Immerse: Chronicles Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 159
2:9-22
E sther
147
women, was brought to the king’s harem at the fortress of Susa and placed
in Hegai’s care. Hegai was very impressed with Esther and treated her
kindly. He quickly ordered a special menu for her and provided her with
beauty treatments. He also assigned her seven maids specially chosen from
the king’s palace, and he moved her and her maids into the best place in
the harem.
Esther had not told anyone of her nationality and family background,
because Mordecai had directed her not to do so. Every day Mordecai
would take a walk near the courtyard of the harem to find out about Esther
and what was happening to her.
Before each young woman was taken to the king’s bed, she was given
the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments—six months with oil
of myrrh, followed by six months with special perfumes and ointments.
When it was time for her to go to the king’s palace, she was given her
choice of whatever clothing or jewelry she wanted to take from the harem.
That evening she was taken to the king’s private rooms, and the next morning she was brought to the second harem, where the king’s wives lived.
There she would be under the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in
charge of the concubines. She would never go to the king again unless he
had especially enjoyed her and requested her by name.
Esther was the daughter of Abihail, who was Mordecai’s uncle. (Morde
cai had adopted his younger cousin Esther.) When it was Esther’s turn to
go to the king, she accepted the advice of Hegai, the eunuch in charge of
the harem. She asked for nothing except what he suggested, and she was
admired by everyone who saw her.
Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in early winter of the
seventh year of his reign. And the king loved Esther more than any of the
other young women. He was so delighted with her that he set the royal
crown on her head and declared her queen instead of Vashti. To celebrate
the occasion, he gave a great banquet in Esther’s honor for all his nobles
and officials, declaring a public holiday for the provinces and giving generous gifts to everyone.
Even after all the young women had been transferred to the second
harem and Mordecai had become a palace official, Esther continued to
keep her family background and nationality a secret. She was still following Mordecai’s directions, just as she did when she lived in his home.
One day as Mordecai was on duty at the king’s gate, two of the king’s eu
nuchs, Bigthana and Teresh—who were guards at the door of the king’s
private quarters—became angry at King Xerxes and plotted to assassinate him. But Mordecai heard about the plot and gave the information to
Queen Esther. She then told the king about it and gave Mordecai credit
ImmerseChronicles_NLT.indd 147
6/21/2017 10:01:39 AM
