Después de estas cosas, cuando el furor del rey Asuero se había aplacado^a, él se acordó de Vasti, de lo que ella había hecho y de lo que se había decretado contra ella^b. 2 Entonces los cortesanos al servicio del rey, dijeron: Búsquense para el rey jóvenes vírgenes y de buen parecer^a. 3 Y que el rey nombre oficiales en todas las provincias de su reino^a para que reúnan a todas las jóvenes vírgenes y de buen parecer en la fortaleza de Susa, en el harén, bajo la custodia¹ de Hegai, eunuco del rey, encargado de las mujeres^b, y que se les den sus cosméticos^c. 4 Y la joven que agrade al rey sea reina en lugar de Vasti. Y esto le pareció bien al rey, y así lo hizo.

5 Y había en la fortaleza de Susa un judío que se llamaba Mardoqueo^a, hijo de Jair, hijo de Simei, hijo de Cis, benjamita, 6 que había sido deportado de Jerusalén con los cautivos que habían sido deportados con Jeconías, rey de Judá, a quien había deportado Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia^a. 7 Y Mardoqueo¹ estaba criando a Hadasa, es decir, Ester, hija de su tío, pues ella no tenía ni padre ni madre. La joven era de hermosa figura y de buen parecer, y cuando su padre y su madre murieron, Mardoqueo la tomó como hija suya^a.

8 Y sucedió que cuando el mandato y el decreto del rey fueron oídos, muchas jóvenes fueron reunidas en la fortaleza de Susa bajo la custodia de Hegai; y Ester también fue llevada al palacio¹ del rey, bajo la custodia de Hegai, encargado de las mujeres^a. 9 La joven le agradó y halló favor delante de él, por lo que se apresuró en proveerle cosméticos^a y alimentos¹; le dio siete doncellas escogidas del palacio del rey, y la trasladó con sus doncellas al mejor lugar del harén. 10 Ester no dio a conocer ni su pueblo ni su parentela, porque Mardoqueo le había mandado que no los diera a conocer^a. 11 Y todos los días Mardoqueo se paseaba delante del patio del harén para enterarse de cómo estaba Ester y qué le sucedía.

12 Cuando le tocaba a cada joven venir al rey Asuero, al cumplirse sus doce meses, según las ordenanzas para las mujeres, pues los días de su embellecimiento se cumplían así: seis meses con óleo de mirra y seis meses con especias y cosméticos para las mujeres, 13 entonces la joven venía al rey de esta manera: cualquier cosa que ella deseaba¹ se le concedía para que la llevara consigo del harén al palacio del rey. 14 Ella entraba por la tarde y a la mañana siguiente volvía al segundo harén, bajo la custodia de Saasgaz, eunuco del rey, encargado de las concubinas. Ella no iba otra vez al rey a menos que el rey se complaciera en ella y fuera llamada por nombre. 15 Cuando a Ester, hija de Abihail, tío de Mardoqueo, que la había tomado como hija^a, le tocó venir al rey, ella no pidió cosa alguna sino lo que le aconsejó¹ Hegai, eunuco del rey, encargado de las mujeres^b. Y Ester hallaba favor ante los ojos de cuantos la veían.

16 Ester fue llevada al rey Asuero a su palacio real el mes décimo, que es el mes Tebet, en el año séptimo de su reinado. 17 Y el rey amó a Ester más que a todas las otras mujeres, y ella halló gracia y bondad con él más que todas las demás vírgenes, y él puso la corona real sobre su cabeza^a y la hizo reina en lugar de Vasti. 18 Entonces el rey hizo un gran banquete para todos sus príncipes y siervos^a, el banquete de Ester. También concedió un día de descanso para las provincias y dio presentes conforme a la liberalidad¹ del rey^b.

