2:1 And after this the king's anger was
pacified, and he no more mentioned Astin, bearing in mind what she had said,
and how he had condemned her.
2:2 Then the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king
chaste [and] beautiful young virgins.
2:3 And let the king appoint local governors in all the provinces of his
kingdom, and let them select fair [and] chaste young damsels [and bring
them] to the city Susa, into the women's apartment, and let them be
consigned to the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women; and let things
for purification and other attendance be given [to them].
2:4 And let the woman who shall please the king be queen instead of Astin.
And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
2:5 Now there was a Jew in the city Susa, and his name was Mordecai, the
[son] of Jairus, [the son] of Semeias, [the son] of Cisaeus, of the tribe of
Benjamin;
2:6 who had been brought a prisoner from Jerusalem, which Nabuchodonosor
king of Babylon had carried into captivity.
2:7 And he had a foster child, daughter of Aminadab his father's brother,
and her name [was] Esther; and when her parents were dead, he brought her up
for a wife for himself: and the damsel was beautiful.
2:8 And because the king's ordinance was published, many damsels were
gathered to the city Susa under the hand of Gai; and Esther was brought to
Gai the keeper of the women.
2:9 And the damsel pleased him, and she found favour in his sight; and he
hasted to give her the things for purification, and her portion, and the
seven maidens appointed her out of the palace: and he treated her and her
maidens well in the women's apartment.
2:10 But Ether discovered not her family nor her kindred: for Mordecai
had charged her not to tell.
2:11 But Mordecai used to walk every day by the women's court, to see
what would become of Esther.
2:12 Now this was the time for a virgin to go into the king, when she should
have fulfilled twelve months; for so are the days of purification fulfilled,
six months while they are anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six
months with spices and women's purifications.
2:13 And then [the damsel] goes in to the king; and [the officer] to
whomsoever he shall give the command, will bring her to come in with him
from the women's apartment to the king's chamber.
2:14 She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second
women's apartment, where Gai the king's chamberlain [is] keeper of the
women: and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by
name.
2:15 And when the time. was fulfilled for Esther the daughter of Aminadab
the brother of Mordecai' father to go in to the king, she neglected
nothing which the chamberlain, the women's keeper, commanded; for Esther
found grace in the sight of all that looked upon her.
2:16 So Esther went in to king Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is
Adar, in the seventh year of his reign.
2:17 And the king loved Esther, and she found favour beyond all the [other]
virgins: and he put on her the queen's crown.
2:18 And the king made a banquet for all his friends and great men for seven
days, and he highly celebrated the marriage of Esther; and he made a release
to those who were under his dominion.
2:19 But Mordecai served in the palace.
2:20 Now Esther had not discovered her kindred; for so Mordecai commanded
her, to fear Elohim, and perform his commandments, as when she was with him:
and Esther changed not her manner of life.
2:21 And two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were
grieved, because Mordecai was promoted; and they sought to kill king
Artaxerxes.
2:22 And the matter was discovered to Mordecai, and he made it known to
Esther, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy.
2:23 And the king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them: and the
king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the
good offices of Mordecai, as a commendation. |
2:1 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.
2:2 Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be
fair young virgins sought for the king:
2:3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom,
that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the
palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of Hege the king's
chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be
given them:
2:4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti.
And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
2:5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was
Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
2:6 Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had
been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king
of Babylon had carried away.
2:7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for
she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom
Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
2:8 So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was
heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace,
to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king's house,
to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
2:9 And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he
speedily gave her her things for purification, with such things as belonged
to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the
king's house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the
house of the women.
2:10 Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had
charged her that she should not shew it.
2:11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to
know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
2:12 Now when every maid's turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after
that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for
so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months
with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things
for the purifying of the women;)
2:13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was
given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's
house.
2:14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second
house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain,
which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the
king delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
2:15 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 unto the
king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper
of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them
that looked upon her.
2:16 So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the
tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
2:17 And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace
and favour in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal
crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
2:18 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants,
even Esther's feast; and he made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts,
according to the state of the king.
2:19 And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then
Mordecai sat in the king's gate.
2:20 Esther had not yet shewed her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had
charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she
was brought up with him.
2:21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's
chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those which kept the door, were wroth,
and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.
2:22 And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it unto Esther the queen;
and Esther certified the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
2:23 And when inquisition was made of the matter, it was found out;
therefore they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of
the chronicles before the king. |