1 After these things AEsth 7:10when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and BEsth 1:19, 20what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “A1 Kin 1:2Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3  “Let the king appoint overseers in AEsth 1:1, 2all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of BEsth 2:8, 15Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and CEsth 2:9, 12let their cosmetics be given them. 4  “Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was AEsth 3:2Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6 A2 Kin 24:14, 15; 2 Chr 36:10who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is AEsth 2:15Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and 1Lit good of appearanceface, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

8 So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and AEsth 2:3many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of BEsth 2:3, 15Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s 1Lit housepalace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her AEsth 2:3, 12cosmetics and 1Lit portionsfood, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10 AEsth 2:20Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. 11 Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

12 Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women— 13 the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she 1Lit saiddesired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the 1Lit handcustody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 Now when the turn of Esther, AEsth 2:7; 9:29the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what BEsth 2:3, 8Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, 1Lit saidadvised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that AEsth 1:11he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then AEsth 1:3the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts BEsth 1:7according to the king’s bounty.

19 AEsth 2:3, 4When the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai BEsth 2:21; 3:2was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 AEsth 2:10Esther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did 1Lit the word of Mordecaiwhat Mordecai told her as she had done BEsth 2:7when under his care.

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, AEsth 6:2Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to 1Lit send a hand againstlay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 But the 1Lit matter, so also v 23plot became known to Mordecai and AEsth 6:1, 2he told Queen Esther, and Esther 2Lit toldinformed the king in Mordecai’s name. 23 Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a 1Lit treegallows; and it was written in AEsth 10:2the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.