NASB — Esther 2 — KJV

Vashti’s Successor Sought

1 After° these° things° awhen the anger° of King° Ahasuerus° had subsided°, he remembered° Vashti° and what° she had done° and bwhat° had been decreed° against° her. 2 Then the king’s° attendants°, who served° him, said°, “aLet beautiful° young° virgins° be sought° for the king°. 3 Let the king° appoint° overseers° in aall° the provinces° of his kingdom° that they may gather° every° beautiful° young° virgin° to the citadel° of Susa°, to the harem°°, into the custody° of bHegai°, the king’s° eunuch°, who is in charge° of the women°; and clet their cosmetics° be given° [them]. 4 Then let the young° lady° who° pleases°° the king° be queen° in place° of Vashti°.” And the matter° pleased°° the king°, and he did° accordingly°.

[1] aEs 7:10 bEs 1:19, 20
[2] a1K 1:2
[3] aEs 1:1, 2 bEs 2:8, 15 cEs 2:9, 12

5 ¶ [Now] there was at the citadel° in Susa° a Jew° whose name° was aMordecai°, the son° of Jair°, the son° of Shimei°, the son° of Kish°, a Benjamite°°, 6 awho° had been taken° into exile° from Jerusalem° with the captives° who° had been exiled° with Jeconiah° king° of Judah°, whom° Nebuchadnezzar° the king° of Babylon° had exiled°. 7 He was bringing° up Hadassah°, that is aEsther°, his uncle’s° daughter°, for she had° no° father° or° mother°. Now the young° lady° was beautiful° of form° and Iface°, and when her father° and her mother° died°, Mordecai° took° her as his own daughter°.

[5] aEs 3:2
[6] a2K 24:14, 15; 2Ch 36:10
[7] ILit good of appearance aEs 2:15

Esther Finds Favor

8 ¶ So it came° about when the command° and decree° of the king° were heard° and amany° young° ladies° were gathered° to the citadel° of Susa° into the custody° of bHegai°, that Esther° was taken° to the king’s° Ipalace° into the custody° of Hegai°, who was in charge° of the women°. 9 Now the young° lady° pleased°° him and found° favor° with him. So he quickly° provided° her with her acosmetics° and Ifood°, gave° her seven° choice° maids° from the king’s° palace° and transferred° her and her maids° to the best° place in the harem°°. 10 aEsther° did not make° known° her people° or her kindred°, for Mordecai° had instructed° her that she should not make° [them] known°. 11 Every° day° Mordecai° walked° back° and forth in front° of the court° of the harem°° to learn° how° Esther° was and how° she fared°.

[8] ILit house aEs 2:3 bEs 2:3, 15
[9] ILit portions aEs 2:3, 12
[10] aEs 2:20

12 ¶ Now when the turn° of each° young° lady° came° to go° in to King° Ahasuerus°, after° the end° of her twelve°° months° under the regulations° for the women°—for the days° of their beautification° were completed° as follows°: six° months° with oil° of myrrh° and six° months° with spices° and the cosmetics° for women°13 the young° lady° would go° in to the king° in this° way°: anything° that she Idesired° was given° her to take° with her from the harem°° to the king’s° palace°. 14 In the evening° she would go° in and in the morning° she would return° to the second° harem°°, to the Icustody° of Shaashgaz°, the king’s° eunuch° who was in charge° of the concubines°. She would not again° go° in to the king° unless°° the king° delighted° in her and she was summoned° by name°.

[13] ILit said
[14] ILit hand

15 ¶ Now when the turn° of Esther°, athe daughter° of Abihail° the uncle° of Mordecai° who° had taken° her as his daughter°, came° to go° in to the king°, she did not request° anything° except°° what° bHegai°, the king’s° eunuch° who was in charge° of the women°, Iadvised°. And Esther° found° favor° in the eyes° of all° who saw° her. 16 So 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°.

[15] ILit said aEs 2:7; 9:29 bEs 2:3, 8

Esther Becomes Queen

17 ¶ The king° loved° Esther° more° than° all° the women°, and she found° favor° and kindness° with him more° than° all° the virgins°, so that ahe set° the royal° crown° on her head° and made° her queen° instead° of Vashti°. 18 Then athe king° gave° a great° banquet°, Esther’s° banquet°, for all° his princes° and his servants°; he also made° a holiday° for the provinces° and gave° gifts° baccording to the king’s° bounty°.

[17] aEs 1:11
[18] aEs 1:3 bEs 1:7

19aWhen the virgins° were gathered° together the second° time°, then Mordecai° bwas sitting° at the king’s° gate°. 20 aEsther° had not yet made known° her kindred° or her people°, even° as Mordecai° had commanded° her; for Esther° did° Iwhat° Mordecai° told° her as she had done° bwhen° under his care°.

