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¹ After these things, when King Ahasuerus' wrath had calmed down, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what he had decreed against her.² And the king's servants who served him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.³ And let the king choose officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, so that they may gather together every beautiful young virgin to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the hand of Hegai the king's eunuch, keeper of the women, to give their purifications.⁴ And let the young woman who pleases the king rule instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.⁵ In Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, and his name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,⁶ who had been exiled from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been led away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had exiled.⁷ And he was rearing Hadassah (she is Esther) his uncle's daughter, for she had no father nor mother. And the young woman was fair of appearance and beautiful of form. And at the death of herfather and mother, Mordecai took her for hisdaughter.⁸ And it happened, when the king's command and his order was heard, and when many young women had been gathered to Shushan the palace, into the hand of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king's house, into the hand of Hegai, keeper of the women.⁹ And the young woman was good in his eyes, and she rose in favor before him. And he hastened her purifiers, and her portions, to give them to her. And seven young women were seen to be given to her out of the king's house. And he moved her andher maids to the best place in the house of the women.¹⁰ Esther had not revealed her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her that she should not reveal it .¹¹ And Mordecai walked to and fro every day in front of the court of the women's house in order to know Esther's welfare, and what would be done with her.¹² And when the turn of each young woman had come to go in to King Ahasuerus, at the end of her being purified twelve months according to the law of the women, for so were fulfilled the days of their cleansings; six months with oil of myrrh, andsix months with fragrances and with perfumes of the women.¹³ And in this way the young woman goes in to the king. All she says is given to her to go with her out of the house of the women to the king's house.¹⁴ She goes in the evening, and on the morning she returns to the second house of the women, into the hand of Shaashgaz the king's eunuch who kept the concubines. She does not come in to the king any more, unless the king delights in her, andshe is called by name.¹⁵ And when the turn of Esther had come (she being the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai's uncle, whom he had taken to himself for his daughter) to go in to the king, she did not seek a thing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, the keeper of thewomen, said. And Esther had favor in the sight of all who looked on her.¹⁶ And 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 above all the women, and she rose in grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. And he set the royal crown on her head, and made her to rule instead of Vashti.¹⁸ And the king made a great banquet for all his rulers and his servants, Esther's banquet. And he ordered a rest for the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the state of the king.¹⁹ And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai sat in the king's gate.²⁰ Esther had not revealed her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her. For Esther obeyed Mordecai's command, as she did when she was reared by him.

²¹ In those days, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, of those who guarded the threshold, were angry, and sought to stretch out a hand against King Ahasuerus.²² And the thing was known to Mordecai, who told it to Esther the queen. And Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.²³ And when the matter was searched into, it was found out; and the two of them were hanged on a tree. And it was written in the Book of the Matters of the Days before the king.