Esther:2

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* After these things , when the wrath of King Ahasuerus subsided , he remembered Vashti , what she had done , and what had been decreed against her . * Then the king 's servants who attended him said : "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king ; * and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom , that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel , into the women 's quarters , under the custody of Hegai the king 's eunuch , custodian of the women . And let beauty preparations be given them . * Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti ." This thing pleased the king , and he did so . * In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair , the son of Shimei , the son of Kish , a Benjamite . * Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah , whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away . * And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah , that is , Esther , his uncle 's daughter , for she had neither father nor mother . The young woman was lovely and beautiful . When her father and mother died , Mordecai took her as his own daughter . * So it was , when the king 's command and decree were heard , and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel , under the custody of Hegai , that Esther also was taken to the king 's palace , into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women . * Now the young woman pleased him , and she obtained his favor ; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her , besides her allowance . Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king 's palace , and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women . * Esther had not revealed her people or family , for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it . * And every day Mordecai paced in front of the court of the women 's quarters , to learn of Esther 's welfare and what was happening to her . * Each young woman 's turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after she had completed twelve months ' preparation , according to the regulations for the women , for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned : six months with oil of myrrh , and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women . * Thus prepared , each young woman went to the king , and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women 's quarters to the king 's palace . * In the evening she went , and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women , to the custody of Shaashgaz , the king 's eunuch who kept the concubines . She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name . * Now when the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai , who had taken her as his daughter , to go in to the king , she requested nothing but what Hegai the king 's eunuch , the custodian of the women , advised . And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her . * So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus , into his royal palace , in the tenth month , which is the month of Tebeth , in the seventh year of his reign . * The king loved Esther more than all the other women , and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins ; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti . * Then the king made a great feast , the Feast of Esther , for all his officials and servants ; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king . * When virgins were gathered together a second time , Mordecai sat within the king 's gate . * Now Esther had not revealed her family and her people , just as Mordecai had charged her , for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai as when she was brought up by him . * In those days , while Mordecai sat within the king 's gate , two of the king 's eunuchs , Bigthan and Teresh , doorkeepers , became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus . * So the matter became known to Mordecai , who told Queen Esther , and Esther informed the king in Mordecai 's name . * And when an inquiry was made into the matter , it was confirmed , and both were hanged on a gallows ; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king .

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