19 Cuando las vírgenes fueron reunidas^a por segunda vez, Mardoqueo estaba sentado a la puerta del rey^b. 20 Ester todavía no había dado a conocer ni su parentela ni su pueblo, tal como Mardoqueo le había mandado^a, porque Ester hizo lo que le había dicho¹ Mardoqueo, como cuando estaba bajo su tutela^b. 21 En aquellos días, estando Mardoqueo sentado a la puerta del rey, Bigtán y Teres, dos eunucos del rey, guardianes del umbral, se enojaron y procuraban echar mano al¹ rey Asuero^a. 22 Pero el asunto llegó a conocimiento de Mardoqueo, y él se lo comunicó a la reina Ester, y Ester informó¹ al rey en nombre de Mardoqueo^a. 23 Y cuando fue investigado el asunto y hallado cierto, los dos eunucos fueron colgados en una horca¹; y esto fue escrito en el libro de las Crónicas^a en presencia del rey.

After these things ^awhen the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and ^bwhat had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “^aLet beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3 Let the king appoint overseers in ^aall the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of ^bHegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and ^clet their cosmetics be given them. 4 Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

5 Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was ^aMordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6 ^awho had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is ^aEsther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and ¹face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

8 So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and ^amany young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of ^bHegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s ¹palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her ^acosmetics and ¹food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 10 ^aEsther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. 11 Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.

12 Now when the turn of each young lady came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beautification were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and the cosmetics for women— 13 the young lady would go in to the king in this way: anything that she ¹desired was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would go in and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the ¹custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not again go in to the king unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 Now when the turn of Esther, ^athe daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what ^bHegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, ¹advised. And Esther found favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that ^ahe set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18 Then ^athe king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his princes and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts ^baccording to the king’s bounty.

19 ^aWhen the virgins were gathered together the second time, then Mordecai ^bwas sitting at the king’s gate. 20 ^aEsther had not yet made known her kindred or her people, even as Mordecai had commanded her; for Esther did ¹what Mordecai told her as she had done ^bwhen under his care.

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, ^aBigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to ¹lay hands on King Ahasuerus. 22 But the ¹plot became known to Mordecai and ^ahe told Queen Esther, and Esther ²informed the king in Mordecai’s name. 23 Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a ¹gallows; and it was written in ^athe Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.

After these things, ^awhen the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done, and ^bwhat had been decided regarding her. 2 Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said, “^aLet beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3 And may the king appoint overseers in ^aall the provinces of his kingdom, and have them ¹bring every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of ^bHegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and ^clet their cosmetics be given to them. 4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the ¹suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

5 There was a Jew at the citadel in Susa whose name was ^aMordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6 ^awho had been taken from Jerusalem with the exiles who had been deported with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had deported. 7 He was the guardian to Hadassah, that is ^aEsther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young woman was beautiful of form and ¹face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

8 So it came about, when the command and decree of the king were heard and ^amany young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the ¹custody of ^bHegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s ²palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9 Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her ^acosmetics and ¹food, gave her seven choice female attendants from the king’s palace, and transferred her and her attendants to the best place in the harem. 10 ^aEsther did not reveal her people or her kindred, because Mordecai had instructed her that she was not to reveal them. 11 And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.

12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beauty treatment were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with balsam oil and the cosmetics for women— 13 the young woman would go in to the king in this way: anything that she ¹desired was given her to ²take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would enter and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the ¹custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.

15 Now when the turn of Esther, ^athe daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what ^bHegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, ¹advised. And Esther was finding favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.

17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that ^ahe set the royal turban on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 Then ^athe king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts ^bin proportion to the king’s bounty.

19 ^aNow when the virgins were gathered together for the second time, then Mordecai ^bwas sitting at the king’s gate. 20 ^aEsther still had not revealed her relatives or her people, just as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther did ¹what Mordecai told her just as she had ^bwhen under his care.

21 In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, ^aBigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to ¹attack King Ahasuerus. 22 But the ¹plot became known to Mordecai and ^ahe informed Queen Esther, and Esther told the king in Mordecai’s name. 23 Then when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a wooden gallows; and it was written in ^athe Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence.