Dual Panel1After <0310> these things <01697>_, when the wrath <02534> of king <04428> Ahasuerus <0325> was appeased <07918> (8800)_, he remembered <02142> (8804) Vashti <02060>_, and what she had done <06213> (8804)_, and what was decreed <01504> (8738) against her.
2Then said <0559> (8799) the king's <04428> servants <05288> that ministered <08334> (8764) unto him, Let there be fair <02896> <04758> young <05291> virgins <01330> sought <01245> (8762) for the king <04428>_:
3And let the king <04428> appoint <06485> (8686) officers <06496> in all the provinces <04082> of his kingdom <04438>_, that they may gather together <06908> (8799) all the fair <02896> <04758> young <05291> virgins <01330> unto Shushan <07800> the palace <01002>_, to the house <01004> of the women <0802>_, unto the custody <03027> of Hege <01896> the king's <04428> chamberlain <05631>_, keeper <08104> (8802) of the women <0802>_; and let their things for purification <08562> be given <05414> (8800) [them]: {unto the...: Heb. unto the hand} {Hege: also called, Hegai}
4And let the maiden <05291> which pleaseth <03190> (8799) <05869> the king <04428> be queen <04427> (8799) instead of Vashti <02060>_. And the thing <01697> pleased <03190> (8799) <05869> the king <04428>_; and he did so <06213> (8799)_.
5[Now] in Shushan <07800> the palace <01002> there was a certain <0376> Jew <03064>_, whose name <08034> [was] Mordecai <04782>_, the son <01121> of Jair <02971>_, the son <01121> of Shimei <08096>_, the son <01121> of Kish <07027>_, a Benjamite <01145>_;
6Who had been carried away <01540> (8717) from Jerusalem <03389> with the captivity <01473> which had been carried away <01540> (8717) with Jeconiah <03204> king <04428> of Judah <03063>_, whom Nebuchadnezzar <05019> the king <04428> of Babylon <0894> had carried away <01540> (8689)_. {Jeconiah: also called, Jehoiachin}
7And he brought up <0539> (8802) Hadassah <01919>_, that [is], Esther <0635>_, his uncle's <01730> daughter <01323>_: for she had neither father <01> nor mother <0517>_, and the maid <05291> [was] fair <03303> <08389> and beautiful <02896> <04758>_; whom Mordecai <04782>_, when her father <01> and mother <0517> were dead <04194>_, took <03947> (8804) for his own daughter <01323>_. {brought...: Heb. nourished} {fair...: Heb. fair of form, and good of countenance}
8So it came to pass, when the king's <04428> commandment <01697> and his decree <01881> was heard <08085> (8736)_, and when many <07227> maidens <05291> were gathered together <06908> (8736) unto Shushan <07800> the palace <01002>_, to the custody <03027> of Hegai <01896>_, that Esther <0635> was brought <03947> (8735) also unto the king's <04428> house <01004>_, to the custody <03027> of Hegai <01896>_, keeper <08104> (8802) of the women <0802>_.
9And the maiden <05291> pleased <03190> (8799) <05869> him, and she obtained <05375> (8799) kindness <02617> of him <06440>_; and he speedily <0926> (8762) gave <05414> (8800) her her things for purification <08562>_, with such things as belonged <04490> to her, and seven <07651> maidens <05291>_, [which were] meet <07200> (8803) to be given <05414> (8800) her, out of the king's <04428> house <01004>_: and he preferred <08138> (8762) her and her maids <05291> unto the best <02896> [place] of the house <01004> of the women <0802>_. {such...: Heb. her portions} {preferred: Heb. changed}
10Esther <0635> had not shewed <05046> (8689) her people <05971> nor her kindred <04138>_: for Mordecai <04782> had charged <06680> (8765) her that she should not shew <05046> (8686) [it].
