Study Desk

Solomon king of Israel sinned by these things. Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin.

Thus I cleansed them from all the Gentiles and appointed them over their duties, both the priests and the Levites, every one in his work;

In the days when King Akhshirash sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,

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.

Then he showed them the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty many days, even a hundred and eighty days.

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.

But Queen Vashti refused to come at the kings command by the eunuchs; therefore the king was very wroth and his anger burned in him.

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.

And he sent letters to all the kings provinces, into every province according to the writing thereof and to every people according to its own language, that every man should bear rule in his own house and that it should be published according to the language of every people.

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

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.

So when the kings commandment and his decree were heard, and when many virgins were gathered together in Shushan the palace in the custody of Hegai, the eunuch, that Esther was brought also to the kings house to the custody of Hegai, the keeper 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.

So Esther entered before King Akhshirash into his royal house in the tenth month, that is, January, in the fourth year of his reign.

And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the other 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 to all his princes, even Esthers feast; and he granted relief to the provinces and gave gifts, according to the generosity of the king.

AFTER these things King Akhshirash promoted Haman the son of Hammadatha the Agagite, and advanced him, and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

And the king took his ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the son of Hammadatha the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.

WHEN Mordecai learned all that was done, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, howling with a loud and bitter lamentation;

So when Esthers eunuchs and her maidens came in and told her, the queen was exceedingly disturbed; and she sent garments to clothe Mordecai and to take away his sackcloth from him; but he did not accept them.