1After these things, when the wrath of King Xerxes had subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what was decreed against her. 2Then the king's servants that ministered to him said, “Let there be fair young virgins sought for the king; 3And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the fair young virgins unto Shushan, the palace, to the house of the women, into the custody of Hegai, the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women; and let things for purification be given them. 4And let the maiden who pleases the king become queen instead of Vashti.” And this pleased the king; and he did so.

5Now in Shushan, the palace, there was a certain Jew, whose name was Mordecai, son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjamite, 6Who had been carried away from Jerusalem with Jeconiah, king of Judah, when Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, carried them away. 7And he was the guardian of his uncle's daughter, Hadassah, that is, Esther; for her father and mother were dead and Mordecai had taken her for his own daughter; and she was fair and beautiful. 8So when the king's commandment and decree was heard, and many young maidens were gathered to Shushan, the palace, Esther was among those brought to the king's house, into the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. 9And she pleased him, and she won his favor; and he quickly provided her ointments for beautification, her food, and her choice of seven maidens, out of the king's house; and he moved her and her maids into the best part of the house of the women. 10Esther had not revealed her people (ethnicity) nor her people; for Mordecai had charged her that she should not make it known. 11And Mordecai (who was an attendant in the king’s court), walked back and forth every day in front of the courtyard of the women's house, to learn how Esther was getting along, and what was happening with her.

12Now when every maid's turn came to go in to King Xerxes, after she had completed her twelve months of beauty treatments, prescribed for the women  - to wit, six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with sweet odors, and balms for the beautifying them - 13Then every maiden came unto the king; and whatever she desired was given to her from the house of the women to take into the king's house. 14In the evening she went in, and on the next day she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's chamberlain, who kept the concubines. She would not come into the presence of the king again, unless the king delighted in her, and she was called for by name.

15Now when her turn came to go in to the king, Esther required nothing but what Hegai, the king's chamberlain, the keeper of the women, advised. And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all who looked upon her. 16So Esther was taken into his house royal to King Xerxes in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. 17And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained more grace and favor in his sight than all the other virgins, so that he set the royal crown upon her head, and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18Then the king made a great banquet for all his princes and his servants - Esther's banquet; and he proclaimed a holiday and a release from taxes to the provinces, and gave gifts, according to the bounty of the king.

19And after all the virgins had been transferred to the second harem, Mordecai was sitting in the king's gate. 20Esther still had not revealed her kindred (her Jewish background) nor her people, as Mordecai had instructed her; for Esther did as Mordecai told her, just as when he was bringing her up. 21During that time, while Mordecai sat in the king's gate, two of the king's chamberlains who guarded the door, Bigthan and Teresh, had become angry at King Xerxes, and plotted to assassinate him. 22But the plot became known to Mordecai, and he informed Esther, the queen; and she informed the king in the name of Mordecai. 23And when the matter was investigated and was found to be true; both conspirators were hanged on a tree; and this was recorded in the book of the chronicles before the king.