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19 (A)And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai (B)was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 (C)Esther had not yet told anyone about her kinsmen or her people, just as Mordecai had commanded her; indeed Esther was doing [a]what Mordecai declared that she do, just as she had done (D)when she was being brought up by him.

Two of the King’s Eunuchs Are Hanged

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, (E)Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs from those who were doorkeepers, became furious and sought to send forth their hand against King Ahasuerus. 22 But the matter became known to Mordecai, and (F)he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther said it to the king in Mordecai’s name. 23 Then the matter was sought out and found to be true, so they were both hanged on a [b]gallows; and it was written in (G)the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 2:20 Lit the declaration of Mordecai
  2. Esther 2:23 Lit tree, cf. Deut 21:22-23

Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy

19 When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.(A) 20 But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai’s instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.(B)

21 During the time Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthana[a] and Teresh, two of the king’s officers(C) who guarded the doorway, became angry(D) and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes. 22 But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai. 23 And when the report was investigated and found to be true, the two officials were impaled(E) on poles. All this was recorded in the book of the annals(F) in the presence of the king.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 2:21 Hebrew Bigthan, a variant of Bigthana