Esther 2:1-9 ▼

1 After these actes, when the displeasure of king Ahasuerus was nowe alayed, he thought vpon Uasthi, & what she had done, & what was decreed against her.

2 Then sayde the kinges seruauntes that ministred vnto hym: Let there be faire young virgins sought for the king,

3 And let the king appoynt officers in all the prouinces of his empire, that they should bring together al the faire young virgins vnto Susan the head citie to the womens buylding, vnder the hande of Hegai the kinges chamberlayne that kept the women, to geue them their apparell:

4 And that the mayden which pleased the king, should be queene in Uasthis steede. And this pleased the king, and he did so.

5 In the citie of Susan there was a certayne Iewe, whose name was Mardocheus, the sonne of Iair, the sonne of Semei, the sonne of Cis, a man of Iemini,

6 Which was caryed away from Hierusalem with the captiuitie, when Iekonia the king of Iuda was led away, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon caryed thence:

7 And he norished Hadassa (that is Esther) his vncles daughter: for he had neither father nor mother, and she was a faire and beautifull mayden, whom Mardocheus (when her father & mother were dead) receaued for his owne daughter.

8 So when the kinges commaundement and commission was published, and many maydens were brought together into the citie of Susan vnder the hand of Hegai, Esther was brought also vnto the kinges house vnder the hande of Hegai the keper of the women.

9 And the mayden pleased hym, and she founde fauour in his sight: and he caused ornamentes to be geuen her speedyly, and such thinges as belonged to her, and appoynted her seuen comely maydens out of the kinges house, & fauoured both her and her gentlewomen singularly in the house of the women.