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1. Some time later, when King Ahasuerus' rage had cooled down, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what was decided against her.
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1. After H310 these H428 things H1697 , when the wrath H2534 of king H4428 Ahasuerus H325 was appeased H7918 , he remembered H2142 H853 Vashti H2060 , and what H834 she had done H6213 , and what H834 was decreed H1504 against H5921 her.
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2. The king's personal attendants suggested, "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.
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2. Then said H559 the king H4428 's servants H5288 that ministered H8334 unto him , Let there be fair H2896 H4758 young H5291 virgins H1330 sought H1245 for the king H4428 :
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3. Let the king appoint commissioners in each province of his kingdom, so that they may assemble all the beautiful young virgins to the harem at the fortress of Susa. Put them under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women, and give them the required beauty treatments.
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3. And let the king H4428 appoint H6485 officers H6496 in all H3605 the provinces H4082 of his kingdom H4438 , that they may gather together H6908 H853 all H3605 the fair H2896 H4758 young H5291 virgins H1330 unto H413 Shushan H7800 the palace H1002 , to H413 the house H1004 of the women H802 , unto H413 the custody H3027 of Hege H1896 the king H4428 's chamberlain H5631 , keeper H8104 of the women H802 ; and let their things for purification H8562 be given H5414 them :
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4. Then the young woman who pleases the king will reign in place of Vashti." This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
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4. And let the maiden H5291 which H834 pleaseth H3190 H5869 the king H4428 be queen H4427 instead H8478 of Vashti H2060 . And the thing H1697 pleased H3190 H5869 the king H4428 ; and he did H6213 so H3651 .
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5. A Jewish man was in the fortress of Susa named Mordecai son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite.
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5. Now in Shushan H7800 the palace H1002 there was H1961 a certain H376 Jew H3064 , whose name H8034 was Mordecai H4782 , the son H1121 of Jair H2971 , the son H1121 of Shimei H8096 , the son H1121 of Kish H7027 , a Benjamite H1145 ;
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6. He had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the other captives when King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took King Jeconiah of Judah into exile.
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6. Who H834 had been carried away H1540 from Jerusalem H4480 H3389 with H5973 the captivity H1473 which H834 had been carried away H1540 with H5973 Jeconiah H3204 king H4428 of Judah H3063 , whom H834 Nebuchadnezzar H5019 the king H4428 of Babylon H894 had carried away H1540 .
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7. Mordecai was the legal guardian of his cousin Hadassah (that is, Esther), because she didn't have a father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was extremely good-looking. When her father and mother died, Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter.
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7. And he brought up H1961 H539 H853 Hadassah H1919 , that H1931 is , Esther H635 , his uncle H1730 's daughter H1323 : for H3588 she had neither H369 father H1 nor mother H517 , and the maid H5291 was fair H3303 H8389 and beautiful H2896 H4758 ; whom Mordecai H4782 , when her father H1 and mother H517 were dead H4194 , took H3947 for his own daughter H1323 .
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8. When the king's command and edict became public knowledge, many young women gathered at the fortress of Susa under Hegai's care. Esther was also taken to the palace and placed under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.
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8. So it came to pass H1961 , when the king H4428 's commandment H1697 and his decree H1881 was heard H8085 , and when many H7227 maidens H5291 were gathered together H6908 unto H413 Shushan H7800 the palace H1002 , to H413 the custody H3027 of Hegai H1896 , that Esther H635 was brought H3947 also unto H413 the king H4428 's house H1004 , to H413 the custody H3027 of Hegai H1896 , keeper H8104 of the women H802 .
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9. The young woman pleased him and gained his favor so that he accelerated the process of the beauty treatments and the special diet that she received. He assigned seven hand-picked female servants to her from the palace and transferred her and her servants to the harem's best quarters.
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9. And the maiden H5291 pleased H3190 H5869 him , and she obtained H5375 kindness H2617 of H6440 him ; and he speedily H926 gave H5414 her H853 her things for purification H8562 , with H854 such things as belonged H4490 to her , and seven H7651 maidens H5291 , which were meet H7200 to be given H5414 her , out of the king's house H4480 H1004 H4428 : and he preferred H8138 her and her maids H5291 unto the best H2896 place of the house H1004 of the women H802 .
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10. Esther did not reveal her ethnic background or her birthplace, because Mordecai had ordered her not to.
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10. Esther H635 had not H3808 showed H5046 H853 her people H5971 nor her kindred H4138 : for H3588 Mordecai H4782 had charged H6680 her H5921 that H834 she should not H3808 show H5046 it .
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11. Every day Mordecai took a walk in front of the harem's courtyard to learn how Esther was doing and to see what was happening to her.
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11. And Mordecai H4782 walked H1980 every day H3605 H3117 H3117 before H6440 the court H2691 of the women H802 's house H1004 , to know H3045 H853 how Esther H635 did H7965 , and what H4100 should become H6213 of her.
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12. During the year before each young woman's turn to go to King Ahasuerus, the harem regulation required her to receive beauty treatments with oil of myrrh for six months and then with perfumes and cosmetics for another six months.
