⁵ Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,^{(A) 6} who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin^[a](B) king of Judah.^{(C) 7} Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther,^(D) had a lovely figure^(E) and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

¹¹ Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.