19 Later on, King Ahasuerus had his officers bring more virgins to Shushan. During this time, Mordekai had been given a position by the king so he sat there at the king’s gate. 20 Esther had still not told anyone that she was Jewish because Mordekai had warned her not to tell anyone. What’s more, she continued to follow all of Mordekai’s instructions, just as she had done when she was still under his guardianship.

21 One day when Mordekai was on duty at the king’s gate, two of the king’s guards who protected the doorway to the king’s private rooms became angry with the king and so they planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus. (Their names were Bigthan and Teresh.) 22 But when Mordekai heard what they were planning, he told Queen Esther about it and she told the king, explaining that Mordekai had given her the information. 23 When the matter was investigated and the facts discovered, both conspirators were impaled on sharpened wooden poles, and in the presence of the king, the incident was recorded in the royal record of events.