Esther 2:12-18

Evangelical Heritage Version

¹² Every young woman received a turn to go to King Xerxes after she had received the prescribed twelve months of beauty treatments. For six months they used oil of myrrh; for six months perfumes and other beauty treatments for women. ¹³ Then the young woman went to the king. Everything she desired was given to her when she went from the harem to the king’s palace. ¹⁴ She went to the king in the evening. In the morning she returned to the second harem, under the supervision of Sha’ashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She did not return to the king unless he was delighted with her and she was summoned by name.

¹⁵ Esther was the daughter of Abihail, Mordecai’s uncle. Mordecai had adopted her.

When her turn came to go to the king, she did not ask for anything except what Hegai, the king’s eunuch in charge of the harem, had advised. Esther won the approval of everyone watching her.

¹⁶ Esther was taken to King Xerxes at the royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, during the seventh year^[a] of his reign.

¹⁷ The king loved Esther more than he loved all the other women. She won his favor and approval more than all the other virgins did. He placed the crown of the kingdom on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

¹⁸ The king gave a great banquet in honor of Esther for all his officials and administrators. He declared a tax holiday for the provinces and gave gifts as only the king could give.