1 ¶ After these things, when king Ahasuerus was over his anger, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.

2 Then the king’s servants who attended him said, Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king:

3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the palace at Shushan, to the women’s quarters, under the supervision of Hege the king’s eunuch, the overseer of the women; and let their cosmetic ointments be given to them:

4 And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the king liked the idea; and he did it.

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

6 Who had been taken from Jerusalem as a captive with the others who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried into exile.

7 And he had raised Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter: for she had no father or mother, and the girl had a lovely figure and was beautiful; and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his daughter.

8 So when the king’s command and decree were proclaimed, and when many maidens were gathered together at the palace in Shushan, in the custody of Hegai, Esther was also taken to the king’s house, and put under the custody of Hegai, overseer of the women.

9 And he liked the girl, and was kind to her; and he saw that she was quickly given her ointments, and her portion of food, and seven picked maids, from the king’s palace: and he moved her and her maids to the best apartment in the house of the women.

10 Esther had not revealed her nationality or her kindred: for Mordecai had warned her not to do so.

11 And every day Mordecai would walk before the court of the women’s house, to learn how Esther was, and what would become of her.

12 Now each girl had her turn to go in to king Ahasuerus, after she had undergone the required beauty treatments for twelve months, (for the period of their beauty treatments consisted of, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet perfumes, and with other ointments for beautifying the women;)

13 Then as each girl went to the king; she was given anything she wanted to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s palace.

14 She went in the evening, and returned in the morning to the second house for the women, under the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch, who watched over the concubines: she did not go into the king again, unless the king delighted in her, and she was requested by name.

15 Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter. And when it was her turn to go in to the king, she did not ask for anything beyond what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, prescribed. And Esther obtained the approval of everyone who saw her.

16 So Esther was taken to king Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, she won more favor and approval from him than any of the other virgins; so he placed the royal crown upon her head, and made her the queen instead of Vashti.

18 Then the king gave a great banquet for all his officers and servants, in honor of Esther; and he made it a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts, in keeping with the generosity of the king.

19 And when the girls were gathered together a second time, Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate.

20 Esther had not yet revealed her kindred or her nationality; as Mordecai had ordered her: for Esther did what Mordecai told her, just as when she was brought up by him.

21 ¶ In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king’s gate, two of the king’s chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, who guarded the door, were angry, and plotted to kill king Ahasuerus.

22 But Mordecai found out about it, and told it to Esther the queen; and Esther told the king on Mordecai’s behalf.

23 And when the matter was investigated, and found to be true; they were both hanged on a gallows: and it was recorded in the book of the chronicles in the king’s presence.