Study Desk

There was a Jew at the citadel in Susa whose name was ^(C1)Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjaminite,

^(C1)who had been taken from Jerusalem with the exiles who had been deported with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had deported.

He was the guardian to Hadassah, that is ^(C1)Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young woman was beautiful of form and ^(F1)face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

So it came about, when the command and decree of the king were heard and ^(C1)many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the ^(F1)custody of ^(C2)Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king's ^(F2)palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.

Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her ^(C1)cosmetics and ^(F1)food, gave her seven choice female attendants from the king's palace, and transferred her and her attendants to the best place in the harem.

^(C1)Esther did not reveal her people or her kindred, because Mordecai had instructed her that she was not to reveal them.

And every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her.