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          DASV: Esther 2    

1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus [or Xerxes]
had calmed, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done,
and what had been decreed against her.
2 Then the king's personal attendants suggested to him, "Let a
search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.
3 Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his
kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins
to the citadel of Susa, to the harem under the supervision of
Hegai the king's eunuch who is in charge of the women and provide
them with whatever cosmetics they need.
4 Let the young woman who pleases the king be made queen instead
of Vashti." This proposal pleased the king, so that is what he did.

5 Now there was a certain Jew in the citadel of Susa whose name
was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,
a Benjaminite,
6 who had been deported from Jerusalem with the exiles who had been
carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, by King Nebuchadnezzar
of Babylon.
7 He brought up Hadassah, also called Esther, his uncle's daughter
for both her father and mother had passed away and Mordecai had
adopted her as his own daughter. The woman had a lovely figure
and was beautiful.
8 So when the king's commandment and his decree was announced
and when many young women were gathered together to the citadel of
Susa under the custody of Hegai, Esther was taken into the king's
palace and placed in the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of
the women.
9 The young woman pleased him and she won his favor. He quickly
gave her cosmetics and a portion of food and provided her with
the seven maidens out of the king's palace. He promoted her
and her maidens to the best place in the royal harem.
10 Esther had not told her people or her family for Mordecai
had prohibited her from telling them.
11 Every day Mordecai would walk in front of the court of the
harem, to find out how Esther was doing and what was happening
to her.

12 Now before each young woman came to King Ahasuerus, she had
twelve months of beauty treatments. The standard treatments were:
six months with oil of myrrh, and then six months with special
perfumes and cosmetics for women.
13 Then when each woman went to the king she was granted whatever
she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace.
14 In the evening she went there and in the morning she returned
into the second harem which was under the supervision of Shaashgaz,
the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She
would not return to the king unless the king delighted in her
and called her by name.
15 Now when the turn came for Esther, the daughter of Abihail,
her uncle Mordecai, who had adopted her as his daughter, to go in
to the king, she asked for nothing but what Hegai the king's eunuch,
who was in charge of the women, recommended. Esther won the favor
of all who saw her.

16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in
the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year
of his reign.
17 The king loved Esther more than any of the other women, and
she won his favor and kindness more than any of the other virgins.
So he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead
of Vashti.
18 Then the king hosted a great feast for all his officials and
servants in honor of Esther. He announced a holiday to the
provinces, and gave gifts at the king’s expense.
19 When the virgins were gathered the second time, Mordecai was
sitting at the king's gate.
20 Esther still had not yet divulged her family background or her
people as Mordecai had directed her. Esther still followed
Mordecai’s direction just like when she was brought up by him.

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate,
two of the king's eunuchs, Bigthan and Teresh, who guarded the
king’s private threshold, were angry and conspired to
assassinate King Ahasuerus.
22 Mordecai found out about the plot. He informed Queen Esther
about it and Esther told the king in Mordecai's name.
23 When the matter was investigated, it was found to be true.
They both were hanged on the gallows. It was written in the
book of the annals before the king.

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