Esther 2:2

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible

Then said the young men of the king, who waited upon him, - Let them seek out for the king young virgins, of pleasing appearance;

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The king’s personal attendants suggested, “Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king.

Hebrew Names Version
Then said the king's servants who ministered to him, Let there be beautiful young virgins sought for the king:

King James Version
Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:

English Standard Version
Then the king's young men who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king.

New Century Version
Then the king's personal servants suggested, "Let a search be made for beautiful young girls for the king.

New English Translation
The king's servants who attended him said, "Let a search be conducted in the king's behalf for attractive young women.

Amplified Bible
Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

New American Standard Bible
Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

World English Bible
Then said the king's servants who ministered to him, Let there be beautiful young virgins sought for the king:

Geneva Bible (1587)
And the Kings seruants that ministred vnto him, sayd, Let them seeke for the King beautifull yong virgins,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then the young men of the king, who attended to him, said, "Let young virgins, beautiful in appearance, be sought for the king.

Berean Standard Bible
Then the king's attendants proposed, "Let a search be made for beautiful young virgins for the king,

Contemporary English Version
Then the king's personal servants said: Your Majesty, a search must be made to find you some beautiful young women.

Complete Jewish Bible
The king's servants attending him said, "A search should be made for young, good-looking virgins.

Darby Translation
Then said the king's servants that attended upon him, Let there be maidens, virgins of beautiful countenance, sought for the king;

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the king's personal servants had a suggestion. They said, "Search for beautiful young virgins for the king.

George Lamsa Translation
Then the kings servants and his ministers said to him, Let there be beautiful young virgins sought for the king;

Good News Translation
So some of the king's advisers who were close to him suggested, "Why don't you make a search to find some beautiful young virgins?

Lexham English Bible
And the king's servants attending him said, "Let them seek attractive young virgins for the king.

Literal Translation
And the king's servants who served him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde the kynges seruauntes: Let there be fayre yonge virgins soughte for the kynge,

American Standard Version
Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:

Bible in Basic English
Then the servants who were waiting on the king said to him, Let search be made for some fair young virgins for the king:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then sayde the kinges seruauntes that ministred vnto hym: Let there be faire young virgins sought for the king,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him: 'Let there be sought for the king young virgins fair to look on;

King James Version (1611)
Then saide the kings seruants, that ministred vnto him, Let there bee faire yong virgins sought for the king:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Then the servants of the king said, Let there be sought for the king chaste and beautiful young virgins.

English Revised Version
Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And the children and the mynystris of the kyng seiden to `the kyng, Damyselis, virgyns `and faire, be souyt to the kyng; and `men ben sent,

Update Bible Version
Then the king's attendants that ministered to him said, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:

Webster's Bible Translation
Then said the king's servants that ministered to him, Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king:

New King James Version
Then the king's servants who attended him said: "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king;

New Living Translation
So his personal attendants suggested, "Let us search the empire to find beautiful young virgins for the king.

New Life Bible
Then the king's servants who served him said, "Let beautiful young women be found for the king.

New Revised Standard
Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king’s servants and his officers said: Let young women be sought for the king, virgins and beautiful,

Revised Standard Version
Then the king's servants who attended him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king.

Young's Literal Translation
and servants of the king, his ministers, say, `Let them seek for the king young women, virgins, of good appearance,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then the king's attendants, who served him, said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.

Contextual Overview

¹ After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was appeased, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what was decreed against her. ² Then said the young men of the king, who waited upon him, - Let them seek out for the king young virgins, of pleasing appearance; ³ and let the king appoint officers throughout all the provinces of his kingdom, and let them gather together every young virgin of pleasing appearance unto Shusan the palace, unto the house of the women, into the custody of Hegai eunuch of the king, keeper of the women, and let there be given the things needed for their purification; ⁴ 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. ⁵ A certain Jew, there was, in Shusan the palace, - whose, name, was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a man of Benjamin; ⁶ who had been exiled from Jerusalem, with the exiles who were carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, - whom, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, exiled. ⁷ And it came to pass, that he was bringing up Hadassah, the same, was Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother, - and, the maiden, was of beautiful form and pleasing appearance, and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her for his own daughter. ⁸ So it came to pass, when the king's command and decree was heard, and there had been gathered together many maidens unto Shusan the palace, unto the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken into the house of the king, unto the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women; ⁹ and the maiden was pleasing in his eyes, and she received lovingkindness before him, and he hastened to give her, the things needed for her purification, and things apportioned her, and to give her, seven select maidens, out of the house of the king, - and he removed her and her maidens to the best place in the house of the women. ¹⁰ Esther had not told of her people, nor of her kindred, - for, Mordecai, had laid charge upon her, that she should not tell.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

king's servants: Esther 1:10, Esther 1:14, Esther 6:14

Let there be: Genesis 12:14, 1 Kings 1:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 12:15 - princes 1 Kings 1:3 - So 1 Kings 12:14 - the counsel

Cross-References

Genesis 1:31
And God saw every thing which he had made, and lo! it was very good. So it was evening - and it was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 2:8
And Yahweh God planted a garden in Eden, on the east, - and put there the man whom he had formed.

Genesis 2:11
The name of the one, is Pishon, - the same, is that which surroundeth all the land of Havilah, where is gold;

Exodus 23:12
Six days, shalt thou do thy work, but on the seventh day, shalt thou keep sabbath, - that thine ox may rest and thine ass, and that the son of thy handmaid and the sojourner may be refreshed.

Exodus 31:17
between me and the sons of Israel, a sign it is unto times age-abiding, - for in six days, did Yahweh make the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day, he rested, and was refreshed.

Deuteronomy 5:14
but, the seventh day, is a sabbath unto Yahweh thy God, - thou shalt do no work - thou nor thy son nor thy daughter nor thy servant nor thy handmaid nor thine ox nor thine ass nor any of thy cattle, nor thy sojourner who is within thy gates, that thy servant and thy handmaid may rest, as well as thou.

Isaiah 58:13
If thou turn back. From the sabbath Shy foot, From doing thine own pleasure on my holy day, - And shall call - The sabbath, An exquisite delight, The holy day of Yahweh, A day to be honoured, And so shall honour it rather - Than do thine own ways, Than take thine own pleasure or Than speak thine own word,

John 5:17
But, he, answered them - My Father, until even now, is working; and, I, am working.

Hebrews 4:4
For he hath spoken, somewhere, concerning the seventh day , thus - And God rested, on the seventh day, from all his works;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him,.... Fearing that, if Vashti should be restored, vengeance would be taken on them; or however to remove the grief and melancholy of the king, they gave the following advice:

let there be fair young virgins sought for the king; that he might enjoy them, and choose one of them, the most agreeable to him, and put her in the room of Vashti.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Esther 2:2. Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king — This was the usual way in which the harem or seraglio was furnished: the finest women in the land, whether of high or low birth, were sought out, and brought to the harem. They all became the king's concubines: but one was raised, as chief wife or sultana, to the throne; and her issue was specially entitled to inherit.