughter of Abihail [the] uncle of Mordecai whom he had taken of him to a daughter to go to the king not she requested anything that except [that] which he said Hegai [the] eunuch of the king [the] keeper of the women and she was Esther bearing favor in [the] eyes of all [those who] saw her.
And as the time came orderly about, the day was at hand, when Esther, the daughter of Abihail the brother of Mardochai, whom he had adopted for his daughter, was to go in to the king. But she sought not women’s ornaments, but whatsoever Egeus the eunuch the keeper of the virgins had a mind, he gave her to adorn her. For she was exceeding fair, and her incredible beauty made her appear agreeable and amiable in the eyes of all.
16 And she was taken Esther to the king Ahasuerus into [the] house of royalty his in the month tenth that [is] [the] month of Tebeth in year seven of reign his.
So she was brought to the chamber of king Assuerus the tenth month, which is called Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And he loved the king Esther more than all the women and she bore favor and favor before him more than all the virgins and he put a crown of royalty on head her and he made queen her in place of Vashti.
And the king loved her more than all the women, and she had favour and kindness before him above all the women, and he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vasthi.
18 And he made the king a feast great for all officials his and servants his [the] feast of Esther and a holiday for the provinces he made and he gave tribute according to [the] hand of the king.
And he commanded a magnificent feast to be prepared for all the princes, and for his servants, for the marriage and wedding of Esther. And he gave rest to all the provinces, and bestowed gifts according to princely magnificence.
19 And when were gathered virgins a second [time] and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king.
And when the virgins were sought the second time, and gathered together, Mardochai stayed at the king’s gate,
20 Not Esther [was] telling kindred her and people her just as he had commanded to her Mordecai and [the] command of Mordecai Esther [was] doing just as she had done in guardianship with him.
Neither had Esther as yet declared her country and people, according to his commandment. For whatsoever he commanded, Esther observed: and she did all things in the same manner as she was wont at that time when he brought her up a little one.
21 In the days those and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king he was angry Bigthan and Teresh two of [the] eunuchs of the king from [the] guards of the threshold and they sought to stretch out a hand on the king Ahasuerus.
At that time, therefore, when Mardochai abode at the king’s gate, Bagathan and Thares, two of the king’s eunuchs, who were porters, and presided in the first entry of the palace, were angry: and they designed to rise up against the king, and to kill him.
22 And it was made known the matter to Mordecai and he told to Esther the queen and she spoke Esther to the king in [the] name of Mordecai.
And Mardochai had notice of it, and immediately he told it to queen Esther: and she to the king in Mardochai’s name, who had reported the thing unto her.
23 And it was sought the matter and it was found and they were hanged [the] two of them on a gallows and it was written in [the] book of [the] matters of the days before the king.
It was inquired into, and found out: and they were both hanged on a gibbet. And it was put in the histories, and recorded in the chronicles before the king.

< Esther 2 >