than she. {If it...: Heb. If it be good with the king} {unto...: Heb. unto her companion} {from him: Heb. from before him} {be not...: Heb. pass not away}

1:20

And when the king's
<04428>

decree
<06599>

which he shall make
<06213> (8799)

shall be published
<08085> (8738)

throughout all his empire
<04438>_,

(for it is great
<07227>,)

all the wives
<0802>

shall give
<05414> (8799)

to their husbands
<01167>

honour
<03366>_,

both to great
<01419>

and small
<06996>_.

1:21

And the saying
<01697>

pleased
<03190> (8799) <05869>

the king
<04428>

and the princes
<08269>_;

and the king
<04428>

did
<06213> (8799)

according to the word
<01697>

of Memucan
<04462>_:

{pleased...: Heb. was good in the eyes of the king}

1:22

For he sent
<07971> (8799)

letters
<05612>

into all the king's
<04428>

provinces
<04082>_,

into every province
<04082>

according to the writing
<03791>

thereof, and to every people
<05971>

after their language
<03956>_,

that every man
<0376>

should bear rule
<08323> (8802)

in his own house
<01004>_,

and that [it] should be published
<01696> (8764)

according to the language
<03956>

of every people
<05971>_.

{that it...: Heb. that one should publish it according to the language of his people}

2:1

After
<0310>

these things
<01697>_,

when the wrath
<02534>

of king
<04428>

Ahasuerus
<0325>

was appeased
<07918> (8800)_,

he remembered
<02142> (8804)

Vashti
<02060>_,

and what she had done
<06213> (8804)_,

and what was decreed
<01504> (8738)

against her.

2:2

Then said
<0559> (8799)

the king's
<04428>

servants
<05288>

that ministered
<08334> (8764)

unto him, Let there be fair
<02896> <04758>

young
<05291>

virgins
<01330>

sought
<01245> (8762)

for the king
<04428>_:

2:3

And let the king
<04428>

appoint
<06485> (8686)

officers
<06496>

in all the provinces
<04082>

of his kingdom
<04438>_,

that they may gather together
<06908> (8799)

all the fair
<02896> <04758>

young
<05291>

virgins
<01330>

unto Shushan
<07800>

the palace
<01002>_,

to the house
<01004>

of the women
<0802>_,

unto the custody
<03027>

of Hege
<01896>

the king's
<04428>

chamberlain
<05631>_,

keeper
<08104> (8802)

of the women
<0802>_;

and let their things for purification
<08562>

be given
<05414> (8800)

[them]: {unto the...: Heb. unto the hand} {Hege: also called, Hegai}

2:4

And let the maiden
<05291>

which pleaseth
<03190> (8799) <05869>

the king
<04428>

be queen
<04427> (8799)

instead of Vashti
<02060>_.

And the thing
<01697>

pleased
<03190> (8799) <05869>

the king
<04428>_;

and he did so
<06213> (8799)_.

2:5

[Now] in Shushan
<07800>

the palace
<01002>

there was a certain
<0376>

Jew
<03064>_,

whose name
<08034>

[was] Mordecai
<04782>_,

the son
<01121>

of Jair
<02971>_,

the son
<01121>

of Shimei
<08096>_,

the son
<01121>

of Kish
<07027>_,

a Benjamite
<01145>_;

2:6

Who had been carried away
<01540> (8717)

from Jerusalem
<03389>

with the captivity
<01473>

which had been carried away
<01540> (8717)

with Jeconiah
<03204>

king
<04428>

of Judah
<03063>_,

whom Nebuchadnezzar
<05019>

the king
<04428>

of Babylon
<0894>

had carried away
<01540> (8689)_.

{Jeconiah: also called, Jehoiachin}

2:7

And he brought up
<0539> (8802)

Hadassah
<01919>_,

that [is], Esther
<0635>_,

his uncle's
<01730>

daughter
<01323>_:

for she had neither father
<01>

nor mother
<0517>_,

and the maid
<05291>

[was] fair
<03303> <08389>

and beautiful
<02896> <04758>_;

whom Mordecai
<04782>_,

when her father
<01>

and mother
<0517>

were dead
<04194>_,

took
<03947> (8804)

for his own daughter
<01323>_.

{brought...: Heb. nourished} {fair...: Heb. fair of form, and good of countenance}

2:8

So it came to pass, when the king's
<04428>

commandment
<01697>

and his decree
<01881>

was heard
<08085> (8736)_,

and when many
<07227>

maidens
<05291>

were gathered together
<06908> (8736)

unto Shushan
<07800>

the palace
<01002>_,

to the custody
<03027>

of Hegai
<01896>_,

that Esther
<0635>

was brought
<03947> (8735)

also unto the king's
<04428>

house
<01004>_,

to the custody
<03027>

of Hegai
<01896>_,

keeper
<08104> (8802)

of the women
<0802>_.

