Dual Panel1When <0310> these <0428> things <01697> had been accomplished and the rage <02534> of King <04428> Ahasuerus <0325> had diminished <07918>, he remembered <02142> Vashti <02060> and what <0834> she had done <06213> and what <0834> had been decided <01504> against <05921> her.
2The king’s <04428> servants <05288> who attended <08334> him said <0559>, “Let a search <01245> be conducted in the king’s <04428> behalf for attractive <04758> <02896> young women <01330> <05291>.
3And let the king <04428> appoint <06485> officers <06496> throughout all <03605> the provinces <04082> of his kingdom <04438> to gather <06908> all <03605> the attractive <04758> <02896> young women <01330> <05291> to <0413> Susa <07800> the citadel <01002>, to <0413> the harem <0802> <01004> under the authority <03027> of Hegai <01896>, the king’s <04428> eunuch <05631> who oversees <08104> the women <0802>, and let him provide <05414> whatever cosmetics <08562> they desire.
4Let the young woman <05291> whom <0834> the king <04428> finds most attractive <05869> <03190> become queen <04427> in place <08478> of Vashti <02060>.” This seemed like a good <05869> <03190> idea <01697> to the king <04428>, so he acted <06213> accordingly <03651>.
5Now there happened to be <01961> a Jewish <03064> man <0376> in Susa <07800> the citadel <01002> whose name <08034> was Mordecai <04782>. He was the son <01121> of Jair <02971>, the son <01121> of Shimei <08096>, the son <01121> of Kish <07027>, a Benjaminite <01145>,
6who <0834> had been taken into exile <01540> from Jerusalem <03389> with <05973> the captives <01473> who <0834> had been carried into exile <01540> with <05973> Jeconiah <03204> king <04428> of Judah <03063>, whom <0834> Nebuchadnezzar <05019> king <04428> of Babylon <0894> had taken into exile <01540>.
7Now <01961> he was acting as the guardian <0539> of Hadassah <01919> (that <01931> is, Esther <0635>), the daughter <01323> of his uncle <01730>, for <03588> neither <0369> her father <01> nor her mother <0517> was alive. This young woman <05291> was very attractive <04758> and had a beautiful <03303> figure <08389>. When her father <01> and mother <0517> died <04194>, Mordecai <04782> had raised <03947> her as if she were his own daughter <01323>.
8It so happened that when <01961> the king’s <04428> edict <01697> and his law <01881> became known <08085> many <07227> young women <05291> were taken <06908> to <0413> Susa <07800> the citadel <01002> to <0413> be placed under the authority <03027> of Hegai <01896>. Esther <0635> also was taken <03947> to <0413> the royal <04428> palace <01004> to <0413> be under the authority <03027> of Hegai <01896>, who was overseeing <08104> the women <0802>.
9This young woman <05291> pleased <05869> <03190> him, and she found <05375> favor <02617> with him. He quickly <0926> provided <05414> her with her cosmetics <08562> and her rations <04490>; he also provided <05414> her with the seven <07651> specially chosen <07200> young women <05291> who were from the palace <01004>. He then transferred <08138> her and her young women <05291> to the best <02896> quarters in the harem <0802> <01004>.
10Now Esther <0635> had not <03808> disclosed <05046> her people <05971> or her lineage <04138>, for <03588> Mordecai <04782> had instructed <06680> her not <03808> to do <05046> so.
11And day <03117> after day <03117> Mordecai <04782> used to walk <01980> back and forth in front <06440> of the court <02691> of the harem <0802> <01004> in order to learn <03045> how Esther <0635> was doing <06213> and what <04100> might happen to her.
