The Book of Esther

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- Kapitel 2 -

Esther becomes queen

After a while, when King Ahasuerus’ anger had quieted down, he remembered Vashti. He also thought about the law he had made because of what she had done.

So his personal servants said to him, “Your Majesty, you should send some men to search for beautiful young virgin girls for the king.

After they find some, you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep your wives here in Susa. They are to be cared for by Hegai (the king’s eunuch) who protects and cares for these women, he can arrange for their cosmetics.

Then the young girl who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.

At that time there was a Jew living in the city of Susa, whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair who was the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, and he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.

Many years before that, Nebuchadnezzar, who had been king of Babylonia, had taken Mordecai and brought him from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was at the same time that he took away King Jehoiachin from Judah, along with many others.

Mordecai was caring for his cousin, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. She had a beautiful face and a lovely figure, and she was called Esther. After her father and mother died, Mordecai took care of Esther as though she were his own daughter.

After the king commanded that they search for some beautiful women, servants brought Esther and many other young women to the king’s palace in Susa, and put them under the care of Hegai.

Hegai was pleased with Esther. He immediately arranged for her to have the cosmetics she wanted, and he arranged for special food to be given to her. He assigned servant girls from the king’s palace and arranged for her to stay in the best rooms in the women’s part of the palace.

Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, or anything about her relatives, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.

Every day Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He stood in the courtyard hoping to find out what was happening to Esther.

Before these women were taken to the king, for twelve months they received beauty treatments, and for six months they were treated with olive oil mixed with myrrh.

When one of these women was summoned to go to the king, she was allowed to have whatever she wished to take with her from the house of the women, when she went to the king’s palace.

In the evening, she would go to the king, and the next morning she would return to the second house of the women, and to the protection of Shaashgaz, the king’s official in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again, except when the king wanted her and called her by name.

Now when the time came for Esther (the daughter of Abihail, who was the uncle of Mordecai) to go in the king, she did not ask for anything from the house of the women to take with her, but only what Hegai, the king’s official in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther pleased everyone who saw her.

Esther was taken up to King Ahasuerus into the royal residence in the tenth month (which is the month of Tebeth), in the seventh year of his reign.

The king loved Esther more than any of the other women whom they brought to him. So he put a crown on her head and declared that Esther would be the queen instead of Vashti.

To celebrate her becoming the queen, he gave a great feast in her honor, that he prepared for all his officials and servants. He granted relief from paying taxes to all the provinces and gave expensive gifts to all with generosity that only a king can give.

Mordecai discovers a conspiracy

Later all those young women were gathered together again. By that time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, where the elders and leaders would hold court and settle disputes for others in the kingdom.

But Esther still did not tell anyone about her family, or about her people, the Jews. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do; she continued to respect him and honor him by doing what he said.

One day when Mordecai was at the king’s gate, two of the king’s officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who protected the king, standing just outside the king’s own rooms. They became angry with the king, and they were planning how they could do him great harm.

But Mordecai heard about what they were planning, he told Queen Esther. Then she told the king, and she told the king that the information came from Mordecai, calling him by name.

The king investigated and confirmed it. So the king ordered those two men be hanged from a gallows. When that was done, an official wrote a report about it in the book called The History of the King.

Esther becomes queen

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

Then the king’s servants who served him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel of Susa, to the women’s house, to the custody of Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;

and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” The thing pleased the king, and he did so.

There was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.

He brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

So, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to the citadel of Susa, to the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.

The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king’s house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women’s house.

Esther had not made known her people nor her relatives, because Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make it known.

Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the women’s house, to find out how Esther was doing, and what would become of her.

Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months ( for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).

The young woman then came to the king like this: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women’s house to the king’s house.

In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women’s house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called by name.

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.

So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king’s bounty.

Mordecai discovers a conspiracy

When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.

Esther had not yet made known her relatives nor her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther obeyed Mordecai, like she did when she was brought up by him.

In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.

This thing became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name.

When this matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.