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Esther 2:18-20
New Catholic Bible
Esther 2:18-20
New Catholic Bible
18 Then the king gave a great banquet for all his nobles and administrators to honor Esther. He proclaimed a holiday[a] throughout the provinces and gave gifts with royal liberality.
19 [Mordecai Uncovers a Conspiracy.[b] To resume: When the virgins were assembled a second time, Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, 20 and Esther had still not revealed her family or nationality just as Mordecai had instructed her. For she was still following his advice as she had done when he was bringing her up.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Esther 2:18 A holiday: the Greek text reads: “remission of sins.”
- Esther 2:19 This is the Hebrew account of the plot already related in the Greek text (A:12-17). Although the text is corrupt, one thing is clear. After the distractions of the harem, the author wants to remind his readers of the main elements of the story up to this point: Mordecai’s position, Esther’s hidden nationality, Mordecai’s unrewarded service, and the record of this in the royal annals.
