Study Desk

and I came to Jerusalem and discerned the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, by preparing a chamber for him in the courts of the house of God.

In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted as faithful, and it was their task to apportion everything to their relatives.

Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my lovingkindnesses which I have shown for the house of my God and its responsibilities.

And I said to the Levites that they should cleanse themselves and come as gatekeepers to keep the sabbath day holy. For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.

As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but only the tongue of his own people.

So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take up their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign and ensured that the responsibilities stood for the priests and the Levites, each in his work,

and I arranged for the supply of wood at fixed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

in the third year of his reign, he held a feast for all his princes and servants, the military officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence,

while he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days.

And when these days were fulfilled, the king held a feast lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.

And the drinking was done according to the law; there was no compulsion, for so the king had established it for each official of his household—that he should do according to what pleased each person.

Queen Vashti also held a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said for Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who attended to the presence of King Ahasuerus,

to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful in appearance.

Then the king said to the wise men who knew the times—for it was the custom of the king thus to speak before all who knew law and justice

For the word about the queen will get out to all the women causing them to despise their husbands in their eyes by saying, ‘King Ahasuerus said for Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.'

And the king's sentence, which he will make, will be heard throughout all his kingdom, for it is vast, and all women will give respect to their husbands, great and small."

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

And he was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful in form and beautiful in appearance, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.