1After these events, when the wrath of Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh had ceased, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

2Then the sovereign’s servants who attended him said, “Let lovely young maidens be sought for the sovereign,

3and let the sovereign appoint officers in all the provinces of his reign, and let them gather all the lovely young maidens to the citadel of Shushan, into the women’s quarters, under the hand of Hĕg̅ai the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the women, to give their preparations.

4“And let the young woman who pleases the sovereign be sovereigness instead of Vashti.” And the word pleased the sovereign, and he did so.

5In the citadel of Shushan there was a certain man, a Yehuḏite whose name was Mordeḵai son of Ya’ir, son of Shim‛i, son of Qish, a Binyamite,

6who had been exiled from Yerushalayim with the captives who had been exiled with Yeḵonyah sovereign of Yehuḏah, whom Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign of Baḇel had exiled.

7And it came to be that he was raising Haḏassah, that is Estĕr, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and of good appearance. And when her father and mother died, Mordeḵai took her as his own daughter.

8And it came to be, when the sovereign’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at the citadel of Shushan, into the hand of Hĕg̅ai, that Estĕr, too, was taken to the sovereign’s palace, into the hand of Hĕg̅ai, guardian of the women.

9And the young woman pleased him, and she received kindness from him. So he hastened to give her preparations and her portions, and gave her seven choice female servants from the sovereign’s palace. And he moved her and her female servants to the best place in the house of the women.

10Estĕr had not made known her people or her relatives, for Mordeḵai had commanded her not to make it known.

11And every day Mordeḵai walked about in front of the courtyard of the women’s quarters, to learn of Estĕr’s welfare and what is done to her.

12Now when the turn of each young woman came to go in to Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh after she had completed twelve months according to the regulations for the women – for the days of their preparation were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and with the preparations of women –

13thus prepared, the young woman went to the sovereign, and whatever she asked for was given to take with her from the house of the women to the sovereign’s palace.

14In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, into the hand of Sha‛ashgaz, the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the concubines. She would not come in to the sovereign again unless the sovereign delighted in her and called for her by name.

15And when the turn came for Estĕr, the daughter of Aḇihayil the uncle of Mordeḵai, who had taken her as his daughter, to come in to the sovereign, she sought no matter but what Hĕg̅ai the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the women, advised. And Estĕr found favour in the eyes of all who saw her.

16And Estĕr was taken to Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tĕḇĕth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17And the sovereign loved Estĕr more than all the women, and she found favour and kindness in his eyes more than all the maidens. And he set the royal crown upon her head and made her sovereigness instead of Vashti.

18And the sovereign made a great feast, the Feast of Estĕr, for all his officials and servants. And he proclaimed a release in the provinces and gave gifts according to the means of a sovereign.

19And when maidens were assembled a second time, Mordeḵai sat within the sovereign’s gate.

20Estĕr had not made known her relatives and her people yet, as Mordeḵai commanded her, for Estĕr obeyed the command of Mordeḵai as when she was being raised by him.

21In those days, while Mordeḵai sat within the sovereign’s gate, two of the sovereign’s eunuchs, Big̅than and Teresh, doorkeepers, were wroth and sought to lay hands on Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh.

22And the matter became known to Mordeḵai, who informed Sovereigness Estĕr, and Estĕr spoke to the sovereign in Mordeḵai’s name.

23And when the matter was searched into, it was confirmed, and both were impaled on a stake. And it was written in the book of the annals in the presence of the sovereign.