¹⁵ Now when the turn came for Esther ^(A)the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his daughter, to go in to the king, she requested nothing but what Hegai the king’s eunuch, the custodian of the women, advised. And Esther ^(B)obtained favor in the sight of all who saw her.

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

¹⁰ and delivered him out of all his troubles, ^(A)and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

²⁹ Then Queen Esther, ^(A)the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this ^(B)second letter about Purim.

⁷ And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, ^(A)his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai 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 ^(B)gathered at ^[a]Shushan the ^[b]citadel, under the custody of Hegai, that Esther also was taken to the king’s palace, into the care of Hegai the custodian of the women.