⁵ Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was ^(A)Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

Shimei Curses David

⁵ When King David came to ^(A)Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was ^(B)Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came ^(C)he cursed continually.

³ For Mordecai the Jew was ^(A)second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he ^(B)sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

Esther Prepares a Banquet

5 ^(A)On the third day Esther put on her royal robes and stood in ^(B)the inner court of the king's palace, in front of the king's quarters, while the king was sitting on his royal throne inside the throne room opposite the entrance to the palace.

² And all the king's servants who were at the king's gate bowed down and paid homage to Haman, for the king had so commanded concerning him. ^(A)But Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage. ³ Then the king's servants who were ^(B)at the king's gate said to Mordecai, “Why do you transgress ^(C)the king's command?” ⁴ And when they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai's words would stand, for he had told them that he was a Jew. ⁵ And when Haman saw that ^(D)Mordecai did not bow down or pay homage to him, Haman was ^(E)filled with fury. ⁶ But he disdained^[a] to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, as they had made known to him the people of Mordecai, Haman sought to destroy^[b] all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus.

³ And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of ^(A)Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. ^(B)Let their cosmetics be given them.

² in those days when King Ahasuerus ^(A)sat on his royal throne in ^(B)Susa, the citadel,

Saul Chosen to Be King

9 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was ^(A)Kish, the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, a Benjaminite, a man of wealth.