2:9

And the maiden
<05291>

pleased
<03190> (8799) <05869>

him, and she obtained
<05375> (8799)

kindness
<02617>

of him
<06440>_;

and he speedily
<0926> (8762)

gave
<05414> (8800)

her her things for purification
<08562>_,

with such things as belonged
<04490>

to her, and seven
<07651>

maidens
<05291>_,

[which were] meet
<07200> (8803)

to be given
<05414> (8800)

her, out of the king's
<04428>

house
<01004>_:

and he preferred
<08138> (8762)

her and her maids
<05291>

unto the best
<02896>

[place] of the house
<01004>

of the women
<0802>_.

{such...: Heb. her portions} {preferred: Heb. changed}

2:10

Esther
<0635>

had not shewed
<05046> (8689)

her people
<05971>

nor her kindred
<04138>_:

for Mordecai
<04782>

had charged
<06680> (8765)

her that she should not shew
<05046> (8686)

[it].

2:11

And Mordecai
<04782>

walked
<01980> (8693)

every day
<03117>

before
<06440>

the court
<02691>

of the women's
<0802>

house
<01004>_,

to know
<03045> (8800)

how Esther
<0635>

did
<07965>_,

and what should become
<06213> (8735)

of her. {to know...: Heb. to know the peace}

2:12

Now when every maid's
<05291>

turn
<08447>

was come
<05060> (8687)

to go in
<0935> (8800)

to king
<04428>

Ahasuerus
<0325>_,

after
<07093>

that she had been twelve
<08147> <06240>

months
<02320>_,

according to the manner
<01881>

of the women
<0802>_,

(for so were the days
<03117>

of their purifications
<04795>

accomplished
<04390> (8799)_,

[to wit], six
<08337>

months
<02320>

with oil
<08081>

of myrrh
<04753>_,

and six
<08337>

months
<02320>

with sweet odours
<01314>_,

and with [other] things for the purifying
<08562>

of the women
<0802>;)

2:13

Then thus came
<0935> (8802)

[every] maiden
<05291>

unto the king
<04428>_;

whatsoever she desired
<0559> (8799)

was given
<05414> (8735)

her to go
<0935> (8800)

with her out of the house
<01004>

of the women
<0802>

unto the king's
<04428>

house
<01004>_.

2:14

In the evening
<06153>

she went
<0935> (8802)_,

and on the morrow
<01242>

she returned
<07725> (8802)

into the second
<08145>

house
<01004>

of the women
<0802>_,

to the custody
<03027>

of Shaashgaz
<08190>_,

the king's
<04428>

chamberlain
<05631>_,

which kept
<08104> (8802)

the concubines
<06370>_:

she came in
<0935> (8799)

unto the king
<04428>

no more, except the king
<04428>

delighted
<02654> (8804)

in her, and that she were called
<07121> (8738)

by name
<08034>_.

2:15

Now when the turn
<08447>

of Esther
<0635>_,

the daughter
<01323>

of Abihail
<032>

the uncle
<01730>

of Mordecai
<04782>_,

who had taken
<03947> (8804)

her for his daughter
<01323>_,

was come
<05060> (8687)

to go in
<0935> (8800)

unto the king
<04428>_,

she required
<01245> (8765)

nothing
<01697>

but what Hegai
<01896>

the king's
<04428>

chamberlain
<05631>_,

the keeper
<08104> (8802)

of the women
<0802>_,

appointed
<0559> (8799)_.

And Esther
<0635>

obtained
<05375> (8802)

favour
<02580>

in the sight
<05869>

of all them that looked
<07200> (8802)

upon her.

2:16

So Esther
<0635>

was taken
<03947> (8735)

unto king
<04428>

Ahasuerus
<0325>

into his house
<01004>

royal
<04438>

in the tenth
<06224>

month
<02320>_,

which [is] the month
<02320>

Tebeth
<02887>_,

in the seventh
<07651>

year
<08141>

of his reign
<04438>_.

2:17

And the king
<04428>

loved
<0157> (8799)

Esther
<0635>

above all the women
<0802>_,

and she obtained
<05375> (8799)

grace
<02580>

and favour
<02617>

in his sight
<06440>

more than all the virgins
<01330>_;

so that he set
<07760> (8799)

the royal
<04438>

crown
<03804>

upon her head
<07218>_,

and made her queen
<04427> (8686)

instead of Vashti
<02060>_.

{favour: or, kindness} {in his...: Heb. before him}

2:18

Then the king
<04428>

made
<06213> (8799)

a great
<01419>

feast
<04960>

unto all his princes
<08269>

and his servants
<05650>_,

[even] Esther's
<0635>

feast
<04960>_;

and he made
<06213> (8804)

a release
<02010>

to the provinces
<04082>_,

and gave
<05414> (8799)

gifts
<04864>_,

according to the state
<03027>

of the king
<04428>_.

{release: Heb. rest}

2:19

And when the virgins
<01330>

were gathered together
<06908> (8736)

the second time
<08145>_,

then Mordecai
<04782>

sat
<03427> (8802)

in the king's
<04428>

gate
<08179>_.

2:20

Esther
<0635>

had not [yet] shewed
<05046> (8688)

her kindred
<04138>

nor her people
<05971>_;

as Mordecai
<04782>

had charged
<06680> (8765)

her: for Esther
<0635>

did
<06213> (8802)

the commandment
<03982>

of Mordecai
<04782>_,

like as when she was brought up
<0545>

with him.