11And Mordecai <04782> walked <01980> (8693) every day <03117> before <06440> the court <02691> of the women's <0802> house <01004>_, to know <03045> (8800) how Esther <0635> did <07965>_, and what should become <06213> (8735) of her. {to know...: Heb. to know the peace}
12Now when every maid's <05291> turn <08447> was come <05060> (8687) to go in <0935> (8800) to king <04428> Ahasuerus <0325>_, after <07093> that she had been twelve <08147> <06240> months <02320>_, according to the manner <01881> of the women <0802>_, (for so were the days <03117> of their purifications <04795> accomplished <04390> (8799)_, [to wit], six <08337> months <02320> with oil <08081> of myrrh <04753>_, and six <08337> months <02320> with sweet odours <01314>_, and with [other] things for the purifying <08562> of the women <0802>;)
13Then thus came <0935> (8802) [every] maiden <05291> unto the king <04428>_; whatsoever she desired <0559> (8799) was given <05414> (8735) her to go <0935> (8800) with her out of the house <01004> of the women <0802> unto the king's <04428> house <01004>_.
14In the evening <06153> she went <0935> (8802)_, and on the morrow <01242> she returned <07725> (8802) into the second <08145> house <01004> of the women <0802>_, to the custody <03027> of Shaashgaz <08190>_, the king's <04428> chamberlain <05631>_, which kept <08104> (8802) the concubines <06370>_: she came in <0935> (8799) unto the king <04428> no more, except the king <04428> delighted <02654> (8804) in her, and that she were called <07121> (8738) by name <08034>_.
15Now when the turn <08447> of Esther <0635>_, the daughter <01323> of Abihail <032> the uncle <01730> of Mordecai <04782>_, who had taken <03947> (8804) her for his daughter <01323>_, was come <05060> (8687) to go in <0935> (8800) unto the king <04428>_, she required <01245> (8765) nothing <01697> but what Hegai <01896> the king's <04428> chamberlain <05631>_, the keeper <08104> (8802) of the women <0802>_, appointed <0559> (8799)_. And Esther <0635> obtained <05375> (8802) favour <02580> in the sight <05869> of all them that looked <07200> (8802) upon her.
16So Esther <0635> was taken <03947> (8735) unto king <04428> Ahasuerus <0325> into his house <01004> royal <04438> in the tenth <06224> month <02320>_, which [is] the month <02320> Tebeth <02887>_, in the seventh <07651> year <08141> of his reign <04438>_.
17And the king <04428> loved <0157> (8799) Esther <0635> above all the women <0802>_, and she obtained <05375> (8799) grace <02580> and favour <02617> in his sight <06440> more than all the virgins <01330>_; so that he set <07760> (8799) the royal <04438> crown <03804> upon her head <07218>_, and made her queen <04427> (8686) instead of Vashti <02060>_. {favour: or, kindness} {in his...: Heb. before him}
18Then the king <04428> made <06213> (8799) a great <01419> feast <04960> unto all his princes <08269> and his servants <05650>_, [even] Esther's <0635> feast <04960>_; and he made <06213> (8804) a release <02010> to the provinces <04082>_, and gave <05414> (8799) gifts <04864>_, according to the state <03027> of the king <04428>_. {release: Heb. rest}
19And when the virgins <01330> were gathered together <06908> (8736) the second time <08145>_, then Mordecai <04782> sat <03427> (8802) in the king's <04428> gate <08179>_.
20Esther <0635> had not [yet] shewed <05046> (8688) her kindred <04138> nor her people <05971>_; as Mordecai <04782> had charged <06680> (8765) her: for Esther <0635> did <06213> (8802) the commandment <03982> of Mordecai <04782>_, like as when she was brought up <0545> with him.
21In those days <03117>_, while Mordecai <04782> sat <03427> (8802) in the king's <04428> gate <08179>_, two <08147> of the king's <04428> chamberlains <05631>_, Bigthan <0904> and Teresh <08657>_, of those which kept <08104> (8802) the door <05592>_, were wroth <07107> (8804)_, and sought <01245> (8762) to lay <07971> (8800) hand <03027> on the king <04428> Ahasuerus <0325>_. {Bigthan: also called, Bigthana} {the door: Heb. the threshold}
22And the thing <01697> was known <03045> (8735) to Mordecai <04782>_, who told <05046> (8686) [it] unto Esther <0635> the queen <04436>_; and Esther <0635> certified <0559> (8799) the king <04428> [thereof] in Mordecai's <04782> name <08034>_.
23And when inquisition <01245> (8792) was made of the matter <01697>_, it was found out <04672> (8735)_; therefore they were both <08147> hanged <08518> (8735) on a tree <06086>_: and it was written <03789> (8735) in the book <05612> of the chronicles <01697> <03117> before <06440> the king <04428>_.