Esther 2 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
After some time, when King Ahasuerus's had down, he thought about Vashti — what she had done and what had been decreed against her.
The king's personal attendants suggested, "Let's find beautiful young for the king.
Let the king appoint officials in every province of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins and bring them to the in the fortified palace at Susa, under the care of the king's eunuch in charge of the women. Let them be given beauty treatments.
Then whichever young woman pleases the king the most will become queen instead of Vashti." The king liked this idea, so that's what they did.
Now there was a Jewish man living in the fortified palace of Susa named son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish — a
He had been taken from Jerusalem with the carried away along with King Jeconiah of Judah, when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conquered them.
Mordecai had raised his cousin — also known as — because she had no father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.
When the king's order and decree were announced and many young women were gathered to the fortified palace at Susa under Hegai's care, Esther was also to the royal palace and placed under Hegai's supervision.
The young woman impressed Hegai and He quickly arranged her beauty treatments and special food, assigned seven attendants from the royal palace to her, and moved her and her attendants to the best quarters in the harem.
Esther didn't reveal her or family background, because Mordecai had told her not to.
Every day, Mordecai would walk back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was doing and what was happening to her.
Each young woman's turn to go to King Ahasuerus came after she had completed twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women — six months with of and six months with perfumes and cosmetics.
When a young woman went to the king, she could take whatever she wanted from the harem to bring with her to the king's palace.
She would go in the evening and return in the morning to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch in charge of the She would never go to the king again unless he specifically asked for her by name.
When it was Esther's turn — the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai's uncle, who had adopted her as his daughter — she didn't ask for anything except what Hegai, the king's eunuch in charge of the women, suggested. And everyone who saw her was impressed by her.
Esther was brought to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month — the month of — in the seventh year of his reign.
The king in with Esther more than any other woman — she won his favor and approval more than all the other virgins. He placed the on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
The king threw a great for all his officials and servants — Esther's He declared a across the provinces and handed out gifts with royal generosity.
When the virgins were gathered a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the
Esther still hadn't revealed her family background or nationality, just as Mordecai had instructed her. She continued to follow Mordecai's guidance the same way she had when he was raising her.
During that time, while Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs — Bigthana and Teresh, who guarded the entrance — became enraged and to King Ahasuerus.
Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, and Esther reported it to the king on Mordecai's behalf.
The matter was investigated and confirmed, and both men were on All of this was recorded in the right in front of the king.