Esther

He had raised Hadassah, that is, Ester, his uncle's daughter; because she had neither father nor mother. The girl was shapely and good-looking; after her father's and mother's death, Mordekhai had adopted her as his own daughter.

When the king's order and decree were proclaimed, and many girls assembled in Shushan the capital under the care of Hegai, Ester too was taken into the king's house and put under the care of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.

Ester did not disclose her people or family ties, because Mordekhai had instructed her not to tell anyone.

Every day Mordekhai would walk around in front of the courtyard of the harem's house in order to know how Ester was doing and what was happening to her.

When the turn came for Ester the daughter of Avichayil, whom Mordekhai had adopted as his own daughter, to appear before the king, she didn't ask for anything other than what Hegai the king's officer in charge of the harem advised. Yet Ester was admired by all who saw her.

She was brought to King Achashverosh in his royal palace in the tenth month, Tevet, during the seventh year of his reign.

The king liked Ester more than any of his wives; none of the other virgins obtained such favor and approval from him. So he put the royal crown on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti.

The king then gave a great banquet in Ester's honor for all his officers and servants, decreed a holiday for the provinces and distributed gifts worthy of royal bounty.

Ester had not yet revealed her family ties or her people, as Mordekhai had ordered her; for Ester continued obeying what Mordekhai told her to do, as she had when he was raising her.

But Mordekhai learned about it and told Ester the queen. Ester reported it to the king, crediting Mordekhai.

When the girls and officials attending Ester came and informed her of this, the queen became deeply distressed. She sent clothes for Mordekhai to wear instead of his sackcloth, but he wouldn't accept them.

So Ester summoned Hatakh, one of the king's officials attending her, and instructed him to go to Mordekhai and find out what this was all about and why.

He also gave him a copy of the decree for their destruction issued in Shushan; so that he could show it to Ester, explain it to her, and then instruct her to approach the king, intercede with him and implore his favor on behalf of her people.

Hatakh returned and told Ester what Mordekhai had said.

Then Ester spoke to Hatakh and gave him this message for Mordekhai:

Upon being told what Ester had said, Mordekhai

asked them to give Ester this answer: "Don't suppose that merely because you happen to be in the royal palace you will escape any more than the other Jews.

Ester had them return this answer to Mordekhai:

Then Mordekhai went his way and did everything Ester had ordered him to do.

On the third day, Ester put on her royal robes and stood in the inner courtyard of the king's palace, opposite the king's hall. The king was sitting on his royal throne in the king's hall, across from the entrance to the hall.

When the king saw Ester the queen standing in the courtyard, she won his favor; so the king extended the gold scepter in his hand toward Ester. Ester approached and touched the tip of the scepter.

"What is it you want, Queen Ester?" the king asked her. "Whatever your request, up to half the kingdom, it will be given to you."

"If it is all right with the king,"answered Ester, "let the king and Haman come today to the banquet I have prepared for him."

The king said, "Bring Haman quickly, so that what Ester has asked for can be done."

So the king and Haman came to the banquet Ester had prepared.