1
After these things, when the wrath of king Achashverosh was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
2
Then said the king's servants who ministered to him, Let there be beautiful 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 beautiful young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them;
4
and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. The thing pleased the king; and he did so.
5
There was a certain Yehudi in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordekhai, the son of Ya'ir, the son of Shim`i, the son of Kish, a Binyamini,
6
who had been carried away from Yerushalayim with the captives who had been carried away with Yekhonyah king of Yehudah, whom Nevukhadnetztzar the king of Bavel had carried away.
7
He brought up Hadassah, who is, Ester, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordekhai took her for his own daughter.