After these things, when the wrath of king Ahasuerus was pacified, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her.
Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:
and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins unto Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of {Hebrew: Hegee.}Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let their things for purification be given them;
 and let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
There was a certain Jew in Shushan the palace, whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite,
who had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives that had been carried away with {In 2 Kings 24:6, Jehoiachin.}Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away.
 And he  {Hebrew: nourished.}brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maiden was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother were dead, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.
So it came to pass, when the king's commandment and his decree was heard, and when many maidens were gathered together unto Shushan the palace, to the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the king's house, to the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women.
And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained kindness of him; and he speedily gave her her things for purification, with her portions, and the seven maidens who were meet to be given her out of the king's house: and he removed her and her maidens to the best place of the house of the women.
Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known.
 And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the women's house, to know how Esther did, and what would become of her.
Now when the turn of every maiden was come to go in to king Ahasuerus, after that it had been done to her according to the law for the women twelve months (for so were the days of their purifications accomplished, to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors and with the things for the purifying of the women),
then in this wise came the maiden unto the king: Whatsoever she desired was given her to go with her out of the house of the women unto the king's house.
In the evening she went, and on the morrow she returned into the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, who kept the concubines: she came in unto the king no more, except the king delighted in her, and she were called by name.
 Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, was come to go in unto the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her.
So Esther was taken unto king Ahasuerus into his house royal in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
And the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained favor and kindness in his sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti.
 Then the king made a great feast unto all his princes and his servants, even Esther's feast; and he made a  {Hebrew: rest.}release to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the  {Hebrew: hand.}bounty of the king.
And when the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate.
Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people; as Mordecai had charged her: for Esther did the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was brought up with him.
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, of those that kept the threshold, were wroth, and sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.
And the thing became known to Mordecai, who showed it unto Esther the queen; and Esther told the king thereof in Mordecai's name.
 And when inquisition was made of the matter, and it was found to be so, they were both hanged on a tree: and it was written in the book of the chronicles before the king.
Querverweise zu Esther 2,23 Est 2,23
Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him, Let a {Hebrew: tree.}gallows be made fifty cubits high, and in the morning speak thou unto the king that Mordecai may be hanged thereon: then go thou in merrily with the king unto the banquet. And the thing pleased Haman; and he caused the gallows to be made.
On that night {Hebrew: the king's sleep fled from him.}could not the king sleep; and he commanded to bring the book of records of the chronicles, and they were read before the king.
So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath pacified.
And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Teresh, two of the king's chamberlains, of those that kept the threshold, who had sought to lay hands on the king Ahasuerus.
within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee.
Then they that feared Jehovah spake one with another; and Jehovah hearkened, and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before him, for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name.
but he hanged the chief baker: as Joseph had interpreted to them.
And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree;
his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is {Hebrew: the curse of God.}accursed of God; that thou defile not thy land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until the eventide: and at the going down of the sun Joshua commanded, and they took his body down from the tree, and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raised thereon a great heap of stones, unto this day.