Esther 2 :: New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

Vashti’s Successor Sought

1 After ^H310 these ^H428 things ^H1697, when the anger ^H2534 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 had subsided ^H7918, he remembered ^H2142 Vashti ^H2060 and what ^H834 she had done ^H6213, and what ^H834 had been decided ^H1504 regarding ^H5921 her.

2 Then the king’s ^H4428 attendants ^H5288, who served ^H8334 him, said ^H559, “Let beautiful ^H2896 H4758 young ^H5291 virgins ^H1330 be sought ^H1245 for the king ^H4428. 3 And may the king ^H4428 appoint ^H6485 overseers ^H6496 in all ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of his kingdom ^H4438, and have them [fn]bring ^H6908 every ^H3605 beautiful ^H2896 H4758 young ^H5291 virgin ^H1330 to the citadel ^H1002 of Susa ^H7800, to the harem ^H1004 H802, into the custody ^H3027 of Hegai ^H1896, the king’s ^H4428 eunuch ^H5631, who is in ^H8104 charge ^H8104 of ^H8104 the women ^H802; and let their cosmetics ^H8562 be given ^H5414 to them. 4 Then let the young ^H5291 woman ^H5291 who ^H834 pleases ^H3190 H5869 the king ^H4428 be ^H4427 queen ^H4427 in ^H8478 place ^H8478 of ^H8478 Vashti ^H2060.” And the [fn]suggestion ^H1697 pleased ^H3190 H5869 the king ^H4428, and he did ^H6213 accordingly ^H3651.

5 There was a Jew ^H3064 at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800 whose name ^H8034 was Mordecai ^H4782, the son ^H1121 of Jair ^H2971, the son ^H1121 of Shimei ^H8096, the son ^H1121 of Kish ^H7027, a Benjaminite ^H376 H3228, 6 who ^H834 had been taken ^H1540 from Jerusalem ^H3389 with the exiles ^H1473 who ^H834 had been deported ^H1540 with Jeconiah ^H3204 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063, whom ^H834 Nebuchadnezzar ^H5019 the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 had deported ^H1540. 7 He was the guardian ^H539 to Hadassah ^H1919, that is Esther ^H635, his uncle’s ^H1730 daughter ^H1323, for she had ^H369 no ^H369 father ^H1 or ^H369 mother ^H517. Now the young ^H5291 woman ^H5291 was beautiful ^H3303 of form ^H8389 and [fn]face ^H4758, and when her father ^H1 and her mother ^H517 died ^H4194, Mordecai ^H4782 took ^H3947 her as his own daughter ^H1323.

Esther Finds Favor

8 So it came ^H1961 about ^H1961, when the command ^H1697 and decree ^H1881 of the king ^H4428 were heard ^H8085 and many ^H7227 young ^H5291 ladies ^H5291 were gathered ^H6908 to the citadel ^H1002 of Susa ^H7800 into the [fn]custody ^H3027 of Hegai ^H1896, that Esther ^H635 was taken ^H3947 to the king’s ^H4428 [fn]palace ^H1004 into the custody ^H3027 of Hegai ^H1896, who was in ^H8104 charge ^H8104 of ^H8104 the women ^H802.

9 Now the young ^H5291 lady ^H5291 pleased ^H3190 H5869 him and found ^H5375 favor ^H2617 with him. So he quickly ^H926 provided ^H5414 her with her cosmetics ^H8562 and [fn]food ^H4490, gave ^H5414 her seven ^H7651 choice ^H7200 female ^H5291 attendants ^H5291 from the king’s ^H4428 palace ^H1004, and transferred ^H8132 her and her attendants ^H5291 to the best ^H2896 place in the harem ^H1004 H802. 10 Esther ^H635 did not reveal ^H5046 her people ^H5971 or her kindred ^H4138, because ^H3588 Mordecai ^H4782 had instructed ^H6680 her that she was not to reveal ^H5046 them. 11 And every ^H3605 day ^H3117 Mordecai ^H4782 walked ^H1980 back ^H1980 and ^H1980 forth ^H1980 in front ^H6440 of the courtyard ^H2691 of the harem ^H1004 H802 to learn ^H3045 how ^H7965 Esther ^H635 was and what ^H4100 was happening ^H6213 to her.

