Dual Panel1After<310> these<428> things<1697> when the anger<2534> of King<4428> Ahasuerus<325> had subsided<7918>, he remembered<2142> Vashti<2060> and what<834> she had done<6213> and what<834> had been decreed<1504> against<5921> her.
2Then the king's<4428> attendants<5288>, who served<8334> him, said<559>, "Let beautiful<2896> young<5291> virgins<1330> be sought<1245> for the king<4428>.
3"Let the king<4428> appoint<6485> overseers<6496> in all<3605> the provinces<4082> of his kingdom<4438> that they may gather<6908> every<3605> beautiful<2896> young<5291> virgin<1330> to the citadel<1002> of Susa<7800>, to the harem<1004><802>, into the custody<3027> of Hegai<1896>, the king's<4428> eunuch<5631>, who is in charge<8104> of the women<802>; and let their cosmetics<8562> be given<5414> them.
4"Then let the young<5291> lady<5291> who<834> pleases<3190><5869> the king<4428> be queen<4427> in place<8478> of Vashti<2060>." And the matter<1697> pleased<3190><5869> the king<4428>, and he did<6213> accordingly<3651>.
5Now there was at the citadel<1002> in Susa<7800> a Jew<3064> whose name<8034> was Mordecai<4782>, the son<1121> of Jair<2971>, the son<1121> of Shimei<8096>, the son<1121> of Kish<7027>, a Benjamite<376><3228>,
6who<834> had been taken<1540> into exile<1540> from Jerusalem<3389> with the captives<1473> who<834> had been exiled<1540> with Jeconiah<3204> king<4428> of Judah<3063>, whom<834> Nebuchadnezzar<5019> the king<4428> of Babylon<894> had exiled<1540>.
7He was bringing<539> up Hadassah<1919>, that is Esther<635>, his uncle's<1730> daughter<1323>, for she had<369> no<369> father<1> or<369> mother<517>. Now the young<5291> lady<5291> was beautiful<3303> of form<8389> and face<4758>, and when her father<1> and her mother<517> died<4194>, Mordecai<4782> took<3947> her as his own daughter<1323>.
8So it came<1961> about when the command<1697> and decree<1881> of the king<4428> were heard<8085> and many<7227> young<5291> ladies<5291> were gathered<6908> to the citadel<1002> of Susa<7800> into the custody<3027> of Hegai<1896>, that Esther<635> was taken<3947> to the king's<4428> palace<1004> into the custody<3027> of Hegai<1896>, who was in charge<8104> of the women<802>.
9Now the young<5291> lady<5291> pleased<3190><5869> him and found<5375> favor<2617> with him. So he quickly<926> provided<5414> her with her cosmetics<8562> and food<4490>, gave<5414> her seven<7651> choice<7200> maids<5291> from the king's<4428> palace<1004> and transferred<8132> her and her maids<5291> to the best<2896> place in the harem<1004><802>.
10Esther<635> did not make<5046> known<5046> her people<5971> or her kindred<4138>, for Mordecai<4782> had instructed<6680> her that she should not make<5046> them known<5046>.
11Every<3605> day<3117> Mordecai<4782> walked<1980> back<1980> and forth in front<6440> of the court<2691> of the harem<1004><802> to learn<3045> how<7965> Esther<635> was and how<4100> she fared<6213>.
12Now when the turn<8447> of each<5291> young<5291> lady<5291> came<5060> to go<935> in to King<4428> Ahasuerus<325>, after<4480> the end<7093> of her twelve<8147><6240> months<2320> under the regulations<1881> for the women<802>--for the days<3117> of their beautification<4795> were completed<4390> as follows<3651>: six<8337> months<2320> with oil<8081> of myrrh<4753> and six<8337> months<2320> with spices<1314> and the cosmetics<8562> for women<802>--
13the young<5291> lady<5291> would go<935> in to the king<4428> in this<2088> way<2088>: anything<3605> that she desired<559> was given<5414> her to take<935> with her from the harem<1004><802> to the king's<4428> palace<1004>.
14In the evening<6153> she would go<935> in and in the morning<1242> she would return<7725> to the second<8145> harem<1004><802>, to the custody<3027> of Shaashgaz<8190>, the king's<4428> eunuch<5631> who was in charge<8104> of the concubines<6370>. She would not again<5750> go<935> in to the king<4428> unless<3588><518> the king<4428> delighted<2654> in her and she was summoned<7121> by name<8034>.
15Now when the turn<8447> of Esther<635>, the daughter<1323> of Abihail<32> the uncle<1730> of Mordecai<4782> who<834> had taken<3947> her as his daughter<1323>, came<5060> to go<935> in to the king<4428>, she did not request<1245> anything<1697> except<3588><518> what<834> Hegai<1896>, the king's<4428> eunuch<5631> who was in charge<8104> of the women<802>, advised<559>. And Esther<635> found<5375> favor<2580> in the eyes<5869> of all<3605> who saw<7200> her.
16So Esther<635> was taken<3947> to King<4428> Ahasuerus<325> to his royal<4438> palace<1004> in the tenth<6224> month<2320> which<1931> is the month<2320> Tebeth<2887>, in the seventh<7651> year<8141> of his reign<4438>.
17The king<4428> loved<157> Esther<635> more<4480> than<4480> all<3605> the women<802>, and she found<5375> favor<2580> and kindness<2617> with him more<4480> than<4480> all<3605> the virgins<1330>, so that he set<7760> the royal<4438> crown<3804> on her head<7218> and made<4427> her queen<4427> instead<8478> of Vashti<2060>.
18Then the king<4428> gave<6213> a great<1419> banquet<4960>, Esther's<635> banquet<4960>, for all<3605> his princes<8269> and his servants<5650>; he also made<6213> a holiday<2010> for the provinces<4082> and gave<5414> gifts<4864> according to the king's<4428> bounty<3027>.
19When the virgins<1330> were gathered<6908> together the second<8145> time<8145>, then Mordecai<4782> was sitting<3427> at the king's<4428> gate<8179>.
20Esther<635> had not yet made known<5046> her kindred<4138> or her people<5971>, even<3512> as Mordecai<4782> had commanded<6680> her; for Esther<635> did<6213> what<3982> Mordecai<4782> told<5046> her as she had done<1961> when<3512> under his care<545>.
21In those<1992> days<3117>, while Mordecai<4782> was sitting<3427> at the king's<4428> gate<8179>, Bigthan<904> and Teresh<8657>, two<8147> of the king's<4428> officials<5631> from those who guarded<8104> the door<5592>, became<7107> angry<7107> and sought<1245> to lay<7971> hands<3027> on King<4428> Ahasuerus<325>.
22But the plot<1697> became known<3045> to Mordecai<4782> and he told<5046> Queen<4436> Esther<635>, and Esther<635> informed<559> the king<4428> in Mordecai's<4782> name<8034>.
23Now when the plot<1697> was investigated<1245> and found<4672> to be so, they were both<8147> hanged<8518> on a gallows<6086>; and it was written<3789> in the Book<5612> of the Chronicles<1697><3117> in the king's<4428> presence<6440>.