[19] aEs 2:3, 4 bEs 2:21; 3:2
[20] ILit the word of Mordecai aEs 2:10 bEs 2:7

Mordecai Saves the King

21 In those° days°, while Mordecai° was sitting° at the king’s° gate°, aBigthan° and Teresh°, two° of the king’s° officials° from those who guarded° the door°, became° angry° and sought° to Ilay° hands° on King° Ahasuerus°. 22 But the Iplot° became known° to Mordecai° and ahe told° Queen° Esther°, and Esther° IIinformed° the king° in Mordecai’s° name°. 23 Now when the plot° was investigated° and found° [to be so], they were both° hanged° on a Igallows°; and it was written° in athe Book° of the Chronicles°° in the king’s° presence°.

[21] ILit send a hand against aEs 6:2
[22] ILit matter, so also v 23 IILit told aEs 6:1, 2
[23] ILit tree aEs 10:2


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Out of the choice of virgins a queen is to be chosen.

1 ¶ Afterº these² things,º when the wrathº of kingº Ahasuerusº was appeased,ºª he rememberedºª² Vashti,º and what² she had done,ºª and what² was decreedºª against² her. 2 Then saidºª the king'sº servantsº that ministeredºª unto him, Let there be fairºº youngº virginsº soughtºª for the king:º 3 And let the kingº appointºª officersº in all² the provincesº of his kingdom,º that they may gather togetherºª² all² the fairºº youngº virginsº unto² Shushanº the palace,º to² the houseº of the women,º unto² the custodyº of Hegeº the king'sº chamberlain,º keeperºª of the women;º and let their things for purificationº be givenºª [them]: 4 And let the maidenº which² pleasethººª the kingº be queenºª instead² of Vashti.º And the thingº pleasedººª the king;º and he did² so.¹ª²

[1] Es 1:12; Dn 6:14.
[2] Gn 12:14; 1K 1:2; Es 1:10, 14; 6:14.
[3] Es 1:1; 2:8, 12; Is 3:18.
[4] 2S 13:4; 16:21; 17:4; Es 1:21; 3:9; Mt 14:6; 20:16; 22:14.

Mordecai the nursing father of Esther.

5 ¶ [Now] in Shushanº the palaceº there was² a certainº Jew,º whose nameº [was] Mordecai,º the sonº of Jair,º the sonº of Shimei,º the sonº of Kish,º a Benjamite;º 6 Who² had been carried awayºª from Jerusalemº² with² the captivityº which² had been carried awayºª with² Jeconiahº kingº of Judah,º whom² Nebuchadnezzarº the kingº of Babylonº had carried away.ºª 7 And he brought upºª²² Hadassah,º that² [is], Esther,º his uncle'sº daughter:º for² she had neither² fatherº nor mother,º and the maidº [was] fairºº and beautiful;ºº whom Mordecai,º when her fatherº and motherº were dead,º tookºª for his own daughter.º

[5] 1S 9:1; 2S 16:5; Es 1:2; 2:3; 3:2; 5:1; 10:3.
[6] 2K 24:6, 14; 2Ch 36:9, 20; Jr 22:24, 28; 24:1.
[7] Gn 48:5; Es 1:11; 2:15; Jr 32:7; Dn 1:6; 2Co 6:18; Ep 6:4; 1Jn 3:1.

Esther is preferred by Hegai before the rest.

8 ¶ So it came to pass,² when the king'sº commandmentº and his decreeº was heard,ºª and when manyº maidensº were gathered togetherºª unto² Shushanº the palace,º to² the custodyº of Hegai,º that Estherº was broughtºª also unto² the king'sº house,º to² the custodyº of Hegai,º keeperºª of the women.º 9 And the maidenº pleasedººª him, and she obtainedºª kindnessº of² him;¹ and he speedilyºª gaveºª her² her things for purification,º with² such things as belongedº to her, and sevenº maidens,º [which were] meetºª to be givenºª her, out of the king's¹ house:º²² and he preferredºª her and her maidsº unto the bestº [place] of the houseº of the women.º 10 Estherº had not² shewedºª² her peopleº nor her kindred:º for² Mordecaiº had chargedºª her² that² she should not² shewºª [it]. 11 And Mordecaiº walkedºª every dayº² beforeº the courtº of the women'sº house,º to knowºª² how Estherº did,º and what² should becomeºª of her.

