1 After|strong="H0310" these things|strong="H1697", when the wrath|strong="H2534" of king|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus|strong="H0325" was appeased|strong="H7918", he remembered|strong="H2142" Vashti|strong="H2060", and what she had done|strong="H6213", and what was decreed|strong="H1504" against her.
2 Then said|strong="H0559" the king’s|strong="H4428" servants|strong="H5288" that ministered|strong="H8334" unto him, Let there be fair|strong="H2896" young|strong="H5291" virgins|strong="H1330" sought|strong="H1245" for the king|strong="H4428":
3 And let the king|strong="H4428" appoint|strong="H6485" officers|strong="H6496" in all the provinces|strong="H4082" of his kingdom|strong="H4438", that they may gather together|strong="H6908" all the fair|strong="H2896" young|strong="H5291" virgins|strong="H1330" unto Shushan|strong="H7800" the palace|strong="H1002", to the house|strong="H1004" of the women|strong="H0802", unto the custody|strong="H3027" of Hege|strong="H1896" the king’s|strong="H4428" chamberlain|strong="H5631", keeper|strong="H8104" of the women|strong="H0802"; and let their things for purification|strong="H8562" be given|strong="H5414" them:
4 And let the maiden|strong="H5291" which pleaseth|strong="H3190" the king|strong="H4428" be queen|strong="H4427" instead of Vashti|strong="H2060". And the thing|strong="H1697" pleased|strong="H3190" the king|strong="H4428"; and he did so|strong="H6213".
5 Now in Shushan|strong="H7800" the palace|strong="H1002" there was a certain|strong="H0376" Jew|strong="H3064", whose name|strong="H8034" was Mordecai|strong="H4782", the son|strong="H1121" of Jair|strong="H2971", the son|strong="H1121" of Shimei|strong="H8096", the son|strong="H1121" of Kish|strong="H7027", a Benjamite|strong="H1145";
6 Who had been carried away|strong="H1540" from Jerusalem|strong="H3389" with the captivity|strong="H1473" which had been carried away|strong="H1540" with Jeconiah|strong="H3204" king|strong="H4428" of Judah|strong="H3063", whom Nebuchadnezzar|strong="H5019" the king|strong="H4428" of Babylon|strong="H0894" had carried away|strong="H1540".
7 And he brought up|strong="H0539" Hadassah|strong="H1919", that is, Esther|strong="H0635", his uncle’s|strong="H1730" daughter|strong="H1323": for she had neither father|strong="H0001" nor mother|strong="H0517", and the maid|strong="H5291" was fair|strong="H3303" and beautiful|strong="H2896"; whom Mordecai|strong="H4782", when her father|strong="H0001" and mother|strong="H0517" were dead|strong="H4194", took|strong="H3947" for his own daughter|strong="H1323".
8 So it came to pass, when the king’s|strong="H4428" commandment|strong="H1697" and his decree|strong="H1881" was heard|strong="H8085", and when many|strong="H7227" maidens|strong="H5291" were gathered together|strong="H6908" unto Shushan|strong="H7800" the palace|strong="H1002", to the custody|strong="H3027" of Hegai|strong="H1896", that Esther|strong="H0635" was brought|strong="H3947" also unto the king’s|strong="H4428" house|strong="H1004", to the custody|strong="H3027" of Hegai|strong="H1896", keeper|strong="H8104" of the women|strong="H0802".
9 And the maiden|strong="H5291" pleased|strong="H3190" him, and she obtained|strong="H5375" kindness|strong="H2617" of him|strong="H6440"; and he speedily|strong="H0926" gave|strong="H5414" her her things for purification|strong="H8562", with such things as belonged|strong="H4490" to her, and seven|strong="H7651" maidens|strong="H5291", which were meet|strong="H7200" to be given|strong="H5414" her, out of the king’s|strong="H4428" house|strong="H1004": and he preferred|strong="H8138" her and her maids|strong="H5291" unto the best|strong="H2896" place of the house|strong="H1004" of the women|strong="H0802".
10 Esther|strong="H0635" had not shewed|strong="H5046" her people|strong="H5971" nor her kindred|strong="H4138": for Mordecai|strong="H4782" had charged|strong="H6680" her that she should not shew|strong="H5046" it.
11 And Mordecai|strong="H4782" walked|strong="H1980" every day|strong="H3117" before|strong="H6440" the court|strong="H2691" of the women’s|strong="H0802" house|strong="H1004", to know|strong="H3045" how Esther|strong="H0635" did|strong="H7965", and what should become|strong="H6213" of her.
