Esther 2
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Esther Becomes Queen
2 After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.(A) 2 Then the king’s servants who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3 And let the king appoint commissioners in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in the citadel of Susa under custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; let their cosmetic treatments be given them.(B) 4 And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so.
5 Now there was a Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name was Mordecai son of Jair son of Shimei son of Kish, a Benjaminite,(C) 6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with King Jeconiah of Judah, whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had carried away.(D) 7 He had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his cousin, for she had neither father nor mother; the young woman was fair and beautiful, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.(E) 8 When the king’s order and his edict were proclaimed and when many young women were gathered in the citadel of Susa in custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king’s palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women.(F) 9 The young woman pleased him and won his favor, and he quickly provided her with her cosmetic treatments and her portion of food and with seven chosen maids from the king’s palace, and he advanced her and her maids to the best place in the harem.(G) 10 Esther did not reveal her people or kindred, for Mordecai had charged her not to tell.(H) 11 Every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.
12 The turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their cosmetic treatment: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and cosmetics for women. 13 When the young woman went in to the king, she was given whatever she asked for to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she went in; then in the morning she came back to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines; she did not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
15 When the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was admired by all who saw her.(I) 16 When Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, 17 the king loved Esther more than all the other women; of all the virgins she won his favor and devotion, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.(J) 18 Then the king gave a great banquet to all his officials and ministers: “Esther’s banquet.” He also granted a holiday[a] to the provinces and gave gifts with royal liberality.(K)
Mordecai Discovers a Plot
19 When the virgins were being gathered together,[b] Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate. 20 Now Esther had not revealed her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had charged her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just as when she was brought up by him.(L) 21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the threshold, became angry and conspired to kill[c] King Ahasuerus.(M) 22 But the matter came to the knowledge of Mordecai, and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.(N) 23 When the affair was investigated and found to be so, both men were hung on the pole. It was recorded in the book of the annals in the presence of the king.(O)
Esther 2
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Search for a New Queen
2 Some time later,(A) when King Ahasuerus’s rage(B) had cooled down, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what was decided against her.(C) 2 The king’s personal attendants[a] suggested, “Let a search be made for beautiful young women for the king.(D) 3 Let the king appoint commissioners(E) in each province of his kingdom, so that they may assemble all the beautiful young women to the harem at the fortress of Susa.(F) Put them under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch,(G) who is in charge of the women,(H) and give them the required beauty treatments. 4 Then the young woman who pleases the king(I) will become queen instead of Vashti.”(J) This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
5 In the fortress of Susa, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai(K) son of Jair, son of Shimei,(L) son of Kish,(M) a Benjaminite. 6 He had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the other captives when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jeconiah[b] of Judah into exile.(N) 7 Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin[c] Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she didn’t have a father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.(O)
8 When the king’s command and edict became public knowledge, many young women gathered at the fortress of Susa under Hegai’s care. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him and gained his favor[d] so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem’s best quarters.
10 Esther did not reveal her ethnic background or her birthplace, because Mordecai had ordered her not to. 11 Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem’s courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her.
12 During the year before each young woman’s turn to go to King Ahasuerus, the harem regulation required her to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months. 13 When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the palace. 14 She would go in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the supervision of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines.(P) She never went to the king again, unless he desired her and summoned her by name.(Q)
Esther Becomes Queen
15 Esther was the daughter of Abihail,(R) the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, suggested. Esther won approval in the sight of everyone who saw her.(S)
16 She was taken to King Ahasuerus in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.(T) 17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other young women. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.(U) 18 The king held a great banquet for all his officials and staff.(V) It was Esther’s banquet. He freed his provinces from tax payments and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.(W)
19 When the young women(X) were assembled together for a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the King’s Gate.(Y) 20 Esther still had not revealed her birthplace or her ethnic background, as Mordecai had directed. She obeyed Mordecai’s orders, as she always had while he raised her.
Mordecai Saves the King
21 During those days while Mordecai was sitting at the King’s Gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two eunuchs(Z) who guarded the king’s entrance, became infuriated and planned to assassinate[e] King Ahasuerus. 22 When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai’s behalf.(AA) 23 When the report was investigated and verified, both men were hanged on the gallows.(AB) This event was recorded in the Historical Record in the king’s presence.
Footnotes
- Esther 2:2 Lit The young men of the king who served him
- Esther 2:6 = Jehoiachin in 2Kg 24; 25:27; 1Ch 3:16-17
- Esther 2:7 Lit uncle’s daughter
- Esther 2:9 Lit and carried faithful love before him
- Esther 2:21 Lit and they sought to stretch out a hand against
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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