12 Now when the turn ^H8447 came ^H5060 for each ^H5291 young ^H5291 woman ^H5291 to go ^H935 in ^H935 to King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, after ^H4480 the end ^H7093 of her twelve ^H8147 H6240 months ^H2320 under the regulations ^H1881 for the women ^H802—for the days ^H3117 of their beauty ^H4795 treatment ^H4795 were completed ^H4390 as ^H3651 follows ^H3651: six ^H8337 months ^H2320 with oil ^H8081 of myrrh ^H4753 and six ^H8337 months ^H2320 with balsam ^H1314 oil ^H1314 and the cosmetics ^H8562 for women ^H802— 13 the young ^H5291 woman ^H5291 would go ^H935 in ^H935 to the king ^H4428 in this ^H2088 way ^H2088: anything ^H3605 that she [fn]desired ^H559 was given ^H5414 her to [fn]take ^H935 with her from the harem ^H1004 H802 to the king’s ^H4428 palace ^H1004. 14 In the evening ^H6153 she would enter ^H935 and in the morning ^H1242 she would return ^H7725 to the second ^H8145 harem ^H1004 H802, to the [fn]custody ^H3027 of Shaashgaz ^H8190, the king’s ^H4428 eunuch ^H5631 who was in ^H8104 charge ^H8104 of ^H8104 the concubines ^H6370. She would not go ^H935 in ^H935 to the king ^H4428 again ^H5750, unless ^H3588 H518 the king ^H4428 delighted ^H2654 in her and she was summoned ^H7121 by name ^H8034.

15 Now when the turn ^H8447 of Esther ^H635, the daughter ^H1323 of Abihail ^H32 the uncle ^H1730 of Mordecai ^H4782 who ^H834 had taken ^H3947 her as his daughter ^H1323, came ^H5060 to go ^H935 in ^H935 to the king ^H4428, she did not request ^H1245 anything ^H1697 except ^H3588 H518 what ^H834 Hegai ^H1896, the king’s ^H4428 eunuch ^H5631 who was in ^H8104 charge ^H8104 of ^H8104 the women ^H802, [fn]advised ^H559. And Esther ^H635 was finding ^H5375 favor ^H2580 in the eyes ^H5869 of all ^H3605 who saw ^H7200 her. 16 So Esther ^H635 was taken ^H3947 to King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 in his royal ^H4438 palace ^H1004 in the tenth ^H6224 month ^H2320, which ^H1931 is the month ^H2320 Tebeth ^H2887, in the seventh ^H7651 year ^H8141 of his reign ^H4438.

Esther Becomes Queen

17 The king ^H4428 loved ^H157 Esther ^H635 more ^H4480 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 the women ^H802, and she found ^H5375 favor ^H2580 and kindness ^H2617 with him more ^H4480 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 the virgins ^H1330, so that he set ^H7760 the royal ^H4438 turban ^H3804 on her head ^H7218 and made ^H4427 her queen ^H4427 in ^H8478 place ^H8478 of ^H8478 Vashti ^H2060.

18 Then the king ^H4428 held ^H6213 a great ^H1419 banquet ^H4960, Esther’s ^H635 banquet ^H4960, for all ^H3605 his officials ^H8269 and his servants ^H5650; he also made ^H6213 a holiday ^H2010 for the provinces ^H4082 and gave ^H5414 gifts ^H4864 in proportion to the king’s ^H4428 bounty ^H3027.

19 Now when the virgins ^H1330 were gathered ^H6908 together for the second ^H8145 time ^H8145, then Mordecai ^H4782 was sitting ^H3427 at the king’s ^H4428 gate ^H8179. 20 Esther ^H635 still had not revealed ^H5046 her relatives ^H4138 or her people ^H5971, just ^H834 as ^H834 Mordecai ^H4782 had instructed ^H6680 her; for Esther ^H635 did ^H6213 [fn]what ^H3982 Mordecai ^H4782 told ^H5046 her just ^H834 as ^H834 she had ^H1961 when ^H834 under his care ^H545.

Mordecai Saves the King

21 In those ^H1992 days ^H3117, while Mordecai ^H4782 was sitting ^H3427 at the king’s ^H4428 gate ^H8179, Bigthan ^H904 and Teresh ^H8657, two ^H8147 of the king’s ^H4428 officials ^H5631 from those who guarded ^H8104 the door ^H5592, became ^H7107 angry ^H7107 and sought ^H1245 to [fn]attack ^H7971 H3027 King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325. 22 But the [fn]plot ^H1697 became known ^H3045 to Mordecai ^H4782 and he informed ^H5046 Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635, and Esther ^H635 told ^H559 the king ^H4428 in Mordecai’s ^H4782 name ^H8034. 23 Then when the plot ^H1697 was investigated ^H1245 and found ^H4672 to be so, they were both ^H8147 hanged ^H8518 on a wooden ^H6086 gallows; and it was written ^H3789 in the Book ^H5612 of the Chronicles ^H1697 H3117 in the king’s ^H4428 presence ^H6440.