1After[H310] these things[H1697], when the wrath[H2534] of king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325] was appeased[H7918], he remembered[H2142]Vashti[H2060], and what she had done[H6213], and what was decreed[H1504] against her.
2
Then said[H559] the king[H4428]'s servants[H5288] that ministered[H8334] unto him, Let there be fair[H2896]young[H5291]virgins[H1330]sought[H1245] for the king[H4428]:
3
And let the king[H4428]appoint[H6485]officers[H6496] in all the provinces[H4082] of his kingdom[H4438], that they may gather together[H6908] all the fair[H2896]young[H5291]virgins[H1330] unto Shushan[H7800] the palace[H1002], to the house[H1004] of the women[H802], unto the custody[H3027] of Hege[H1896] the king[H4428]'s chamberlain[H5631], keeper[H8104] of the women[H802]; and let their things for purification[H8562] be given[H5414] them:
4
And let the maiden[H5291] which pleaseth[H3190] the king[H4428] be queen[H4427] instead of Vashti[H2060]. And the thing[H1697]pleased[H3190] the king[H4428]; and he did so[H6213].
5
Now in Shushan[H7800] the palace[H1002] there was a certain[H376]Jew[H3064], whose name[H8034] was Mordecai[H4782], the son[H1121] of Jair[H2971], the son[H1121] of Shimei[H8096], the son[H1121] of Kish[H7027], a Benjamite[H1145];
6
Who had been carried away[H1540] from Jerusalem[H3389] with the captivity[H1473] which had been carried away[H1540] with Jeconiah[H3204]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063], whom Nebuchadnezzar[H5019] the king[H4428] of Babylon[H894] had carried away[H1540].
7
And he brought up[H539]Hadassah[H1919], that is, Esther[H635], his uncle's daughter[H1323]: for she had neither father[H1] nor mother[H517], and the maid[H5291] was fair[H3303] and beautiful[H2896]; whom Mordecai[H4782], when her father[H1] and mother[H517] were dead[H4194], took[H3947] for his own daughter[H1323].
8
So it came to pass, when the king's commandment[H1697] and his decree[H1881] was heard[H8085], and when many[H7227]maidens[H5291] were gathered together[H6908] unto Shushan[H7800] the palace[H1002], to the custody[H3027] of Hegai[H1896], that Esther[H635] was brought[H3947] also unto the king's house[H1004], to the custody[H3027] of Hegai[H1896], keeper[H8104] of the women[H802].
9
And the maiden[H5291]pleased[H3190]him[H6440], and she obtained[H5375]kindness[H2617] of him[H6440]; and he speedily[H926]gave[H5414] her her things for purification[H8562], with such things as belonged[H4490] to her, and seven[H7651]maidens[H5291], which were meet[H7200] to be given[H5414] her, out of the king's house[H1004]: and he preferred[H8138] her and her maids[H5291] unto the best[H2896] place of the house[H1004] of the women[H802].
10Esther[H635] had not shewed[H5046] her people[H5971] nor her kindred[H4138]: for Mordecai[H4782] had charged[H6680] her that she should not shew[H5046] it.
11
And Mordecai[H4782]walked[H1980] every day[H3117]before[H6440] the court[H2691] of the women's house[H1004], to know[H3045] how Esther[H635]did[H7965], and what should become[H6213] of her.
12
Now when every maid's turn[H8447] was come[H5060] to go in[H935] to king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325], after[H7093] that she had been twelve[H8147]months[H2320], according to the manner[H1881] of the women[H802],(for so were the days[H3117] of their purifications[H4795]accomplished[H4390], to wit, six[H8337]months[H2320] with oil[H8081] of myrrh[H4753], and six[H8337]months[H2320] with sweet odours[H1314], and with other things for the purifying[H8562] of the women[H802];)
13
Then thus came[H935] every maiden[H5291] unto the king[H4428]; whatsoever she desired[H559] was given[H5414] her to go[H935] with her out of the house[H1004] of the women[H802] unto the king[H4428]'s house[H1004].
14In[H935] the evening[H6153] she went[H935], and on the morrow[H1242] she returned[H7725] into the second[H8145]house[H1004] of the women[H802], to the custody[H3027] of Shaashgaz[H8190], the king[H4428]'s chamberlain[H5631], which kept[H8104] the concubines[H6370]: she came in[H935] unto the king[H4428] no more, except the king[H4428]delighted[H2654]in[H935] her, and that she were called[H7121] by name[H8034].
15
Now when the turn[H8447] of Esther[H635], the daughter[H1323] of Abihail[H32] the uncle[H1730] of Mordecai[H4782], who had taken[H3947] her for his daughter[H1323], was come[H5060] to go in[H935] unto the king[H4428], she required[H1245]nothing[H1697] but what Hegai[H1896] the king[H4428]'s chamberlain[H5631], the keeper[H8104] of the women[H802], appointed[H559]. And Esther[H635]obtained[H5375]favour[H2580]in[H935] the sight[H5869] of all them that looked[H7200] upon her.
16
So Esther[H635] was taken[H3947] unto king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325] into his house[H1004]royal[H4438] in the tenth[H6224]month[H2320], which is the month[H2320]Tebeth[H2887], in the seventh[H7651]year[H8141] of his reign[H4438].
17
And the king[H4428]loved[H157]Esther[H635] above all the women[H802], and she obtained[H5375]grace[H2580] and favour[H2617] in his sight[H6440] more than all the virgins[H1330]; so that he set[H7760] the royal[H4438]crown[H3804] upon her head[H7218], and made her queen[H4427] instead of Vashti[H2060].
18
Then the king[H4428]made[H6213] a great[H1419]feast[H4960] unto all his princes[H8269] and his servants[H5650], even Esther's feast[H4960]; and he made[H6213] a release[H2010] to the provinces[H4082], and gave[H5414]gifts[H4864], according to the state[H3027] of the king[H4428].
19
And when the virgins[H1330] were gathered together[H6908] the second time[H8145], then Mordecai[H4782]sat[H3427] in the king's gate[H8179].
20Esther[H635] had not yet shewed[H5046] her kindred[H4138] nor her people[H5971]; as Mordecai[H4782] had charged[H6680] her: for Esther[H635]did[H6213] the commandment[H3982] of Mordecai[H4782], like as when she was brought up[H545] with him.
21
In those days[H3117], while Mordecai[H4782]sat[H3427] in the king[H4428]'s gate[H8179], two[H8147] of the king[H4428]'s chamberlains[H5631], Bigthan[H904] and Teresh[H8657], of those which kept[H8104] the door[H5592], were wroth[H7107], and sought[H1245] to lay[H7971]hand[H3027] on the king[H4428]Ahasuerus[H325].
22
And the thing[H1697] was known[H3045] to Mordecai[H4782], who told[H5046] it unto Esther[H635] the queen[H4436]; and Esther[H635]certified[H559] the king[H4428] thereof in Mordecai[H4782]'s name[H8034].
23
And when inquisition[H1245] was made of the matter[H1697], it was found out[H4672]; therefore they were both[H8147]hanged[H8518] on a tree[H6086]: and it was written[H3789] in the book[H5612] of the chronicles[H1697]before[H6440] the king[H4428].