KJV + Strong's Seeking Vashti's Successor 1Afterthese things,when the wrathof kingAhasueruswas appeased,he rememberedVashti,and what she had done,and what was decreedagainst her.2Then saidthe king'sservantsthat ministeredunto him, Let there be fairyoungvirginssoughtfor the king:3And let the kingappointofficersin all the provincesof his kingdom,that they may gather togetherall the fairyoungvirginsunto Shushanthe palace,to the houseof the women,unto the custodyof Hegethe king'schamberlain,keeperof the women;and let their things for purificationbe given[them]:4And let the maidenwhich pleaseththe kingbe queeninstead of Vashti.And the thingpleasedthe king;and he did so. 5[Now] in Shushanthe palacethere was a certainJew,whose name[was] Mordecai,the sonof Jair,the sonof Shimei,the sonof Kish,a Benjamite;6Who had been carried awayfrom Jerusalemwith the captivitywhich had been carried awaywith Jeconiahkingof Judah,whom Nebuchadnezzarthe kingof Babylonhad carried away.7And he brought upHadassah,that [is], Esther,his uncle'sdaughter:for she had neither fathernor mother,and the maid[was] fairand beautiful;whom Mordecai,when her fatherand motherwere dead,tookfor his own daughter. Esther Finds Favor 8So it came to pass, when the king'scommandmentand his decreewas heard,and when manymaidenswere gathered togetherunto Shushanthe palace,to the custodyof Hegai,that Estherwas broughtalso unto the king'shouse,to the custodyof Hegai,keeperof the women.9And the maidenpleasedhim, and she obtainedkindnessof him;and he speedilygaveher her things for purification,with such things as belongedto her, and sevenmaidens,[which were] meetto be givenher, out of the king'shouse:and he preferredher and her maidsunto the best[place] of the houseof the women.10Estherhad not shewedher peoplenor her kindred:for Mordecaihad chargedher that she should not shew[it].11And Mordecaiwalkedevery daybeforethe courtof the women'shouse,to knowhow Estherdid,and what should becomeof her. 12Now when every maid'sturnwas cometo go into kingAhasuerus,afterthat she had been twelvemonths,according to the mannerof the women,(for so were the daysof their purificationsaccomplished,[to wit], sixmonthswith oilof myrrh,and sixmonthswith sweet odours,and with [other] things for the purifyingof the women;)13Then thus came[every] maidenunto the king;whatsoever she desiredwas givenher to gowith her out of the houseof the womenunto the king'shouse.14In the eveningshe went,and on the morrowshe returnedinto the secondhouseof the women,to the custodyof Shaashgaz,the king'schamberlain,which keptthe concubines:she came inunto the kingno more, except the kingdelightedin her, and that she were calledby name. 15Now when the turnof Esther,the daughterof Abihailthe uncleof Mordecai,who had takenher for his daughter,was cometo go inunto the king,she requirednothingbut what Hegaithe king'schamberlain,the keeperof the women,appointed.And Estherobtainedfavourin the sightof all them that lookedupon her.16So Estherwas takenunto kingAhasuerusinto his houseroyalin the tenthmonth,which [is] the monthTebeth,in the seventhyearof his reign. Esther Becomes Queen 17And the kinglovedEstherabove all the women,and she obtainedgraceand favourin his sightmore than all the virgins;so that he setthe royalcrownupon her head,and made her queeninstead of Vashti.18Then the kingmadea greatfeastunto all his princesand his servants,[even] Esther'sfeast;and he madea releaseto the provinces,and gavegifts,according to the stateof the king. 19And when the virginswere gathered togetherthe second time,then Mordecaisatin the king'sgate.20Estherhad not [yet] shewedher kindrednor her people;as Mordecaihad chargedher: for Estherdidthe commandmentof Mordecai,like as when she was brought upwith him. Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy 21In those days,while Mordecaisatin the king'sgate,twoof the king'schamberlains,Bigthanand Teresh,of those which keptthe door,were wroth,and soughtto layhandon the kingAhasuerus.22And the thingwas knownto Mordecai,who told[it] unto Estherthe queen;and Esthercertifiedthe king[thereof] in Mordecai'sname.23And when inquisitionwas made of the matter,it was found out;therefore they were bothhangedon a tree:and it was writtenin the bookof the chroniclesbeforethe king. |
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