Esther 2

1After these things, at the ceasing of the fury of the king Ahasuerus, he hath remembered Vashti, and that which she did, and that which hath been decreed concerning her;

1After these things, when the king's feelings were calmer, the thought of Vashti and what she had done and the order he had made against her, came back to his mind.

2and servants of the king, his ministers, say, `Let them seek for the king young women, virgins, of good appearance,

2Then the servants who were waiting on the king said to him, Let search be made for some fair young virgins for the king:

3and the king doth appoint inspectors in all provinces of his kingdom, and they gather every young woman--virgin, of good appearance--unto Shushan the palace, unto the house of the women, unto the hand of Hege eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and to give their purifications,

3Let the king give authority to certain men in all the divisions of his kingdom, to get together all the fair young virgins and send them to Shushan, the king's town, to the women's house, under the care of Hegai, the king's servant, the keeper of the women: and let the things needed for making them clean be given to them;

4and the young woman who is good in the eyes of the king doth reign instead of Vashti;' and the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and he doth so.

4And let the girl who is pleasing to the king be queen in place of Vashti. And the king was pleased with this suggestion; and he did so.

5A man, a Jew, there hath been in Shushan the palace, and his name <FI>is<Fi> Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite--

5Now there was a certain Jew in Shushan named Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;

6who had been removed from Jerusalem with the removal that was removed with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed--

6Who had been taken away from Jerusalem among those who had been made prisoner with Jeconiah, king of Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had taken him away.

7and he is supporting Hadassah--she <FI>is<Fi> Esther--daughter of his uncle, for she hath neither father nor mother, and the young woman <FI>is<Fi> of fair form, and of good appearance, and at the death of her father and her mother hath Mordecai taken her to him for a daughter.

7And he had been a father to Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his father's brother: for she had no father or mother, and she was very beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his daughter.

8And it cometh to pass, in the word of the king, even his law, being heard, and in many young women being gathered unto Shushan the palace, unto the hand of Hegai, that Esther is taken unto the house of the king, unto the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women,

8So when the order made by the king was publicly given out, and a number of girls had been placed in the care of Hegai in the king's house in Shushan, Esther was taken into the king's house and put in the care of Hegai, the keeper of the women.

9and the young woman is good in his eyes, and she receiveth kindness before him, and he hasteneth her purifications and her portions--to give to her, and the seven young women who are provided--to give to her, from the house of the king, and he changeth her and her young women to a good <FI>place in<Fi> the house of the women.

9And he was pleased with the girl and was kind to her; and he quickly gave her what was needed for making her clean, and the things which were hers by right, and seven servant-girls who were to be hers from the king's house: and he had her and her servant-girls moved to the best place in the women's part of the house.

10Esther hath not declared her people, and her kindred, for Mordecai hath laid a charge on her that she doth not declare <FI>it<Fi> ;

10Esther had not said what family or people she came from, for Mordecai had given her orders not to do so.

11and during every day Mordecai is walking up and down before the court of the house of the women to know the welfare of Esther, and what is done with her.

11And every day Mordecai took his walk before the square of the women's house, to see how Esther was and what would be done to her.

12And in the drawing nigh of the turn of each young woman to come in unto the king Ahasuerus, at the end of there being to her--according to the law of the women--twelve months, for so they fulfil the days of their purifications; six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices, and with the purifications of women,

12Now every girl, when her turn came, had to go in to King Ahasuerus, after undergoing, for a space of twelve months, what was ordered by the law for the women (for this was the time necessary for making them clean, that is, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet perfumes and such things as are needed for making women clean):

13and with this the young woman hath come in unto the king, all that she saith is given to her, to go in with her, out of the house of the women, unto the house of the king;

13And in this way the girl went in to the king; whatever she had a desire for was given to her to take with her from the women's house into the house of the king.

14in the evening she hath gone in, and in the morning she hath turned back unto the second house of the women, unto the hand of Shaashgaz eunuch of the king, keeper of the concubines; she cometh not in any more unto the king except the king hath delighted in her, and she hath been called by name.

14In the evening she went, and on the day after she came back to the second house of the women, into the keeping of Shaashgaz, one of the king's unsexed servants who had the care of the king's wives: only if the king had delight in her and sent for her by name did she go in to him again.

15And in the drawing nigh of the turn of Esther--daughter of Abihail, uncle of Mordecai, whom he had taken to him for a daughter--to come in unto the king, she hath not sought a thing except that which Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, saith, and Esther is receiving grace in the eyes of all seeing her.

15Now when the time came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail, his father's brother, whom Mordecai had taken as his daughter, to go in to the king, she made request for nothing but what Hegai, the king's servant and keeper of the women, had given her. And Esther was looked on kindly by all who saw her.

16And Esther is taken unto the king Ahasuerus, unto his royal house, in the tenth month--it <FI>is<Fi> the month of Tebeth--in the seventh year of his reign,

16So Esther was taken in to King Ahasuerus in his house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his rule.

17and the king loveth Esther above all the women, and she receiveth grace and kindness before him above all the virgins, and he setteth a royal crown on her head, and causeth her to reign instead of Vashti,

17And Esther was more pleasing to the king than all the women, and to his eyes she was fairer and more full of grace than all the other virgins: so he put his crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

18and the king maketh a great banquet to all his heads and his servants--the banquet of Esther--and a release to the provinces hath made, and giveth gifts as a memorial of the king.

18Then the king gave a great feast for all his captains and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he gave orders through all the divisions of his kingdom for a day of rest from work, and gave wealth from his store.

19And in the virgins being gathered a second time, then Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king;

19And when the virgins came together in the second house of the women, Mordecai took his seat in the doorway of the king's house.

20Esther is not declaring her kindred and her people, as Mordecai hath laid a charge upon her, and the saying of Mordecai Esther is doing as when she was truly with him.

20Esther had still said nothing of her family or her people, as Mordecai had given her orders; for Esther did what Mordecai said, as when she was living with him.

21In those days, when Mordecai is sitting in the gate of the king, hath Bigthan been wroth, and Teresh, (two of the eunuchs of the king, the keepers of the threshold,) and they seek to put forth a hand on king Ahasuerus,

21In those days, while Mordecai was seated at the king's doorway, two of the king's servants, Bigthan and Teresh, keepers of the door, being angry, were looking for a chance to make an attack on King Ahasuerus.

22and the thing is known to Mordecai, and he declareth <FI>it<Fi> to Esther the queen, and Esther speaketh to the king in the name of Mordecai,

22And Mordecai, having knowledge of their purpose, sent word of it to Esther the queen; and Esther gave the news to the king in Mordecai's name.

23and the thing is sought out, and found, and they are hanged both of them on a tree, and it is written in the book of the Chronicles before the king.

23And when the thing had been looked into, it was seen to be true, and the two of them were put to death by hanging on a tree: and it was put down in the records before the king.