Study Desk

And it grieved me exceedingly; so I threw all the household stuff of Tobiah out into the street, outside the court.

So the merchants and the sellers of all kinds of merchandise lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

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.

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 let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. And the thing pleased the king; and he did so.

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 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);

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.

And when the matter was investigated and found to be so, they were both nailed on crosses, and it was written in the book of chronicles be fore the king.

And all the kings servants who were at the kings gate bowed down and did obeisance to Haman; for the king had so commanded concerning him. But Mordecai would not bow nor pay him reverence.

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.

So Hathan went forth to Mordecai to the streets of the city which were in front of the kings gate.

So Mordecai went his way and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.

And when the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther drew near and held the top of the golden sceptre.

Then the king said, Make haste to find Haman, that he may do as Esther has said. So the king and Haman came to the banquet that Esther had prepared.

Yet all this does not suffice me, so long as I see Mordecai the Jew sitting at the kings gate; for he does not move from before me.

So the kings servants said to him, Behold, Haman is standing in the court. And the king said, Let him come in.

So Haman came in. And the king said to him, What shall be done to the man whom the king delights to honor? Now Haman thought in his heart, Whom would the king delight to honor more than myself?

Then the king said to Haman, Make haste and take the apparel and the horse, as you have said, and do even so to Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the kings gate; let nothing fail of all that you have spoken.