Esther, Chapter 2:
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Verses from Esther Chapter 2 of the book of Esther in the Bible.
Esther is crowned queen
- 1. After some time, when King Xerxes' anger had subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and the decree that had been issued against her.
- 2. Then the king's counselors suggested that beautiful girls be sought for the king.
- 3. They appointed officials in all the provinces of the kingdom to bring all the attractive young women to the citadel of Susa, under the care of Hegai, eunuchs responsible for the royal harem. They should get beauty treatment.
- 4. The young woman who pleased the king most would be the new queen instead of Vashti. This proposal pleased the king, and he followed the advice.
- 5At that time there was in Susa a Jew named Mordecai, son of Jair, grandson of Shimei and great-grandson of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin.
- 6. Mordecai had been taken prisoner from Jerusalem to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, together with Jehoiachin, king of Judah.
- 7. He raised Hadassa, also known as Esther, because she had no father or mother. Esther was beautiful and attractive, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his daughter.
- 8. When the king's order and decree were announced, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and placed in the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the king's palace and entrusted to Hegai, who was in charge of the women in the harem.
- 9. Hegai liked Esther and treated her kindly. He immediately provided her with what she needed for beauty treatments and special food. He gave her seven chosen maids from the king's palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem.
- 10. Esther did not reveal her origin or nationality, as Mordecai had ordered her not to do so.
- 11. Mordecai went around the harem courts every day to find out how Esther was doing and what was happening to her.
- 12. Each girl should undergo a twelve-month beauty treatment, divided into six months with myrrh oil and six months with perfumes and cosmetics.
- 13. After this, the girl was ready to go to the king, and whatever she asked for would be given to her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.
- 14. In the afternoon, she went and in the morning returned to another courtyard of the harem, where she was under the care of Saasgaz, the eunuch responsible for the concubines. She did not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and sent for her by name.
- 15. When it came to Esther, daughter of Abiail, Mordecai's uncle, who had adopted her as his daughter, she asked for nothing except what Hegai, the eunuch in charge of the harem, suggested. Ester won the approval of everyone who saw her.
- 16. Esther was taken to King Xerxes, to his royal residence, in the tenth month, the month of Thebet, in the seventh year of the king's reign.
- 17. The king pleased Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained favor and approval more than all the other virgins. He placed the royal crown on her head and proclaimed her queen in place of Vashti.
- 18. The king gave a great banquet, Esther's banquet, for all his princes and servants. He proclaimed a holiday in all provinces and generously distributed royal gifts.
- 19. When the young women were gathered together for the second time, Mordecai was sitting at the door of the royal palace.
- 20. Esther had not yet revealed her origin or nationality, as Mordecai had ordered her, for she obeyed Mordecai as when she was being raised by him.
- 21. At that time, while Mordecai was sitting at the door of the royal palace, Bigtan and Teresh, two of the king's officers who guarded the entrance, became indignant and conspired to murder King Xerxes.
- 22. Mordecai heard about the plot and told Esther, who in turn informed the king in Mordecai's name.
- 23. When the matter was investigated and confirmed, the two officers were hanged. All this was recorded in the historical archives, before the king.
