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
International Standard Version
The King Searches for a New Queen
2 After this, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed about her. 2 Then the young men who attended the king suggested, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3 Let the king appoint officials in all the provinces of his kingdom to bring all the beautiful young virgins into the harem in Susa the capital. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women to give them their beauty treatments.[a] 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king rule in place of Vashti.” This advice[b] pleased the king, and he did this.
Esther’s Background
5 In Susa the capital there was a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin, Jair’s son Mordecai, who was a descendant of Kish’s son Shimei the descendant of Benjamin. 6 He had been taken into captivity from Jerusalem along with the exiles who had been deported with Jeconiah, king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon had taken into exile.[c] 7 Mordecai[d] had raised his cousin[e] Hadassah, or Esther,[f] because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was very attractive. After her mother and father died, Mordecai had taken her as his daughter.
8 The king’s order and edict was proclaimed, and many young women were brought to Susa the capital under the care of Hegai. Esther was taken to the palace into the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 The young woman pleased him and gained his favor. He quickly provided her beauty treatments and gave her portions of food to her. He also assigned her seven suitable young women from the palace and transferred her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10 Esther did not make known her people or heritage[g] because Mordecai had instructed her not to make it known. 11 Every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to find out about Esther’s well-being and what was happening to her.
Esther Becomes Queen
12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus at the end of the twelve month period, at which time she was treated according to the regulations for women. This process[h] completed the period of her beauty treatments—six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and cosmetics for women. 13 After that the young woman would go in to the king, and whatever she asked for would be given to her to take with her from the harem to the palace. 14 In the evening she would go into the palace[i] and in the morning she would return to the second harem, into the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the mistresses.[j] She would not go again to the king unless the king wanted her and she was called for by name. 15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who had been Mordecai’s uncle. Mordecai had taken Esther in as his own[k] daughter. When her turn came to go in to the king, she did not want anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, advised. Esther found favor with everyone who saw her. 16 Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 The king loved Esther more than any of the other women, so he favored her and was kinder to her than he was to any of the other virgins. He put the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 The king put on a great banquet for all his officials and ministers[l] to honor Esther. He declared a holiday for the provinces and gave generous gifts.[m]
Mordecai Thwarts a Plot to Kill Ahasuerus
19 When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate. 20 Now Esther had not declared her heritage[n] or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her, for Esther did what Mordecai told her just as she had done when she was raised by him. 21 At that time when Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs among those who guarded the threshold,[o] became angry and conspired to assassinate[p] King Ahasuerus. 22 When Mordecai learned about the plot, he told Queen Esther, and she told the king in Mordecai’s name. 23 After the matter had been fully investigated, Bigthan and Teresh[q] were hanged[r] on a pole, and this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
Footnotes
- Esther 2:3 Lit. their massages
- Esther 2:4 The Heb. lacks advice
- Esther 2:6 This deportation took place in 597 B.C.
- Esther 2:7 Lit. He
- Esther 2:7 Lit. his uncle’s daughter
- Esther 2:7 The Heb. name Hadassah means Myrtle; The Persian name Esther means Star
- Esther 2:10 Or her ancestry
- Esther 2:12 The Heb. lacks process
- Esther 2:14 The Heb. lacks the palace
- Esther 2:14 Or concubines; i.e. secondary wives
- Esther 2:15 The Heb. lacks own
- Esther 2:18 Or servants
- Esther 2:18 Lit. gave gifts according to the hand of the king
- Esther 2:20 Or her ancestry
- Esther 2:21 I.e. the entrance to the restricted areas of the palace
- Esther 2:21 Lit. to send a hand against
- Esther 2:23 Lit. investigated, the two of them
- Esther 2:23 Or impaled
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.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
