Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Esther 2
A Search for a New Queen
After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. Then the king’s young men 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 to gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the house of the women, into the hand of Hegai, the king’s eunuch who has charge of the women, and let their beauty treatments be given to them. Then let the young woman who is good in the king’s eyes become queen in place of Vashti.” The matter was good in the king’s eyes, and he did so.
Mordecai and Esther
There was a Judean man in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried into exile. He was bringing up Hadassah—that is, Esther—the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was beautiful in form and appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. When the king’s command and decree were heard and many young women were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the hand of Hegai, Esther also was taken to the king’s house, into the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women. The young woman was good in his eyes and gained favor before him. He quickly provided her beauty treatments and her portions, and seven chosen young women from the king’s house. He moved her and her young women to the best place in the house of the women. Esther had not revealed her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. Every day Mordecai walked back and forth before the courtyard of the house of the women to learn Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
The Women Prepare to Go to the King
When the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after she had been treated twelve months according to the regulation for women—for thus were the days of their beauty treatments completed: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and women’s treatments— then in this way the young woman went to the king: whatever she said was given to her to take with her from the house of the women to the king’s house. In the evening she went in, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, into the hand of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who had charge of the concubines. She did not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and she was called by name.
Esther Becomes Queen
When the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, keeper of the women, advised. Esther gained favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her. Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she gained favor and steadfast kindness before him more than all the virgins. He set the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants, Esther’s feast. He granted relief to the provinces and gave gifts according to the king’s generosity.
Mordecai Uncovers a Plot
When virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. Esther had still not revealed her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, and Esther continued to carry out Mordecai’s word as she had when he was bringing her up. In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from the guardians of the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. The matter became known to Mordecai, and he told Queen Esther. Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name. The matter was investigated and found to be so, and the two were hanged on a tree. It was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.