Esther 1:1–2:18

Now it came to pass in the days of aAhasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus which reigned, from bIndia even unto cEthiopia, over dan hundred and seven and twenty eprovinces:) 2 That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus fsat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in gShushan the palace, 3 In the third year of his reign, he hmade a feast unto all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the inobles and princes of the provinces, being before him: 4 *When he shewed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore days. 5 And when these days were expired, the king made a feast unto all the people that were †present in Shushan the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of kthe garden of the king’s palace; 6 Where were white, green, and ||blue, hangings, fastened with cords of lfine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: mthe beds were of gold and silver, upon a pavement ||of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble. 7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels being diverse one from another,) and †royal wine in abundance, †according to the state of the king. 8 And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure. 9 Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day, when nthe heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, oHarbona, pBigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven ||chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king, 11 To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the qcrown royal, to shew the people and the princes her beauty: for she was †fair to look on. 12 But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment †by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very wroth, and his anger burned in him. 13 Then the king said to the rwise men, swhich knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment: 14 And the next unto him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and tMemucan, the useven princes of Persia and Media, xwhich saw the king’s face, and which sat the first in the kingdom;) 15 †What shall we do unto the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains? 16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus. 17 For this deed of the queen shall come abroad unto all women, so that they shall despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not. 18 Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day unto all the king’s princes, which have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath. 19 †If it please the king, let there go a royal commandment †from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the yMedes, †that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate †unto another that is better than she. 20 And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be published throughout all his empire, (for it is great,) all the wives shall zgive to their husbands honour, aboth to great and small. 21 And the saying †pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan: 22 For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into bevery province according to the writing thereof, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and †that it should be published according to the language of every people.

2 *After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was adecreed against her. 2 Then said the king’s servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair 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 fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, †unto the custody of ||Hege the king’s chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their bthings for purification be given them: 4 And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

5 Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was cMordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, da Benjamite; 6 Who ehad been carried away from Jerusalem with the captivity which had been carried away with ||Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. 7 And he †brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, fhis uncle’s daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was †fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. 8 So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens gwere gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was brought also unto the king’s house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. 9 And the maiden pleased him, and she hobtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her ithings for purification, with †such things as belonged to her, and seven maidens, which were meet to be given her, out of the king’s house: and †he preferred her and her maids unto the best place of the house of the women. 10 kEsther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged her that she should not shew it. 11 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women’s house, †to know how Esther did, and what should become of her. 12 *Now when every maid’s turn was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women, (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odours, and with other things for the purifying of the women;) 13 Then thus came every maiden unto the king; whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king’s house. 14 In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s chamberlain, which kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and that she were called by name. 15 Now when the turn of Esther, lthe daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king’s chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favour in the sight of all them that looked upon her. 16 *So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal 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 obtained grace and ||favour †in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 *Then the king mmade a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther’s feast; and he made a †release to the provinces, and ngave gifts, oaccording to the state of the king.