| Chapter 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 | Then said the king's
servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair 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 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: |
|
4 | And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen
instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so. |
| 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; |
| 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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
| 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. |
| 10
| Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for
Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it. |
| 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. |
| 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;) |
| 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. |
|
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.
|
| 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. |
|
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. |
|
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. |
| 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. |
| 19 | And when the
virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's
gate. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
