Each young woman's turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus after her purification for twelve months (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet fragrances and with preparations for beautifying women).
The young woman then came to the king in this way: whatever she desired was given her to go with her out of the women's house to the king's house.
In the evening she went, and on the next day she returned into the second women's house, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who kept the concubines. She came in to the king no more, unless the king delighted in her and she was called by name.
Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch, the keeper of the women, advised. Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who looked at her.
So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tevet, in the seventh year of his reign.
The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he proclaimed a holiday in the provinces, and gave gifts according to the king's bounty.
When the virgins were gathered together the second time, Mordecai was sitting inside the king's gate.
Then the king's servants who served him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting inside the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigtha and Teresh, who were doorkeepers, were angry, and sought to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus.
This matter became known to Mordecai, who informed Esther the queen; and Esther informed the king in Mordecai's name.
When the matter was investigated, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king's presence.
Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to Susa, the palatial city, to the women's house, to the custody of Hegai the king's eunuch, keeper of the women. Let cosmetics be given them;
and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." The idea pleased the king, and he did so.
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
So it happened, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together to Susa, the palatial city, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
The maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness from him. He quickly gave her cosmetics and her portions of food, and the seven choice maidens who were to be given her out of the king's house. He moved her and her maidens to the best place in the women's house.
After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.
The king took his ring from his hand, and gave it to Haman the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the Jews' enemy.
The king said to Haman, "The silver is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you."
Then the king's scribes were called in on the first month, on the thirteenth day of the month; and all that Haman commanded was written to the king's satraps, and to the governors who were over every province, and to the princes of every people, to every province according its writing, and to every people in their language. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus, and it was sealed with the king's ring.
Letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions.
All the king's servants who were inside the king's gate bowed down, and paid homage to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai didn't bow down or pay him homage.
Then the king's servants, who were inside the king's gate, said to Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's commandment?"
In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.
Haman said to King Ahasuerus, "There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom, and their laws are different than those of other peoples. They do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not to the king's benefit to allow them to remain.
If it pleases the king, let it be written that they be destroyed; and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who are in charge of the king's business, to bring it into the king's treasuries."
This is a copy of the letters: "The great king Ahasuerus writes these things to the princes and governors, who are under him from India unto Ethiopia in one hundred twenty-seven provinces.
The couriers went forth in haste by the king's commandment, and the decree was given out in Susa, the palatial city. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the city of Susa was perplexed.
"'Remember,' he says, 'the days of your humiliation, when I nurtured you in my hand, because Haman, who is second only to the king, is against us to the death.
And you, invoke the Lord and persuade the king for us and free us from death.'"
"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that whoever, whether man or woman, comes to the king into the inner court without being called, there is one law for him, that he be put to death, except those to whom the king might hold out the golden scepter that he may live. I have not been called to come in to the king these thirty days."
Then Mordecai asked them to return answer to Esther: "Don't think to yourself that you will escape in the king's house any more than all the Jews.
"Go, gather together all the Jews who are present in Susa and fast for me: neither eat nor drink three days, night or day. I and my maidens will also fast the same way. Then I will go in to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish."
He came even before the king's gate, for no one is allowed inside the king's gate clothed with sackcloth.
"O Lord, Lord, the King Almighty, the whole world is in your power and if you have appointed to save Israel, then no man can contradict you:
And now, O Lord God and King, spare thy people, for their eyes are upon us to bring us to naught; yes, they desire to destroy the inheritance which has been yours from the beginning.
In every province, wherever the king's commandment and his decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews with fasting and weeping and wailing; and many lay in sackcloth and ashes.
Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, whom he had appointed to attend her, and commanded him to go to Mordecai, to find out what this was and why it was.
So Hathach went out to Mordecai, to the city square which was before the king's gate.
Mordecai told him of all that had happened to him and the exact sum of the money that Haman had promised to pay to the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews.
He also gave him the copy of the writing of the decree that was given out in Susa to destroy them, to show it to Esther, and to declare it to her, and to urge her to go in to the king, to make supplication to him and to make request before him, for her people.
and open the mouths of the heathen to bring forth the praises of the idols, to magnify a fleshly king for ever.
Remember, O Lord, make yourself known in the time of our affliction and give me boldness, O King of the nations and Lord of all power.
Give me eloquent speech in my mouth before the king; turn his heart to hate him that fights against us, so that there may be an end of him and of all that are likeminded to him.
You know that your handmaid has not eaten at Haman's table, and that I have not greatly esteemed the king's feast, nor drunk the wine of the drink offerings.
And she prayed to the Lord God of Israel, saying, "O my Lord, you alone are our King. Help me, a desolate woman, who has no helper but you,
Then the king was troubled and all his servants comforted her. [Alternate text from the Hebrew, verses 17-18:]
Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal clothing, and stood in the inner court of the king's house, next to the king's house. The king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, next to the entrance of the house.
When the king saw Esther the queen, standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther came near, and touched the top of the scepter.
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