12 Now when every maid’s|strong="H5291" turn|strong="H8447" was come|strong="H5060" to go in|strong="H0935" to king|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus|strong="H0325", after|strong="H7093" that she had been twelve|strong="H8147" months|strong="H2320", according to the manner|strong="H1881" of the women|strong="H0802", (for so were the days|strong="H3117" of their purifications|strong="H4795" accomplished|strong="H4390", to wit, six|strong="H8337" months|strong="H2320" with oil|strong="H8081" of myrrh|strong="H4753", and six|strong="H8337" months|strong="H2320" with sweet odours|strong="H1314", and with other things for the purifying|strong="H8562" of the women|strong="H0802";)
13 Then thus came|strong="H0935" every maiden|strong="H5291" unto the king|strong="H4428"; whatsoever she desired|strong="H0559" was given|strong="H5414" her to go|strong="H0935" with her out of the house|strong="H1004" of the women|strong="H0802" unto the king’s|strong="H4428" house|strong="H1004".
14 In the evening|strong="H6153" she went|strong="H0935", and on the morrow|strong="H1242" she returned|strong="H7725" into the second|strong="H8145" house|strong="H1004" of the women|strong="H0802", to the custody|strong="H3027" of Shaashgaz|strong="H8190", the king’s|strong="H4428" chamberlain|strong="H5631", which kept|strong="H8104" the concubines|strong="H6370": she came in|strong="H0935" unto the king|strong="H4428" no more, except the king|strong="H4428" delighted|strong="H2654" in her, and that she were called|strong="H7121" by name|strong="H8034".
15 Now when the turn|strong="H8447" of Esther|strong="H0635", the daughter|strong="H1323" of Abihail|strong="H0032" the uncle|strong="H1730" of Mordecai|strong="H4782", who had taken|strong="H3947" her for his daughter|strong="H1323", was come|strong="H5060" to go in|strong="H0935" unto the king|strong="H4428", she required|strong="H1245" nothing|strong="H1697" but what Hegai|strong="H1896" the king’s|strong="H4428" chamberlain|strong="H5631", the keeper|strong="H8104" of the women|strong="H0802", appointed|strong="H0559". And Esther|strong="H0635" obtained|strong="H5375" favour|strong="H2580" in the sight|strong="H5869" of all them that looked|strong="H7200" upon her.
16 So Esther|strong="H0635" was taken|strong="H3947" unto king|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus|strong="H0325" into his house|strong="H1004" royal|strong="H4438" in the tenth|strong="H6224" month|strong="H2320", which is the month|strong="H2320" Tebeth|strong="H2887", in the seventh|strong="H7651" year|strong="H8141" of his reign|strong="H4438".
17 And the king|strong="H4428" loved|strong="H0157" Esther|strong="H0635" above all the women|strong="H0802", and she obtained|strong="H5375" grace|strong="H2580" and favour|strong="H2617" in his sight|strong="H6440" more than all the virgins|strong="H1330"; so that he set|strong="H7760" the royal|strong="H4438" crown|strong="H3804" upon her head|strong="H7218", and made her queen|strong="H4427" instead of Vashti|strong="H2060".
18 Then the king|strong="H4428" made|strong="H6213" a great|strong="H1419" feast|strong="H4960" unto all his princes|strong="H8269" and his servants|strong="H5650", even Esther’s|strong="H0635" feast|strong="H4960"; and he made|strong="H6213" a release|strong="H2010" to the provinces|strong="H4082", and gave|strong="H5414" gifts|strong="H4864", according to the state|strong="H3027" of the king|strong="H4428".
19 And when the virgins|strong="H1330" were gathered together|strong="H6908" the second time|strong="H8145", then Mordecai|strong="H4782" sat|strong="H3427" in the king’s|strong="H4428" gate|strong="H8179".
20 Esther|strong="H0635" had not yet shewed|strong="H5046" her kindred|strong="H4138" nor her people|strong="H5971"; as Mordecai|strong="H4782" had charged|strong="H6680" her: for Esther|strong="H0635" did|strong="H6213" the commandment|strong="H3982" of Mordecai|strong="H4782", like as when she was brought up|strong="H0545" with him.
21 In those days|strong="H3117", while Mordecai|strong="H4782" sat|strong="H3427" in the king’s|strong="H4428" gate|strong="H8179", two|strong="H8147" of the king’s|strong="H4428" chamberlains|strong="H5631", Bigthan|strong="H0904" and Teresh|strong="H8657", of those which kept|strong="H8104" the door|strong="H5592", were wroth|strong="H7107", and sought|strong="H1245" to lay|strong="H7971" hand|strong="H3027" on the king|strong="H4428" Ahasuerus|strong="H0325".
22 And the thing|strong="H1697" was known|strong="H3045" to Mordecai|strong="H4782", who told|strong="H5046" it unto Esther|strong="H0635" the queen|strong="H4436"; and Esther|strong="H0635" certified|strong="H0559" the king|strong="H4428" thereof in Mordecai’s|strong="H4782" name|strong="H8034".
23 And when inquisition|strong="H1245" was made of the matter|strong="H1697", it was found out|strong="H4672"; therefore they were both|strong="H8147" hanged|strong="H8518" on a tree|strong="H6086": and it was written|strong="H3789" in the book|strong="H5612" of the chronicles|strong="H1697" before|strong="H6440" the king|strong="H4428".