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.

Some time later, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered what Vashti had done and what had been decreed against her.

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.

Then the king’s servants who waited upon him said, ‘Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king,

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 the king appoint commissioners to all the provinces of his kingdom to gather them all to Susa the royal residence. Let them be brought into the women’s quarters under the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who has charge of the women. Then give them what is needed to make them beautiful,

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 let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.’ The proposal pleased the king so he put it into action.

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.

In Susa the royal residence lived a Jew named Mordecai. He was son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite.

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.

(Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the exiles who were deported with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon took captive.)

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.

Mordecai had adopted Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, since she had neither father nor mother. The girl was shapely and beautiful; and after her father and mother died, Mordecai raised her as if she was his own 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.

When the king’s command and decree were known, many girls were gathered together to Susa the capital under the custody of Hegai. Esther was also taken into the king’s palace and placed under the custody of Hegai, who had charge 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.

The girl pleased him and gained his favour, so that he quickly gave her the cosmetics she needed to enhance her beauty and her allowance of food and the seven maids selected from the king’s household. He also transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem.

10 Not she had told Esther people her and kindred her for Mordecai he had commanded to her that not she will tell.

Esther had not revealed her people nor her family background because Mordecai had ordered her not to.

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.

Every day Mordecai would to walk in front of the courtyard of the harem and ask after Esther’s health and what was happening to 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.

The girls were prepared for meeting King Ahasuerus for twelve months: six months being treated with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics. After the twelve months,

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.

each girl went in to the king. She was allowed to take with her whatever she wished from the women’s quarters,

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 would enter the palace in the evening and return the next morning to another part of the harem under the care of the king’s eunuch Shaashgaz who was in charge of concubines. She would not go to the king again unless he desired her and summoned her by name.

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.

When it was the turn of Esther (the girl adopted by Mordecai, daughter of his uncle Abihail) to go in to the king, she only took with her those things that Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, had advised her to take. Esther was liked by all who saw her.

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.

Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of 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 other women, and she became his favourite and won his affection. He placed the royal diadem on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

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.

Then the king gave a great feast to all his officials and courtiers in honour of Esther, and he remitted the taxes of the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.

19 And when were gathered virgins a second [time] and Mordecai [was] sitting at [the] gate of the king.

All the time the virgins were assembled again, Mordecai was sitting as an offical 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.

Esther had not revealed her people or family background because she still obeyed him as she had when he was bringing her up.

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.

In those days while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the royal court attendants, Bigthan and Teresh, who guarded the entrance of the palace, became enraged and attempted to kill King Ahasuerus.

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.

But Mordecai learned of the conspiracy and disclosed it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf.

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.

When the affair was investigated and the facts discovered, the conspirators were both hanged on the gallows. The incident was recorded in the presence of the king in the daily record of events.