Esther 2:12-18

Expanded Bible

¹² Before a girl could take her turn ·with [to go to] King ·Xerxes [^LAhasuerus], she had to complete twelve months of beauty treatments ·that were ordered [prescribed; required] for the women. For six months she was treated with oil ·and [or of] myrrh and for six months with ·perfumes [spices] and ·cosmetics [ointments]. ¹³ Then she ·was ready to go [would go in this way] to the king. Anything she ·asked for [desired] was given to her to take with her from the ·women’s quarters [harem; ^Lhouse of the women] to the king’s ·palace [^Lhouse]. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go to the king’s ·palace [^Lhouse], and in the morning she would return ·to another part of the [or to a second; or again to the] ·women’s quarters [harem; ^Lhouse of the women]. There she would be placed under the ·care [custody; authority] of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch in charge of the ·slave women [concubines; ^Csecondary wives]. The girl would not go back to the king again unless he was pleased with her and ·asked for [summoned; requested] her by name.

¹⁵ The ·time [^Lturn] came for Esther daughter of Abihail, Mordecai’s uncle [^CEsther was Mordecai’s younger cousin, v. 7], who had been raised [taken] by Mordecai as his own daughter, to go to the king. She asked for only what Hegai ·suggested [advised; recommended] she should take. (Hegai was the king’s eunuch who ·was in charge of [supervised] the women.) Everyone who saw Esther ·liked [favored] her. ¹⁶ So Esther was taken to King ·Xerxes [^LAhasuerus] in the royal ·palace [^Lhouse] in the tenth month [^Cearly winter], the month of Tebeth, during ·Xerxes’ [^LAhasuerus’s] seventh year ·as king [of his reign].

¹⁷ And the king ·was pleased with [loved] Esther more than with any of the other ·virgins [young women]. He liked her more than any of the ·others [other virgins], so he put a royal crown on her head and ·made [proclaimed; declared] her queen in place of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then the king gave a great banquet for Esther and invited all his ·important men [nobles; officials] and ·royal officers [ministers; servants]. He announced a holiday for all the ·empire [^Lprovinces] and ·had the government give away gifts [gave gifts with royal liberality/generosity].