³ Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them.

¹² Before a young woman’s turn came to go in to King Xerxes, she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments prescribed for the women, six months with oil of myrrh and six with perfumes^(A) and cosmetics. ¹³ And this is how she would go to the king: Anything she wanted was given her to take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go there and in the morning return to another part of the harem to the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines.^(B) She would not return to the king unless he was pleased with her and summoned her by name.^(C)

¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail^(D)) to go to the king,^(E) she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor^(F) of everyone who saw her.

⁸ When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa^(A) and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem. ⁹ She pleased him and won his favor.^(B) Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food.^(C) He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.

Queen Vashti Deposed

1 This is what happened during the time of Xerxes,^[a](A) the Xerxes who ruled over 127 provinces^(B) stretching from India to Cush^[b]:^{(C) 2} At that time King Xerxes reigned from his royal throne in the citadel of Susa,^(D)

¹⁸ In that day^(A) the Lord will snatch away their finery: the bangles and headbands and crescent necklaces,^{(B) 19} the earrings and bracelets^(C) and veils,^{(D) 20} the headdresses^(E) and anklets and sashes, the perfume bottles and charms, ²¹ the signet rings and nose rings,^{(F) 22} the fine robes and the capes and cloaks,^(G) the purses ²³ and mirrors, and the linen garments^(H) and tiaras^(I) and shawls.