Esther

2 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

2 Then said the young men of the king, who waited upon him,—Let them seek out for the king young virgins of pleasing appearance;

3 and let the king appoint officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather together every young virgin of pleasing appearance unto Shusan the palace unto the house of the women, into the custody of Hegai eunuch of the king keeper of the women, and let there be given the things needed for their purification;

4 and the maiden that is pleasing in the eyes of the king let her be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing seemed good in the eyes of the king and he did so.

5 A certain Jew there was in Shusan the palace,—whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish a man of Benjamin;

6 who had been exiled from Jerusalem, with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah,—whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon exiled.

7 And it came to pass that he was bringing up Hadassah, the same was Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother,—and the maiden was of beautiful form and pleasing appearance, and when her father and mother died Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

8 So it came to pass when the king’s command and decree was heard, and there had been gathered together many maidens unto Shusan the palace unto the custody of Hegai that Esther was taken into the house of the king, unto the custody of Hegai keeper of the women;

9 and the maiden was pleasing in his eyes and she received lovingkindness before him, and he hastened to give her the things needed for her purification and things apportioned her, and to give her seven select maidens out of the house of the king,—and he removed her and her maidens to the best place in the house of the women.

10 Esther had not told of her people nor of her kindred,—for Mordecai had laid charge upon her that she should not tell.

11 And throughout every day Mordecai used to walk to and fro, before the court of the house of the women,—to get to know the welfare of Esther, and what would be done with her.

12 Now when the turn of each maiden came to go in unto King Ahasuerus after it had been done to her according to the law of the women for twelve months, for so were fulfilled the days of their purification,—six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and with things for the purification of the women

13 then indeed the maiden came in unto the king,—whatsoever she might mention was given her to go with her, out of the house of the women up to the house of the king:

14 in the evening she went in and in the morning she returned—unto the second house of the women, unto the custody of Shaashgaz the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines,—she went not in again unto the king, except the king delighted in her and she were called by name.

15 But when the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai—who had taken her as his own daughter—to go in unto the king she requested nothing, save what Hegai the king’s eunuch who kept the women might direct,—but so it was that Esther obtained favour in the eyes of all who beheld her.

16 So then Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus into his royal house, in the tenth month, the same was the month Tebeth,—in the seventh year of his reign.

17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favour and lovingkindness before him above all the virgins,—so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

18 Then the king made a great banquet for all his rulers and his servants, the banquet of Esther,—and a remission for all the provinces made he, and gave a present according to the bounty of a king.

19 Now when virgins were gathered together a second time then Mordecai was sitting in the gate of the king.

20 Esther had not told of her kindred nor her people, as Mordecai had laid charge upon her,—and the command of Mordecai Esther performed, like as when she was being brought up with him.

21 In those days, when Mordecai was sitting in the gate of the king Bigthan and Teresh, two of the eunuchs of the king who guarded the threshold, were wroth, and sought to thrust a hand upon King Ahasuerus;

22 but the thing became known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen,—and Esther told it unto the king in the name of Mordecai.

23 And when the thing was searched into and found [true] then were they two hanged upon the gallows, and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.