1
After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what was decreed against her.
2
Then the king’s servants that ministered unto him said, 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 eunuch, keeper of the women; and let them be given that which is necessary for
their purification;
4
and let the maiden which pleases 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 Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite;
6
who had 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 had brought up Hadassah, that
is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter; for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid
was fair and beautiful; and as her father and mother were dead, Mordecai had taken her for his own daughter.
8
So it came to pass, when the king’s commandment and his decree was heard and when many maidens were 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 found mercy before him; and he speedily gave her that which was necessary for purification and her rations, and seven maidens,
which were meet to be given her out of the king’s house; and he moved her and her maids into the best
place of the house of the women.