Study Desk

And I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah in preparing for him a chamber in the court of the house of the LORD.

And I appointed in charge of the storehouses, Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe and of the Levites, Peraiah; and with them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and they were chosen by lot to be leaders over their brethren.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the rites thereof.

And I contended with them and cursed them and smote some of them and buried them and made the others swear by God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters to your sons or for yourselves.

And for the gift offerings and the holy things in their appointed times, and for their feasts and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

In the third year of his reign, he made a great feast for all his princes and his servants, the mighty men of Persia and Media and the kings nobles and the governors of the provinces being before him.

And the drinking was according to the law; none did compel; for so the king had commanded to all the stewards of his household, that they should do according to every mans pleasure.

Also Vashti the queen made a great feast for all the women in the royal house which belonged to King Akhshirash.

To bring Vashti the queen be fore the king with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was fair to look upon.

Then the king spoke to the wise men who knew the times (for this was the kings custom, he discussed matters in the presence of all who knew law and judgment).

For this deed of the queen shall reach all women, so that their husbands shall be despised in their eyes, and they shall say, King Akhshirash commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she did not come.

And the kings decree shall be proclaimed and published throughout all his empire (for it is great), that all wives shall give honor to their husbands, both great and small.

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

And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces, that they may gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the house of the women, to the custody of Hegai the eunuch, keeper of women; and let their things for purification be given them;

And he brought up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncles daughter; for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; and when her father and mother died, Mordecai took her for his own daughter.

And the maiden pleased him, and she obtained favor of him; and he speedily gave her things for purification, such things which were her portion, and seven maidens who were worthy to be given her from the kings house; and he preferred her and her maidens much more than all the other women.

Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known.

Now when the turn of each maiden was come to go in before King Akhshirash, after she had been twelve months, according to the manner of the women (for so were the days of their purification accomplished, every six days with oil of myrrh and every six days with spices and with other things for the purifying of the women);

Now when the turn of Esther, the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her for his daughter, came to go in before the king, she asked for nothing but what Hegai the kings eunuch, the keeper of the women, appointed. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all those who saw her.

But Esther had not yet made known her kindred nor her people, as Mordecai had charged her; for Esther obeyed the commandment of Mordecai, like as when she was faith fully brought up with him.