21 After these things,✽ when the anger of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2 ✽Then the king’s servants who ministered to him said, “Let there be beautiful young virgins sought for the king. 3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the women’s quarters, into the custody of Hege, the king’s official, custodian of the women. And let cosmetics be given them. 4 And let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in the place of Vashti”. And this word pleased the king, and he did so.5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a Jew whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. 6 He had been taken away from Jerusalem in the captivity which had been taken away with Jeconiah king of Judah,✽ whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon✽ had taken away. 7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther,✽ his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, and the girl was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.8 ✽So it came about when the king’s command and his decree were heard, and when many young ladies were gathered together to Shushan the palace, into the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was brought to the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, custodian of the women. 9 And the young lady pleased him, and she won his favour,✽ and he quickly provided her cosmetics, with such things as pertained to her, and provided her with seven choice maids from the king’s house. And he moved her and her maids to the best place in the women’s quarters.10 Esther had not revealed her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had ordered her not to reveal it. 11 ✽And every day Mordecai walked in front of the courtyard of the women’s quarters, to find out how Esther was doing and what would become of her.12 Now when each girl’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after she had finished twelve months’ preparation, according to the custom for the women (for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and other cosmetics for women), 13 then each girl would go to the king like this: whatever she wanted was given her to go with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s house. 14 She would go in the evening, and return in the morning to the second house of the women, into the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s official, who was the custodian of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king, unless the king delighted in her, and unless she was called by name.15 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she requested nothing except what Hegai the king’s official, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther found favour in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.17 And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found grace and favour in his eyes more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen in the place of Vashti. 18 Then the king made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, Esther’s feast. And he made a holiday for the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the king’s bounty.19 ✽And when the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate✽. 20 ✽Esther had not yet revealed her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had ordered her, for Esther obeyed the command of Mordecai, just like when she was brought up by him.21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, two of the king’s officials, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who guarded the--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/innersculpting/message
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
