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 said the king’s servants who ministered to him, Let there be
beautiful 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 beautiful 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. 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 He brought up Hadassah, who 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 happened, 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 The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he
speedily gave her things for her purification, with her portions, and the
seven maidens who were meet 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 relatives; for Mordecai
had charged her that she should not make it known. 11 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 was come to
go in to king Ahasuerus, after it had been done to her as prescribed for the
women twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished,
to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors
and with the things for the purifying of the women), 13 then in this wise
came the maiden to the king: 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 next day 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, except the king delighted in
her, and she were 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, was come to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai
the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. Esther obtained
favor in the sight of all those who looked at her. 16 So Esther was taken
to king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month
Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 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 on her head, and made her queen
instead of Vashti. 18 Then the king made a great feast to all his princes
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 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 relatives nor her
people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of
Mordecai, like 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 the king Ahasuerus. 22 The thing became
known to Mordecai, who shown it to Esther the queen; and Esther told the king
of it in Mordecai’s name. 23 When inquisition 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.
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