Open English Translation ESG Chapter 2

2 After that, the king’s anger was pacified, and he no more mentioned Vashti, bearing in mind what she’d said, and how he’d condemned her. 2 Then the king’s servants said, “Let chaste, beautiful young virgins be searched for for the king. 3 Let the king appoint local governors in all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them select beautiful, chaste young ladies and bring them to the city Shushan (Susa), into the women’s apartment. Let them be consigned to the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women. Then let things for purification and other needs be given to them. 4 Let the woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.”

That thing pleased the king; and he did so.

5 Now there was a Yehudi (Jew) in the city Shushan, and his name was Mordekai, the son of Yair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, of the Benyamin tribe. 6 He’d been brought as a prisoner from Yerushalem (Jerusalem), whom Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) king of Bavel (Babylon) had carried into captivity. 7 He had a foster child, daughter of Aminadav his father’s brother. Her name was Ester. When her parents died, he brought her up to womanhood as his own. This lady was beautiful. 8 And because the king’s ordinance was published, many ladies were gathered to Shushan city under Hegay’s hand; and Ester was brought to Hegay, the keeper of the women. 9 The lady pleased him, and she found favour in his sight. He hurried to give her the things for purification, her portion, and the seven maidens appointed her out of the palace. He treated her and her maidens well in the women’s apartment. 10 But Ester didn’t reveal her family or her kindred, for Mordekai had charged her not to tell. 11 But Mordekai used to walk every day by the women’s courtyard, to see what’d become of Ester.

12 Now this was the time for a virgin to go into the king, when she’d completed twelve months; for so are the days of purification fulfilled, six months while they’re anointing themselves with oil of myrrh, and six months with spices and women’s purifications. 13 And then the lady goes in to the king. The officer that he commands to do so will bring her to come in with him from the women’s apartment to the king’s chamber. 14 She enters in the evening, and in the morning she departs to the second women’s apartment, where Hegay the king’s chamberlain is keeper of the women. She doesn’t go in to the king again, unless she’s called by name.

15 And when the time was fulfilled for Ester the daughter of Aminadav the brother of Mordekai’s father to go in to the king, she neglected nothing which the chamberlain, the women’s keeper, commanded; for Ester found grace in the sight of all who looked at her. 16 So Ester went in to King Ahashverosh (Ahasuerus) in the twelfth month, which is Adar, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Ester, and she found favour beyond all the other virgins. He put the queen’s crown on her. 18 The king made a banquet for all his friends and great men for seven days, and he highly celebrated the marriage of Ester; and he granted a remission of taxes to those who were under his dominion.

19 Meanwhile, Mordekai served in the courtyard. 20 Now Ester hadn’t revealed her country, for so Mordekai commanded her, to fear God, and perform his commandments, as when she was with him. Ester didn’t change her manner of life.

21 Two chamberlains of the king, the chiefs of the body-guard, were grieved, because Mordekai was promoted; and they tried to kill King Ahashverosh. 22 And the matter was discovered by Mordekai, and he made it known to Ester, and she declared to the king the matter of the conspiracy. 23 And the king examined the two chamberlains and hanged them. Then the king gave orders to make a note for a memorial in the royal library of the goodwill shown by Mordekai, as a commendation.