The Book of Esther – Excerpts
Characters—
Ahasuerus, The King of Persia
Queen Vashti, banished
Esther becomes Queen
Mordecai, Esther’s Uncle
Haman, Second in Command, hater of the Jews
ACT 2
Vashti’s Successor Sought
After these things when the anger of King Ahasuerus had subsided, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her.
Then the king’s attendants, who served him, said—
“Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. Let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let cosmetics be given them. Then, let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.”
And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.
Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled.
Mordecai was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother—
Now the young lady was beautiful of form and face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
Esther Finds Favor
So it came about that when the command and decree of the king was heard, many young ladies, including Esther, were gathered to the citadel of Susa and taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.
Now, the young lady Esther, pleased him and she found favor with him. So he gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem—
Esther did not make known her people or her (Jewish) kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known.
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