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JULY 31
women’s quarters, under the custody of Hegai women. Thus prepared, each young woman
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the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. went to the king, and she was given whatever
And let beauty preparations be given them. she desired to take with her from the women’s
4 Then let the young woman who pleases the quarters to the king’s palace. In the evening
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king be queen instead of Vashti.” she went, and in the morning she returned to
This thing pleased the king, and he did so. the second house of the women, to the custody
5 In Shushan the citadel there was a certain of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the
Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, concubines. She would not go in to the king
the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. again unless the king delighted in her and
called for her by name.
15 Now when the turn came for Esther the
daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai,
who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to
2:5 Mordecai. He was among the fourth gen- the king, she requested nothing but what
eration of deported Jews. Kish. Mordecai’s Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the
great-grandfather who actually experienced
the Babylonian deportation. After Babylon fell women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in
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to Medo-Persia (ca.539 B.C.),Jews were moved the sight of all who saw her. So Esther was
to other parts of the new kingdom.Kish repre- taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace,
sents a Benjamite family name that could be in the tenth month, which is the month of
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traced back (ca. 1100 B.C.) to Saul’s father Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The
(1 Sam. 9:1). king loved Esther more than all the other
women, and she obtained grace and favor in
his sight more than all the virgins; so he set
6 the royal crown upon her head and made her
Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem
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with the captives who had been captured with queen instead of Vashti. Then the king made
Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar a great feast, the Feast of Esther, for all his
the king of Babylon had carried away. And officials and servants; and he proclaimed a
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Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, holiday in the provinces and gave gifts accord-
Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had nei- ing to the generosity of a king.
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ther father nor mother. The young woman was When virgins were gathered together a
lovely and beautiful. When her father and second time, Mordecai sat within the king’s
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mother died, Mordecai took her as his own gate. Now Esther had not revealed her family
daughter. and her people, just as Mordecai had charged
So it was, when the king’s command and
8 her, for Esther obeyed the command of
decree were heard, and when many young Mordecai as when she was brought up by him.
women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, 21 In those days, while Mordecai sat within
under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs,
was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Bigthan and Teresh, doorkeepers, became furi-
Hegai the custodian of the women. Now the ous and sought to lay hands on King
9
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young woman pleased him, and she obtained Ahasuerus. So the matter became known to
his favor; so he readily gave beauty prepara- Mordecai, who told Queen Esther, and Esther
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tions to her, besides her allowance. Then informed the king in Mordecai’s name. And
seven choice maidservants were provided for when an inquiry was made into the matter, it
her from the king’s palace, and he moved her was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gal-
and her maidservants to the best place in the lows; and it was written in the book of the
house of the women. chronicles in the presence of the king.
10 Esther had not revealed her people or fami-
ly, for Mordecai had charged her not to reveal it. Psalm 89:38–45
And every day Mordecai paced in front of the But You have cast off and abhorred,
11 38
court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Es- You have been furious with Your
ther’s welfare and what was happening to her. anointed.
12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to 39 You have renounced the covenant of
King Ahasuerus after she had completed Your servant;
twelve months’ preparation, according to the You have profaned his crown by casting
regulations for the women, for thus were the it to the ground.
days of their preparation apportioned: six 40 You have broken down all his hedges;
months with oil of myrrh, and six months with You have brought his strongholds to
perfumes and preparations for beautifying ruin.
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