Esther 2 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

A Queen in Place of Vashti

1 After ^H310 these ^H428 things ^H1697 when the wrath ^H2534 of King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 had subsided ^H7918, he remembered ^H2142 Vashti ^H2060 and what ^H834 she had done ^H6213 and what ^H834 had been decided ^H1504 against ^H5921 her.

2 Then the young ^H5288 men ^H5288 of the king ^H4428, who attended ^H8334 to him, said ^H559, “Let young ^H5291 virgins ^H1330, beautiful ^H2896 in appearance ^H4578, be sought ^H1245 for the king ^H4428. 3 And let the king ^H4428 appoint ^H6485 overseers ^H6496 in all ^H3605 the provinces ^H4082 of his kingdom ^H4438 that they may gather ^H6908 every ^H3605 young ^H5291 virgin ^H1330, beautiful ^H2896 in appearance ^H4578, to the citadel ^H1002 of Susa ^H7800, to the harem ^H1004 H802, into the hand ^H3027 of Hegai ^H1896, the king’s ^H4428 eunuch ^H5631, who keeps ^H8104 charge of the women ^H802; and let their cosmetics ^H8562 be given ^H5414 to them. 4 Then let the young ^H5291 lady ^H5291 who ^H834 is good ^H3190 in the eyes ^H5869 of the king ^H4428 be ^H4427 queen ^H4427 in ^H8478 place ^H8478 of ^H8478 Vashti ^H2060.” And the word ^H1697 was good ^H3190 in the eyes ^H5869 of the king ^H4428, and he did ^H6213 so ^H3651.

5 Now there was at the citadel ^H1002 in Susa ^H7800 a Jew ^H3064. And his name ^H8034 was Mordecai ^H4782, the son ^H1121 of Jair ^H2971, the son ^H1121 of Shimei ^H8096, the son ^H1121 of Kish ^H7027, a Benjamite ^H376 H3228, 6 who ^H834 had been taken ^H1540 away ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1540 from Jerusalem ^H3389 with the exiles ^H1473 who ^H834 had been taken ^H1540 away ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1540 with Jeconiah ^H3204 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063, whom ^H834 Nebuchadnezzar ^H5019 the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 had taken ^H1540 away ^H1540 into ^H1540 exile ^H1540. 7 And he was bringing ^H539 up Hadassah ^H1919, that is Esther ^H635, his uncle’s ^H1730 daughter ^H1323, for she had ^H369 no ^H369 father ^H1 or ^H369 mother ^H517. Now the young ^H5291 lady ^H5291 was beautiful ^H3303 in form ^H8389 and beautiful ^H2896 in appearance ^H4758, and when her father ^H1 and her mother ^H517 died ^H4194, Mordecai ^H4782 took ^H3947 her as his own daughter ^H1323.

Esther Advances in Favor

8 Now it happened ^H1961 that when the word ^H1697 and law ^H1881 of the king ^H4428 were heard ^H8085 and many ^H7227 young ^H5291 ladies ^H5291 were gathered ^H6908 to the citadel ^H1002 of Susa ^H7800 into the hand ^H3027 of Hegai ^H1896, that Esther ^H635 was taken ^H3947 to the king’s ^H4428 [fn]house ^H1004 into the hand ^H3027 of Hegai ^H1896, who kept ^H8104 charge of the women ^H802.

9 And the young ^H5291 lady ^H5291 was good ^H3190 in his eyes ^H5869, and she advanced ^H5375 in lovingkindness ^H2617 before him. So he hurried ^H926 to give ^H5414 her cosmetics ^H8562 and portions ^H4490 of food to her, and to give ^H5414 to her seven ^H7651 choice ^H7200 young ^H5291 women ^H5291 from the king’s ^H4428 [fn]house ^H1004. And he transferred ^H8132 her and her young ^H5291 women ^H5291 to the best ^H2896 place in the harem ^H1004 H802. 10 Esther ^H635 did not tell ^H5046 anyone about her people ^H5971 or her kinsmen ^H4138, for Mordecai ^H4782 had commanded ^H6680 her that she should not tell ^H5046 anyone about them. 11 And every ^H3605 day ^H3117 Mordecai ^H4782 walked ^H1980 back ^H1980 and ^H1980 forth ^H1980 in front ^H6440 of the court ^H2691 of the harem ^H1004 H802 to know ^H3045 the well-being ^H7965 of Esther ^H635 and [fn]how ^H4100 she fared ^H6213.

