Esther 02 Ahasuerus Marries Esther

 Esther 02

Ahasuerus Marries Esther

1 After these things, and the wrath of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

2 Then the king's young men who served him said, "Let young virgins, beautiful to look at, be sought for the king.

3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather all the young virgins, beautiful to look at, to the palace of Susa, in the house of the women, under the authority of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. And let them be given their ornaments.

4 And let the young woman who pleases the king reign in place of Vashti." And this pleased the king, and he did so. 

5 Now there was a certain Jew in the palace of Susa, whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. 

6 He had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 

7 He had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. She was a beautiful young woman, and lovely to look at. When her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her as his daughter. 

8 Now when the king's command and his law were spread abroad, and many young women were gathered together in the palace of Susa, under the authority of Hegai, Esther was brought into the king's house, under the authority of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.

 9 And the young woman was beautiful in his eyes, and she found favor in his eyes. So he hurriedly gave her her ornaments and her food, and gave her seven noble maidens from the king's household, and he made her and her maidens pass over to the best place in the house of the women.

10 But Esther did not tell her people or her relatives, for Mordecai had commanded her not to tell them.

11 And Mordecai walked every day in front of the court of the house of the women, to know how Esther was doing and what would happen to her.

12 And when each maiden's turn came to come to King Ahasuerus, after that they had done to each one according to the law for the women for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and with the things for the purification of women).

13 In this way the maiden went in to the king; whatever she desired was given to her to go from the house of the women to the king's house, 

14 In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second house of the women, under the care of Shaazgaz the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless the king desired and she was called by name. 

15 When the turn came for Esther, the daughter of Abigail, the uncle of Mordecai (who had taken her as his daughter), to go to the king, she asked nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the women, said. 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 of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 

17 And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. And he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 

18 Then the king made a great feast for all the princes and his servants to Esther's feast, and he gave rest to the provinces and gave gifts according to the king's station.

19 And when the virgins were assembled again, Mordecai sat at the king's gate.

20 But Esther did not tell her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther kept Mordecai's command, as when he had brought her up.