Esther 2
1 And after this the king's anger was
pacified, and he no more mentioned Astin, bearing in mind what she had said,
and how he had condemned her. 2 Then
the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king chaste
and beautiful young virgins.
3 And let the king appoint local
governors in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them select fair
and chaste young damsels
and bring them to the city Susa, into the women's
apartment, and let them be consigned to the king's chamberlain, the keeper of
the women; and let things for purification and other attendance be given
to them.
4 And let the woman who shall please
the king be queen instead of Astin. And the thing pleased the king; and he did
so.
5 Now there was a Jew in the city
Susa, and his name was Mardochæus, the son of Jairus,
the son of Semeias,
the son of Cisæus, of the tribe of Benjamin;
6 who had been brought a prisoner from
Jerusalem, which Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon had carried into captivity.
7 And he had a foster-child, daughter
of Aminadab his father's brother, and her name
was Esther; and when her parents were dead, he
brought her up for a wife for himself: and the damsel was beautiful.
8 And because the king's ordinance was
published, many damsels were gathered to the city Susa under the hand of Gai;
and Esther was brought to Gai the keeper of the women.
9 And the damsel pleased him, and she
found favour in his sight; and he hasted to give her the things for
purification, and her portion, and the seven maidens appointed her out of the
palace: and he treated her and her maidens well in the women's apartment.
10 But Esther discovered not her
family nor her kindred: for Mardochæus had charged her not to tell.
11 But Mardochæus used to walk every
day by the women's court, to see what would become of Esther.
12 Now this was the time for a virgin
to go in to the king, when she should have fulfilled twelve months; for so are
the days of purification fulfilled, six months while they are anointing
themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and women's
purifications. 13 And then
the damsel goes in to the king; and
the officer to whomsoever he shall give the command,
will bring her to come in with him from the women's apartment to the king's
chamber. 14 She enters in the
evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women's apartment, where
Gai the king's chamberlain is keeper of the women:
and she goes not in to the king again, unless she should be called by name.
15 And when the time was fulfilled
for Esther the daughter of Aminadab the brother of Mardochæus' father to go in
to the king, she neglected nothing which the chamberlain, the women's keeper,
commanded; for Esther found grace in the sight of all that looked upon her.
16 So Esther went in to king
Artaxerxes in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his
reign. 17 And the king loved Esther,
and she found favour beyond all the other virgins:
and he put on her the queen's crown.
18 And the king made a banquet for
all his friends and great men for seven days, and he highly celebrated the
marriage of Esther; and he made a release to those who were under his
dominion. 19 But Mardochæus served in
the palace. 20 Now Esther had not
discovered her kindred; for so Mardochæus commanded her, to fear God, and
perform his commandments, as when she was with him: and Esther changed not her
manner of life.
21 And two chamberlains of the king,
the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mardochæus was promoted;
and they sought to kill king Artaxerxes.
22 And the matter was discovered to
Mardochæus, and he made it known to Esther, and she declared to the king the
matter of the conspiracy. 23 And the
king examined the two chamberlains, and hanged them: and the king gave orders
to make a note for a memorial in the royal records of the good offices of
Mardochæus, as a commendation.