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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2025
the Fourth Week of Advent
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Easy-to-Read Version

Esther 2:4

Then let the one who is pleasing to the king become the new queen in Vashti's place." The king liked this suggestion, so he accepted it.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Chamberlain;   Marriage;   Persia;   Vashti;  

Dictionaries:

- Holman Bible Dictionary - Esther;   Maid, Maiden;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Vashti ;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Maid;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Esther, Apocryphal Book of;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for July 18;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then the young woman who pleases the king will become queen instead of Vashti.” This suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
Hebrew Names Version
and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. The thing pleased the king; and he did so.
King James Version
And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
English Standard Version
And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so.
New Century Version
Then let the girl who most pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti." The king liked this idea, so he did as they said.
New English Translation
Let the young woman whom the king finds most attractive become queen in place of Vashti." This seemed like a good idea to the king, so he acted accordingly.
Amplified Bible
"Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
New American Standard Bible
"Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti." And the suggestion pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
World English Bible
and let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. The thing pleased the king; and he did so.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And the mayde that shall please the King, let her reigne in the steade of Vashti. And this pleased the King, and he did so.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then let the young lady who is good in the eyes of the king be queen in place of Vashti." And the word was good in the eyes of the king, and he did so.
Berean Standard Bible
Then let the young woman who pleases the king become queen in place of Vashti." This suggestion pleased the king, and he acted accordingly.
Contemporary English Version
Then let the young woman who pleases you most take Vashti's place as queen. King Xerxes liked these suggestions, and he followed them.
Complete Jewish Bible
Then, the girl who seems best to the king should become queen instead of Vashti." This proposal pleased the king, so he acted accordingly.
Darby Translation
And let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
George Lamsa Translation
And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
Good News Translation
Then take the young woman you like best and make her queen in Vashti's place." The king thought this was good advice, so he followed it.
Lexham English Bible
And let the young woman who is pleasing in the king's eyes become queen in place of Vashti. The thing was good in the king's eyes, and he acted accordingly.
Literal Translation
And let the young woman who pleases the king rule instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And loke which damsell pleaseth the kynge, let her be quene in Vasthis steade. This pleased the kynge, and he dyd so.
American Standard Version
and let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
Bible in Basic English
And let the girl who is pleasing to the king be queen in place of Vashti. And the king was pleased with this suggestion; and he did so.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And that the mayden which pleased the king, should be queene in Uasthis steede. And this pleased the king, and he did so.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
and let the maiden that pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti.' And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
King James Version (1611)
And let the maiden which pleaseth the king, bee Queene in stead of Uasthi. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And let the woman who shall please the king be queen instead of Astin. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
English Revised Version
and let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And which euer damesele among alle plesith the iyen of the kyng, regne sche for Vasti. The word pleside the kyng; and he comaundide to be don so, as thei counceliden.
Update Bible Version
and let the maiden that pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
Webster's Bible Translation
And let the maiden who pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.
New King James Version
Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This thing pleased the king, and he did so.
New Living Translation
After that, the young woman who most pleases the king will be made queen instead of Vashti." This advice was very appealing to the king, so he put the plan into effect.
New Life Bible
Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so.
New Revised Standard
And let the girl who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, the maiden that is pleasing in the eyes of the king, let her be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing seemed good in the eyes of the king, and he did so.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And whosoever among them all shall please the king’s eyes, let her be queen instead of Vasthi. The word pleased the king: and he commanded it should be done as they had suggested.
Revised Standard Version
And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti." This pleased the king, and he did so.
Young's Literal Translation
and the young woman who is good in the eyes of the king doth reign instead of Vashti;' and the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and he doth so.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"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.

Contextual Overview

1 Later, King Xerxes stopped being angry. Then he remembered Vashti and what she had done. He remembered his commands about her. 2 Then the king's personal servants had a suggestion. They said, "Search for beautiful young virgins for the king. 3 Let the king choose leaders in every province of his kingdom. Then let the leaders bring every beautiful young virgin to the capital city of Susa. These young women will be put with the group of the king's women. They will be under the care of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Then give beauty treatments to all of them. 4 Then let the one who is pleasing to the king become the new queen in Vashti's place." The king liked this suggestion, so he accepted it. 5 Now there was a Jew from the tribe of Benjamin named Mordecai. Mordecai was the son of Jair, and Jair was the son of Shimei, and Shimei was the son of Kish. Mordecai was in the capital city, Susa. 6 Mordecai had been carried into captivity from Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He was with the group that was taken into captivity with King Jehoiachin of Judah. 7 Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah. She didn't have a father or a mother, so Mordecai took care of her. Mordecai had adopted her as his own daughter when her father and mother died. Hadassah was also called Esther. She had a very pretty face and a good figure. 8 When the king's command had been heard, many young women were brought to the capital city of Susa. They were put under the care of Hegai. Esther was one of these women. She was taken to the king's palace and put into Hegai's care. Hegai was in charge of the king's women. 9 He liked Esther. She became his favorite, so he quickly gave Esther beauty treatments and special food. He chose seven slave women from the king's palace and gave them to Esther. Then he moved Esther and her seven women servants into the best place where the king's women lived. 10 Esther didn't tell anyone she was a Jew. She didn't tell anyone about her family background, because Mordecai had told her not to.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

let the maiden: Matthew 20:16, Matthew 22:14

the thing: Esther 1:21, Esther 3:9, Esther 3:10, 2 Samuel 13:4-6, 2 Samuel 16:21-23, 2 Samuel 17:4, Matthew 14:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 45:16 - it pleased Pharaoh well 1 Kings 1:3 - So Esther 2:19 - the virgins Esther 8:5 - I be pleasing

Cross-References

Genesis 1:1
God created the sky and the earth. At first,
Genesis 1:4
He saw the light, and he knew that it was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, "Have many children. Fill the earth and take control of it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the air. Rule over every living thing that moves on the earth."
Genesis 1:31
God looked at everything he had made. And he saw that everything was very good. There was evening, and then there was morning. This was the sixth day.
Genesis 2:1
So the earth, the sky, and everything in them were finished.
Genesis 2:2
God finished the work he was doing, so on the seventh day he rested from his work.
Genesis 5:1
This is the history of Adam's family. When God created people, he made them like himself.
Genesis 10:1
This is the history of the families of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They are Noah's sons. These men had children after the flood.
Genesis 11:10
This is the history of Shem's family. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, his son Arphaxad was born.
Genesis 25:12
This is the list of Ishmael's family. Ishmael was Abraham and Hagar's son. (Hagar was Sarah's Egyptian maid.)

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And let the maiden which pleaseth the king be queen instead of Vashti,.... Have the royal estate, that was taken from Vashti, given to her, the crown royal set on her head, c.

and the thing pleased the king, and he did so appointed officers in all his provinces to seek out the most beautiful virgins, and bring them to his palace; so with the Chinese now, the king never marries with any of his kindred, though ever so remote; but there is sought throughout his kingdom a damsel of twelve or fourteen years, of perfect beauty, good natural parts, and well inclined to virtue; whence, for the most part, the queen is the daughter of some artisan; and in their history e, mention is made of one that was the daughter of a mason.

e Semedo's History of China, part 1. ch. 23.


 
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