[8] Es 2:3.
[9] Gn 39:21; 1K 8:50; Ezr 7:6; Ne 2:8; Es 2:3, 12; Ps 106:46; Pv 16:7; Dn 1:9; Ac 7:10.
[10] Es 2:7, 20; 3:8; 4:13; 7:4; Mt 10:16; Ep 6:1.
[11] Gn 37:14; 1S 17:18; Es 2:13; Ac 15:36.

The manner of purification, and going in to the king.

12 ¶ Now when every maid'sº turnº was comeºª to go inºª to² kingº Ahasuerus,º after¹ that²² she had been² twelveºº months,º according to the mannerº of the women,º (for² so² were the daysº of their purificationsº accomplished,ºª [to wit], sixº monthsº with oilº of myrrh,º and sixº monthsº with sweet odours,º and with [other] things for the purifyingº of the women;)º 13 Then thus² cameºª [every] maidenº unto² the king;º² whatsoever²² she desiredºª was givenºª her to goºª with² her out of the houseº² of the womenº unto² the king'sº house.º 14 In the eveningº she² went,ºª and on the morrowº she² returnedºª into² the secondº houseº of the women,º to² the custodyº of Shaashgaz,º the king'sº chamberlain,º which keptºª the concubines:º she came inºª unto² the kingº no² more,² except²² the kingº delightedºª in her, and that she were calledºª by name.º

[12] Pv 7:17; So 3:6; Is 57:9; Lk 7:37; 1Th 4:4.
[14] Gn 34:19; Dt 21:14; Es 4:11; Is 43:1; 45:4; 62:4.

Esther best pleasing the king is made queen.

15 ¶ Now when the turnº of Esther,º the daughterº of Abihailº the uncleº of Mordecai,º who² had takenºª her for his daughter,º was comeºª to go inºª unto² the king,º she requiredºª nothingº² but²²² what² Hegaiº the king'sº chamberlain,º the keeperºª of the women,º appointed.ºª And Estherº obtainedºª² favourº in the sightº of all² them that lookedºª upon her. 16 So Estherº was takenºª unto² kingº Ahasuerusº into² his houseº royalº in the tenthº month,º which² [is] the monthº Tebeth,º in the seventhº yearº of his reign.º 17 And the kingº lovedºª² Estherº above all²² the women,º and she obtainedºª graceº and favourº in his sightº more than all²² the virgins;º so that he setºª the royalº crownº upon her head,º and made her queenºª instead² of Vashti.º 18 Then the kingº madeºª a greatº feastº unto all² his princesº and his servants,º [even]² Esther'sº feast;º and he madeºª a releaseº to the provinces,º and gaveºª gifts,º according to the stateº of the king.º 19 And when the virginsº were gathered togetherºª the second time,º then Mordecaiº satºª in the king'sº gate.º 20 Estherº had not² [yet] shewedºª her kindredº nor her people;º as² Mordecaiº had chargedºª her:² for Estherº didºª the commandmentº of Mordecai,º like as² when she was² brought upº with² him.

[15] Es 2:7; So 6:9; 8:10; Ac 7:10.
[16] Ezr 7:8; Es 2:1, 3; 8:9.
[17] 1S 2:8; Es 4:14; Ps 75:6; 113:7; Ezk 17:24; Lk 1:48.
[18] Gn 29:22; Jg 14:10; 1S 25:8; Ne 8:11; Es 1:3; 9:22; So 3:11; 5:1; Mt 22:2; Lk 14:8; Rv 11:10; 19:9.
[19] Es 2:3, 21; 3:2; 5:13.
[20] Es 2:10; Ep 6:1.

Mordecai discovering a treason is recorded in the chronicles.

21 ¶ In those² days,º while Mordecaiº satºª in the king'sº gate,º twoº of the king'sº chamberlains,º Bigthanº and Teresh,º of those which keptºª² the door,º were wroth,ºª and soughtºª to layºª handº on the kingº Ahasuerus.º 22 And the thingº was knownºª to Mordecai,º who toldºª [it] unto Estherº the queen;º and Estherº certifiedºª the kingº [thereof] in Mordecai'sº name.º 23 And when inquisition¹ª was made² of the matter,º it was found out;ºª therefore they were bothº hangedºª on² a tree:º and it was writtenºª in the bookº of the chroniclesº¹ beforeº the king.º

[21] 2S 4:5; 16:11; 1K 15:25; 16:9; 2K 9:22; 12:20; 21:23; Es 6:2; Ps 144:10.
[22] Es 6:1; Ec 10:20; Ac 23:12; Ro 11:33; Php 2:4.
[23] Gn 40:19, 22; Dt 21:22; Jsh 8:29; Es 5:14; 6:1; 7:10; Mal 3:16.


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