Seeking Vashti’s Successor 1 UST Some time later, when King Ahasuerus no longer felt so angry, he started to miss Vashti. But when she disobeyed his command, he had made a decree that she could never come into his presence again. BSB BSB: Some time later, when the anger of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.
2 UST So some of the young men who attended the king said to him,“{ Your majesty, you should get a new wife} for yourself. You could tell your servants to look for young virgins who are very beautiful. BSB BSB: Then the king’s attendants proposed, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,
3 UST Also, you could assign officers in each province of your empire to bring every virgin who is very beautiful here to your capital city of Susa. They could stay in the harem for virgins under the custody of Hegai, the{ castrated} royal guardian who takes care of the young women who live there. He could arrange for them to receive beauty treatments. BSB BSB: and let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom to assemble all the beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the women, and let them be given beauty treatments.
4 UST Then you could decide which young woman you liked the best, and you could make her queen instead of Vashti.” The king liked what they suggested, so he did it. BSB BSB: Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
Esther Finds Favor 5 UST At that time, there was a Jewish man named Mordecai living in the capital city of Susa. He was from the tribe of Benjamin. His father was named Jair, his grandfather was named Shimei, and his great- grandfather was named Kish. BSB BSB: Now there was at the citadel of Susa a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish.
6 UST Many years earlier, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had taken Kish away from Jerusalem and brought him to Babylon along with many other captives. Nebuchadnezzar took them away from Jerusalem at the same time that he took King Jeconiah of Judah away from Jerusalem and brought him to Babylon. BSB BSB: He had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon among those taken captive with Jeconiah king of Judah.
7 UST Now Mordecai was taking care of his cousin, who was an orphan. Her{ Hebrew} name was Hadassah, and her{ Persian} name was Esther. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. Esther was now a young woman, and she was exceptionally attractive. BSB BSB: And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), the daughter of his uncle, because she did not have a father or mother. The young woman was lovely in form and appearance, and when her father and mother had died, Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter.
8 UST And so this is what happened: Messengers went{ throughout the empire} and proclaimed the new law that the king had spoken. At the same time, the officers{ whom the king had appointed in each province} brought many{ beautiful} young women to the capital city of Susa and put them under the custody of Hegai. He was the man who took care of the young women{ who lived in the harem for virgins}.{ Because Esther was exceptionally attractive,} the officers also brought her to the king’ s palace and put her under the custody of Hegai. BSB BSB: When the king’s command and edict had been proclaimed, many young women gathered at the citadel of Susa under the care of Hegai. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, the custodian of the women.
9 UST Hegai was very impressed with Esther, and he treated her favorably. He quickly arranged for Esther to receive her beauty treatments and her allotment of food. He also chose seven female servants from the king’ s palace and assigned them to be her personal attendants. He also moved Esther and her attendants to the best rooms in the harem for virgins. BSB BSB: And the young woman pleased him and obtained his favor, so he quickly provided her with beauty treatments and the special diet. He assigned to her seven select maidservants from the palace and transferred her with them to the best place in the harem.
10 UST Mordecai had warned Esther that she should not tell anyone what people group she was from. So she did not tell anyone that she was a Jew or who her relatives were. BSB BSB: Esther did not reveal her people or her lineage, because Mordecai had instructed her not to do so.
11 UST Mordecai wanted to know how Esther was doing and what was happening to her. So each and every day, he would walk around in front of the courtyard of the harem for virgins. That way he could ask people who were going in and out of the harem how she was doing. BSB BSB: And every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn about Esther’s welfare and what was happening to her.
12 UST Each young woman in the harem, one at a time, was going to{ have sexual relations with} King Ahasuerus{ and become one of his concubines}. But before her turn came, each woman received a full year of beauty treatments, using techniques that had been developed for women{ in Persia}. This is how the beauty treatments were completed: For the first six months,{ a woman’ s attendants would rub her body every day} with olive oil mixed with myrrh. For the next six months,{ her attendants would rub her body every day} with perfumes and lotions designed for women. BSB BSB: In the twelve months before her turn to go to King Xerxes, the harem regulation required each young woman to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months, and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
13 UST This is the way that they would prepare a young woman to go{ and have sexual relations} with the king{ and become one of his concubines}. She could take whatever clothing and jewelry she wanted from the harem for virgins and wear them when she went to the king’ s palace. BSB BSB: When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace.
14 UST The king’ s servants would bring her{ to the king’ s private rooms} in the evening. The next morning, they would bring her to the other harem, the one for concubines. There a man named Shaashgaz would take charge of her, because he was the{ castrated} royal guardian who took care of the concubines.{ The young woman would live there for the rest of her life.} She would not go and see the king again unless he asked for her by name because he had enjoyed being with her. BSB BSB: She would go there in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king unless he delighted in her and summoned her by name.
15 UST Eventually,{ the evening came when} it was the turn for Esther, whom Mordecai had adopted as his daughter, to go to the king. She was the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai’ s uncle. When Esther went to the king, she only asked for what Hegai, the royal guardian in charge of the harem for virgins, recommended that she should wear. Everyone who saw Esther was very impressed with her. BSB BSB: Now Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle from whom Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter. And when it was her turn to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s trusted official in charge of the harem, had advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of everyone who saw her.
16 UST The king’ s servants brought Esther to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace during the tenth month of the year(the month of Tebeth), in the seventh year of his reign{ as king of Persia}. BSB BSB: She was taken to King Xerxes in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Esther Becomes Queen 17 UST The king loved Esther more than any of the other women. He treated her more kindly and more favorably than any of the other young women{ who had become his concubines}. So King Ahasuerus put a royal crown on her head, and he made her the queen instead of Vashti. BSB BSB: And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all of the other virgins. So he placed the royal crown upon her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
18 UST Then the king hosted a great feast and invited all of his officials and servants. It was a feast to celebrate Esther{ becoming the queen}. He proclaimed that this would be a time to celebrate for people in all of the provinces of his empire{ when they would not have to pay taxes}, and he generously gave gifts{ to people}. BSB BSB: Then the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. He proclaimed a tax holiday in the provinces and gave gifts worthy of the king’s bounty.
19 UST { Later,} Ahasuerus had his officers bring more virgins{ to Susa}. During this time, Mordecai{ was working for the king, and he} sat at the king’ s gate. BSB BSB: When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate.
20 UST Esther had still not told anyone what people group she was from, because Mordecai had warned her not to tell anyone. In fact, she continued to follow all of Mordecai’ s instructions, just as she had done when she was growing up in his house. BSB BSB: Esther still had not revealed her lineage or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed. She obeyed Mordecai’s command, as she had done under his care.
Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy 21 UST During that time, when Mordecai was{ doing his work} at the king’ s gate, two of the king’ s guards who protected the doorway{ to the king’ s private rooms} became angry{ with the king}. They planned to assassinate King Ahasuerus. Their names were Bigthan and Teresh. BSB BSB: In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s eunuchs who guarded the entrance, grew angry and conspired to assassinate King Xerxes.
22 UST But Mordecai found out about what they were planning. He told Queen Esther about it, and she told the king. She explained that Mordecai had given her the information. BSB BSB: When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she informed the king on Mordecai’s behalf.
23 UST So the king’ s officials investigated Mordecai’ s report and discovered that it was true. So the king ordered his servants to hang those two men from wooden poles{ until they died}. In the king’ s presence, the king’ s scribes recorded an account of this in the royal chronicles. BSB BSB: After the report had been investigated and verified, both officials were hanged on the gallows. And all this was recorded in the Book of the Chronicles in the presence of the king.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.