Esther 2

A New Search for a Queen

1 After the king’s anger toward Vashti cooled off, he started remembering what she did and what was decided about her.

2 The king’s personal attendants said, “Listen, let us search the whole kingdom for beautiful young virgins for you.”

3 “Have officers in every province bring all the fine young women to the royal harem at the fortress of Susa, under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women. Give them beauty treatments.”

4 “Then pick the one who pleases you the most and make her queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked the idea and gave the green light.

Enter Mordecai and Esther

5 Now in the fortress of Susa there was a man named Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite.

6 His family had been carried off from Jerusalem into exile by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, along with Jeconiah king of Judah.

7 Mordecai was raising his cousin Hadassah, also known as Esther, because she had no father or mother. She was stunning and had a great figure. When her parents died, Mordecai took her in as his own daughter.

Esther in the Palace

8 When the king’s order went out and many women were brought to the fortress of Susa and placed under Hegai’s care, Esther was also taken to the palace.

9 Hegai liked her right away and treated her special. He hooked her up with beauty treatments, the best food, and assigned her seven female attendants from the palace. He moved her and her girls into the best part of the harem.

10 Esther did not reveal her people or her background, because Mordecai told her not to.

11 Every day Mordecai would walk near the courtyard of the harem to see how Esther was doing and find out what was happening with her.

The Process for Choosing a Queen

12 Before a young woman could go to the king, she had to complete 12 months of beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh, six months with perfumes and cosmetics.

13 When it was her turn, she could take whatever she wanted from the harem to the king’s palace.

14 She would go in at night and return in the morning to another part of the harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the eunuch in charge of the king’s concubines. She would not see the king again unless he called for her by name.

Esther Wins the King’s Favor

15 When it was Esther’s turn, the girl Mordecai had raised, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai suggested. Everyone who saw her was impressed.

16 She was taken to King Ahasuerus in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than any of the others. So he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

18 The king threw a big party for all his officials and servants, calling it Esther’s banquet. He gave out gifts and made it a holiday throughout the provinces.

Mordecai Saves the King’s Life

19 When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.

20 Esther still had not revealed her family background, just like Mordecai told her. She followed his instructions just as she always had when he was raising her.

21 While Mordecai was at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s guards, got mad and plotted to kill King Ahasuerus.

22 Mordecai found out and told Queen Esther, who passed the info to the king, giving Mordecai credit.

23 When the matter was investigated and found to be true, the two were hanged on a pole. It was written down in the book of the history of the king’s reign.