12At the end <07093> of the twelve <06240> <08147> months <02320> that were <01961> required <01881> for the women <0802>, when the turn <08447> of each young woman <05291> <05291> arrived <05060> to <0413> go <0935> to King <04428> Ahasuerus <0325>– for <03588> in this way <03651> they had to fulfill <04390> their time <03117> of cosmetic treatment <04795>: six <08337> months <02320> with oil <08081> of myrrh <04753>, and six <08337> months <02320> with perfume <01314> and various ointments <08562> used by women <0802>–
13the woman <05291> would go <0935> to <0413> the king <04428> in the following way: Whatever <0834> <03605> she asked <0559> for would be provided <05414> for her to take <0935> with <05973> her from <05704> the harem <0802> <01004> to <05704> the royal <04428> palace <01004>.
14In the evening <06153> she <01931> went <0935>, and in the morning <01242> she <01931> returned <07725> to <0413> a separate part <08145> of the harem <0802> <01004>, to <0413> the authority <03027> of Shaashgaz <08190> the king’s <04428> eunuch <05631> who was overseeing <08104> the concubines <06370>. She would not <03808> go <0935> back <05750> to <0413> the king <04428> unless <0518> the king <04428> was pleased <02654> with her and she was requested <07121> by name <08034>.
15When it became <05060> the turn <08447> of Esther <0635> daughter <01323> of Abihail <032> the uncle <01730> of Mordecai <04782> (who <0834> had raised <03947> her as if <0518> <03588> she were his own daughter <01323>) to go <0935> to <0413> the king <04428>, she did not <03808> request <01245> anything <01697> except what <0834> Hegai <01896> the king’s <04428> eunuch <05631>, who was <01961> overseer <08104> of the women <0802>, had recommended <0559>. Yet Esther <0635> met <05375> with the approval <05869> <02580> of all <03605> who saw <07200> her.
16Then Esther <0635> was taken <03947> to <0413> King <04428> Ahasuerus <0325> at <0413> his royal <04438> residence <01004> in the tenth <06224> month <02320> (that <01931> is, the month <02320> of Tebeth <02887>) in the seventh <07651> year <08141> of his reign <04438>.
17And the king <04428> loved <0157> Esther <0635> more than all <03605> the other women <0802>, and she met <05375> with his loving approval <02617> <02580> more than all <03605> the other young women <01330>. So he placed <07760> the royal <04438> high turban <03804> on her head <07218> and appointed her queen <04427> in place <08478> of Vashti <02060>.
18Then the king <04428> prepared <06213> a large <01419> banquet <04960> for all <03605> his officials <08269> and his servants <05650>– it was actually Esther’s <0635> banquet <04960>. He also set aside <06213> a holiday <02010> for the provinces <04082>, and he provided <05414> for offerings <04864> at the king’s <04428> expense <03027>.
19Now when the young women <01330> were being gathered <06908> again <08145>, Mordecai <04782> was sitting <03427> at the king’s <04428> gate <08179>.
20Esther <0635> was still not <0369> divulging <05046> her lineage <04138> or her people <05971>, just as <0834> Mordecai <04782> had instructed <06680> her. Esther <0635> continued to do <06213> whatever Mordecai <04782> said <03982>, just as <0834> she had done when <01961> he was raising <0545> her.
21In those <01992> days <03117> while Mordecai <04782> was sitting <03427> at the king’s <04428> gate <08179>, Bigthan <0904> and Teresh <08657>, two <08147> of the king’s <04428> eunuchs <05631> who protected <08104> the entrance <05592>, became angry <07107> and plotted <01245> to assassinate <03027> <07971> King <04428> Ahasuerus <0325>.
22When Mordecai <04782> learned <03045> of the conspiracy <01697>, he informed <05046> Queen <04436> Esther <0635>, and Esther <0635> told <0559> the king <04428> in Mordecai’s <04782> behalf <08034>.
23The king then had the matter <01697> investigated <01245> and, finding <04672> it to be so, had the two <08147> conspirators hanged <08518> on <05921> a gallows <06086>. It was then recorded <03789> in the daily <03117> chronicles <01697> in the king’s <04428> presence <06440>.