Esther 2
Esther Made
Queen |
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After these things, when the wrath of
king Ahasue'rus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had
done, and what was decreed against her.
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2 |
Then said the king's servants that
ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the
king:
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and let the king appoint officers in all
the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the
fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the
women, unto the custody of Hege the king's chamberlain, keeper of
the women; and let their things for purification be given them:
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and let the maiden which pleaseth the
king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and
he did so.
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5 |
Now in Shushan the palace there
was a certain Jew, whose name was Mor'decai, the son of
Ja'ir, the son of Shim'e-i, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
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who had been carried away from Jerusalem
with the captivity which had been carried away with Jeconi'ah king
of Judah, whom Nebuchadnez'zar the king of Babylon had carried away. 2
Kgs. 24.10-16 · 2 Chr. 36.10
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7 |
And he brought up Hadas'sah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father
nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom
Mor'decai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own
daughter.
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8 |
So it came to pass, when the king's
commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were
gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of He'gai,
that Esther was brought also unto the king's house, to the custody
of He'gai, keeper of the women.
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9 |
And the maiden pleased him, and she
obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for
purification, with such things as belonged to her, and seven
maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king's
house: and he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women.
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10 |
Esther had not showed her people nor her
kindred: for Mor'decai had charged her that she should not show it.
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11 |
And Mor'decai walked every day before the
court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what should
become of her.
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12 |
Now when every maid's turn was come to
go in to king Ahasue'rus, after that she had been twelve months,
according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their
purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of
myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and with other things
for the purifying of the women,)
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then thus came every maiden unto
the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of
the house of the women unto the king's house.
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14 |
In the evening she went, and on the
morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the
custody of Sha-ash'gaz, the king's chamberlain, which kept the
concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king
delighted in her, and that she were called by name.
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15 |
Now when the turn of Esther, the
daughter of Ab'ihail the uncle of Mor'decai, who had taken her for
his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing
but what He'gai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women,
appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that
looked upon her.
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16 |
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasue'rus
into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month
Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
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17 |
And the king loved Esther above all the
women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all
the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made
her queen instead of Vashti.
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18 |
Then the king made a great feast unto all
his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he
made a release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the
state of the king.
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Mordecai Reveals a
Conspiracy against the King |
19 |
And when the virgins were gathered
together the second time, then Mor'decai sat in the king's
gate.
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20 |
Esther had not yet showed her
kindred nor her people, as Mor'decai had charged her: for Esther did
the commandment of Mor'decai, like as when she was brought up with
him.
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21 |
In those days, while Mor'decai sat in the
king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of
those which kept the door, were wroth, and sought to lay hand on the
king Ahasue'rus.
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And the thing was known to Mor'decai, who
told it unto Esther the queen; and Esther certified the king thereof in Mor'decai's name.
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And when inquisition was made of the
matter, it was found out; therefore they were both hanged on a tree:
and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the
king.
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