Austah (Esther) — 2

Austah Becomes Queen

1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuarus subsided, he remembered Vashti, what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. 

2 Then the king’s servants who attended him said: “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king; 

3 and let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather all the beautiful young virgins to Shushan the citadel, into the women’s quarters, under the custody of Hagai the king’s eunuch, custodian of the women. And let beauty preparations be given them. 

4 Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This thing pleased the king, and he did so.

5 In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Yahudym whose name was  Murdacayahu the son of Yair, the son of Shimai, the son of Kish, a Banyamin. 

6 Kish had been carried away from Yahushalam with the captives who had been captured with Yacunyahu king of Yahudah, whom Nabuchadnazzar the king of Babylun had carried away. 

7 And Murdacayahu had brought up Hadassah, that is, Austah, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Murdacayahu took her as his own daughter.

8 So it was, when the king’s command and decree were heard, and when many young women were gathered at Shushan the citadel, under the custody of Hagai, that Austah also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hagai the custodian of the women. 

9 Now the young woman pleased him, and she obtained his favor; so he readily gave beauty preparations to her, besides her allowance. Then seven choice maidservants were provided for her from the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maidservants to the best place in the house of the women.

10 Austah had not revealed her people or family, for Murdacayahu had charged her not to reveal it. 

11 And every day Murdacayahu paced in front of the court of the women’s quarters, to learn of Austah’s welfare and what was happening to her.

12 Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuarus after she had completed twelve months’ preparation, according to the regulations for the women, for thus were the days of their preparation apportioned: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfumes and preparations for beautifying women. 

13 Thus prepared, each young woman went to the king, and she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the women’s quarters to the king’s palace. 

14 In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, to the custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who kept the concubines. She would not go in to the king again unless the king delighted in her and called for her by name.

15 Now when the turn came for Austah the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Murdacayahu, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hagai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Austah obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her. 

16 So Austah was taken to King Ahasuarus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tabath, in the seventh year of his reign. 

17 The king loved Austah more than all the other women, and she obtained favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 

18 Then the king made a great feast, the Feast of Austah, for all his officials and servants; and he proclaimed a freeday in the provinces and gave gifts according to the generosity of a king.

Murdacayahu Discovers a Plot

19 When virgins were gathered together a second time, Murdacayahu sat within the king’s gate. 

20 Now Austah had not revealed her family and her people, just as Murdacayahu had charged her, for Austah obeyed the command of Murdacayahu as when she was brought up by him.

21 In those days, while Murdacayahu sat within the king’s gate, two of the king’s eunuchs, Bigthan and Tarash, doorkeepers, became furious and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuarus. 

22 So the matter became known to Murdacayahu, who told Queen Austah, and Austah informed the king in Murdacayahu’s name. 

23 And when an inquiry was made into the matter, it was confirmed, and both were hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the book of the chronicles in the presence of the king.