 1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus had calmed down, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. 2 The king's servants who served him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3 Let the king choose officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, so that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai the king's eunuch, keeper of the women. And let their ointments be given. 4 Let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so. 5 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 that had been carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away. 7 He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter. For she had neither father nor mother, and the young woman was fair and beautiful, whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. 8 When the king's command and his order was heard, and when many young women had been gathered to Shushan the palace, into the hand of Hegai, Esther was also brought to the king's house, into the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him, and she received kindness from him. And he quickly gave to her purifiers and her portion. And seven young women who were fit to be given her, out of the king's house. And he moved her and her servant women to the best place in the house of the women. 10 Esther had not revealed her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her that she should not show it. 11 Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women's house in order to know how Esther did and what was to become of her. 12 When the turn of each young woman had come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after she had been purified twelve months, according to the law of the women for so the days of their anointing were done, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and with the perfumes of the women. 13 In this way the young woman came to the king. Whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women to the king's house. 14 She went in the evening, and on the next day she returned to the second house of the women, into the hand of Shaashgaz, the king's officer who kept the concubines. She did not come in to the king any more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name. 15 When the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her for his daughter, had come to go in to the king, she asked nothing but what was chosen by Hegai the king's officer, the keeper of the women. And Esther had favor in the sight of all who looked on her. 16 Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, that is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Esther more than all the women. She rose in grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. He set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 The king made a great feast to all his princes and his servants, Esther's feast. He ordered a release for the provinces and gave gifts according to the state of the king. 19 When the virgins were gathered the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate. 20 Esther had not yet revealed her kindred nor her people as Mordecai had commanded her. But Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as she did when she was brought up with him. 21 In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who kept the door, were angry and tried to lay a hand on King Ahasuerus. 22 This was known to Mordecai, who told Queen Esther. So Esther told the king in Mordecai's name. 23 When the matter was searched into, it was found, and the two of them were hanged on a tree. This was written in the book of the matters of the days before the king.
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