12 Now when it reached ^H5060 the turn ^H8447 of each ^H5291 young ^H5291 lady ^H5291 to go ^H935 in ^H935 to King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325, after ^H4480 the end ^H7093 of her twelve ^H8147 H6240 months ^H2320 under the regulations ^H1881 for the women ^H802—for the days ^H3117 of their cosmetic ^H4795 treatment ^H8562 were fulfilled ^H4390 as ^H3651 follows ^H3651: six ^H8337 months ^H2320 with oil ^H8081 of myrrh ^H4753 and six ^H8337 months ^H2320 with spices ^H1314 and the cosmetics ^H8562 for women ^H802— 13 then the young ^H5291 lady ^H5291 would go ^H935 in to the king ^H4428 in this ^H2088 way ^H2088: anything ^H3605 that she said ^H559 she desired was given ^H5414 to her to come ^H935 with her from the harem ^H1004 H802 to the king’s ^H4428 house ^H1004. 14 In the evening ^H6153 she would go ^H935 in, and in the morning ^H1242 she would return ^H7725 to the second ^H8145 harem ^H1004 H802, to the hand ^H3027 of Shaashgaz ^H8190, the king’s ^H4428 eunuch ^H5631 who kept ^H8104 charge of the concubines ^H6370. She would not again ^H5750 go ^H935 in ^H935 to the king ^H4428 unless ^H3588 H518 the king ^H4428 delighted ^H2654 in her and she was summoned ^H7121 by name ^H8034.

15 Now when it reached ^H5060 the turn ^H8447 of Esther ^H635, the daughter ^H1323 of Abihail ^H32 the uncle ^H1730 of Mordecai ^H4782 who ^H834 had taken ^H3947 her as his daughter ^H1323, to go ^H935 in ^H935 to the king ^H4428, she did not seek ^H1245 anything ^H1697 except ^H3588 H518 what ^H834 Hegai ^H1896, the king’s ^H4428 eunuch ^H5631 who kept ^H8104 charge of the women ^H802, said ^H559. And Esther ^H635 advanced ^H5375 in favor ^H2580 in the eyes ^H5869 of all ^H3605 who saw ^H7200 her. 16 So Esther ^H635 was taken ^H3947 to King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325 to his royal ^H4438 house ^H1004 in the tenth ^H6224 month ^H2320 which ^H1931 is the month ^H2320 Tebeth ^H2887, in the seventh ^H7651 year ^H8141 of his reign ^H4438.

Esther Is Made Queen

17 And the king ^H4428 loved ^H157 Esther ^H635 more ^H4480 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 the women ^H802, and she advanced ^H5375 in favor ^H2580 and lovingkindness ^H2617 before him more ^H4480 than ^H4480 all ^H3605 the virgins ^H1330, so that he set ^H7760 the royal ^H4438 crown ^H3804 on her head ^H7218 and made ^H4427 her queen ^H4427 in ^H8478 place ^H8478 of ^H8478 Vashti ^H2060.

18 Then the king ^H4428 held ^H6213 a great ^H1419 feast ^H4960, Esther’s ^H635 feast ^H4960, for all ^H3605 his princes ^H8269 and his servants ^H5650; he also held ^H6213 a remission ^H2010 of taxes ^H2010 for the provinces ^H4082 and gave ^H5414 gifts ^H4864 according to the king’s ^H4428 hand ^H3027.

19 And when the virgins ^H1330 were gathered ^H6908 together the second ^H8145 time ^H8145, then Mordecai ^H4782 was sitting ^H3427 at the king’s ^H4428 gate ^H8179. 20 Esther ^H635 had not yet told ^H5046 anyone about her kinsmen ^H4138 or her people ^H5971, just ^H834 as Mordecai ^H4782 had commanded ^H6680 her; indeed Esther ^H635 was doing ^H6213 [fn]what ^H3982 Mordecai ^H4782 declared ^H3982 that she do, just ^H834 as she had done ^H1961 when ^H834 she was being brought ^H545 up by him.

Two of the King’s Eunuchs Are Hanged

21 In those ^H1992 days ^H3117, while Mordecai ^H4782 was sitting ^H3427 at the king’s ^H4428 gate ^H8179, Bigthan ^H904 and Teresh ^H8657, two ^H8147 of the king’s ^H4428 eunuchs ^H5631 from those who were doorkeepers ^H8104 H5592, became ^H7107 furious ^H7107 and sought ^H1245 to send ^H7971 forth ^H7971 their hand ^H3027 against King ^H4428 Ahasuerus ^H325. 22 But the matter ^H1697 became known ^H3045 to Mordecai ^H4782, and he told ^H5046 it to Queen ^H4436 Esther ^H635, and Esther ^H635 said ^H559 it to the king ^H4428 in Mordecai’s ^H4782 name ^H8034. 23 Then the matter ^H1697 was sought ^H1245 out ^H1245 and found ^H4672 to be true, so they were both ^H8147 hanged ^H8518 on a [fn]gallows ^H6086; and it was written ^H3789 in the book ^H5612 of the chronicles ^H1697 H3117 in the king’s ^H4428 presence ^H6440.