15
When the turn came for Esther
1the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what
2Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her.
16
And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign,
17
the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set
3the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18
Then the king
4gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.
Mordecai Discovers a Plot
19 Now when the virgins were gathered together
5the second time, Mordecai was sitting
6at the king's gate.
20
7Esther had not made known her kindred or her people, as Mordecai had commanded her, for Esther obeyed Mordecai just
8as when she was brought up by him.
21
In those days, as Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate,
9Bigthan and
10Teresh, two of the king's eunuchs, who guarded the threshold, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus.
22
And this came to the knowledge of Mordecai,
11and he told it to Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in the name of Mordecai.
23
When the affair was investigated and found to be so, the men were both hanged on the gallows. And it was recorded in
12the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.