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12. Now when every maid H5291 H5291 's turn H8447 was come H5060 to go in H935 to H413 king H4428 Ahasuerus H325 , after that H4480 H7093 she had been H1961 twelve H8147 H6240 months H2320 , according to the manner H1881 of the women H802 , ( for H3588 so H3651 were the days H3117 of their purifications H4795 accomplished H4390 , to wit , six H8337 months H2320 with oil H8081 of myrrh H4753 , and six H8337 months H2320 with sweet odors H1314 , and with other things for the purification H8562 of the women H802 ;)
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13. When the young woman would go to the king, she was given whatever she requested to take with her from the harem to the palace.
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13. Then thus H2088 came H935 every maiden H5291 unto H413 the king H4428 ; H853 whatsoever H3605 H834 she desired H559 was given H5414 her to go H935 with H5973 her out of the house H4480 H1004 of the women H802 unto H5704 the king H4428 's house H1004 .
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14. She would go in the evening, and in the morning she would return to a second harem under the supervision of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch in charge of the concubines. She never went to the king again, unless he desired her and summoned her by name.
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14. In the evening H6153 she H1931 went H935 , and on the morrow H1242 she H1931 returned H7725 into H413 the second H8145 house H1004 of the women H802 , to H413 the custody H3027 of Shaashgaz H8190 , the king H4428 's chamberlain H5631 , which kept H8104 the concubines H6370 : she came in H935 unto H413 the king H4428 no H3808 more H5750 , except H3588 H518 the king H4428 delighted H2654 in her , and that she were called H7121 by name H8034 .
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15. Esther was the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had adopted her as his own daughter. When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king's trusted official in charge of the harem, suggested. Esther won approval in the sight of everyone who saw her.
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15. Now when the turn H8447 of Esther H635 , the daughter H1323 of Abihail H32 the uncle H1730 of Mordecai H4782 , who H834 had taken H3947 her for his daughter H1323 , was come H5060 to go in H935 unto H413 the king H4428 , she required H1245 nothing H3808 H1697 but H3588 H518 H853 what H834 Hegai H1896 the king H4428 's chamberlain H5631 , the keeper H8104 of the women H802 , appointed H559 . And Esther H635 obtained H1961 H5375 favor H2580 in the sight H5869 of all H3605 them that looked H7200 upon her.
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16. Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in the royal palace in the tenth month, the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
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16. So Esther H635 was taken H3947 unto H413 king H4428 Ahasuerus H325 into H413 his house H1004 royal H4438 in the tenth H6224 month H2320 , which H1931 is the month H2320 Tebeth H2887 , in the seventh H7651 year H8141 of his reign H4438 .
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17. The king loved Esther more than all the other women. She won more favor and approval from him than did any of the other virgins. He placed the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.
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17. And the king H4428 loved H157 H853 Esther H635 above all H4480 H3605 the women H802 , and she obtained H5375 grace H2580 and favor H2617 in his sight H6440 more than all H4480 H3605 the virgins H1330 ; so that he set H7760 the royal H4438 crown H3804 upon her head H7218 , and made her queen H4427 instead H8478 of Vashti H2060 .
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18. The king held a great banquet for all his officials and staff. It was Esther's banquet. He freed his provinces from tax payments and gave gifts worthy of the king's bounty.
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18. Then the king H4428 made H6213 a great H1419 feast H4960 unto all H3605 his princes H8269 and his servants H5650 , even H853 Esther H635 's feast H4960 ; and he made H6213 a release H2010 to the provinces H4082 , and gave H5414 gifts H4864 , according to the state H3027 of the king H4428 .
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19. When the young women were assembled together for a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the King's Gate.
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19. And when the virgins H1330 were gathered together H6908 the second time H8145 , then Mordecai H4782 sat H3427 in the king H4428 's gate H8179 .
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20. Esther still had not revealed her birthplace or her ethnic background, as Mordecai had directed. She obeyed Mordecai's orders, as she always had while he raised her.
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20. Esther H635 had not H369 yet showed H5046 her kindred H4138 nor her people H5971 ; as H834 Mordecai H4782 had charged H6680 her H5921 : for Esther H635 did H6213 the commandment H3982 of Mordecai H4782 , like as H834 when she was H1961 brought up H545 with H854 him.
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21. During those days while Mordecai was sitting at the King's Gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two eunuchs who guarded the king's entrance, became infuriated and tried to assassinate King Ahasuerus.
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21. In those H1992 days H3117 , while Mordecai H4782 sat H3427 in the king H4428 's gate H8179 , two H8147 of the king H4428 's chamberlains H5631 , Bigthan H904 and Teresh H8657 , of those which kept H4480 H8104 the door H5592 , were wroth H7107 , and sought H1245 to lay H7971 hand H3027 on the king H4428 Ahasuerus H325 .
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22. When Mordecai learned of the plot, he reported it to Queen Esther, and she told the king on Mordecai's behalf.
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22. And the thing H1697 was known H3045 to Mordecai H4782 , who told H5046 it unto Esther H635 the queen H4436 ; and Esther H635 certified H559 the king H4428 thereof in Mordecai H4782 's name H8034 .
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23. When the report was investigated and verified, both men were hanged on the gallows. This event was recorded in the court records of daily events in the king's presence.
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23. And when inquisition was made H1245 of the matter H1697 , it was found out H4672 ; therefore they were both H8147 hanged H8518 on H5921 a tree H6086 : and it was written H3789 in the book H5612 of the chronicles H1697 before H6440 the king H4428 .
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