Esther 2:12-18
New American Standard Bible
12 Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the end of her twelve months under the regulations for the women—for the days of their beauty treatment were completed as follows: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with balsam oil and the cosmetics for women— 13 the young woman would go in to the king in this way: anything that she [a]desired was given her to [b]take with her from the harem to the king’s palace. 14 In the evening she would enter and in the morning she would return to the second harem, to the [c]custody of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name.
15 Now when the turn of Esther, (A)the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his daughter, came to go in to the king, she did not request anything except what (B)Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the women, [d]advised. And Esther was finding favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus in his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
Esther Becomes Queen
17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that (C)he set the royal turban on her head and made her queen in place of Vashti. 18 Then (D)the king held a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and his servants; he also made a holiday for the provinces and gave gifts (E)in proportion to the king’s bounty.
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- Esther 2:13 Lit said
- Esther 2:13 Lit come
- Esther 2:14 Lit hand
- Esther 2:15 Lit said
Esther 2:12-18
New English Translation
12 At the end of the twelve months that were required for the women,[a] when the turn of each young woman arrived to go to King Ahasuerus—for in this way they had to fulfill their time of cosmetic treatment: six months with oil of myrrh, and six months with perfume and various ointments used by women— 13 the woman would go to the king in the following way: Whatever she asked for would be provided for her to take with her from the harem to the royal palace. 14 In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to a separate part[b] of the harem, to the authority of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was overseeing the concubines. She would not go back to the king unless the king was pleased with her[c] and she was requested by name.
15 When it became the turn of Esther daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai (who had raised her as if she were his own daughter[d]) to go to the king, she did not request anything except what Hegai the king’s eunuch, who was overseer of the women, had recommended. Yet Esther met with the approval of all who saw her. 16 Then Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus at his royal residence in the tenth[e] month (that is, the month of Tebeth) in the seventh[f] year of his reign. 17 And the king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she met with his loving approval[g] more than all the other young women.[h] So he placed the royal high turban on her head and appointed her queen[i] in place of Vashti. 18 Then the king prepared a large banquet for all his officials and his servants—it was actually Esther’s banquet. He also set aside a holiday for the provinces, and he provided for offerings at the king’s expense.[j]
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- Esther 2:12 tc The LXX does not include the words “that were required for the women.”tn Heb “to be to her according to the law of the women”; NASB “under the regulations for the women.”
- Esther 2:14 tn Heb “second.” The numerical adjective שֵׁנִי (sheni, “second”) is difficult here. As a modifier for “house” in v. 14 the word would presumably refer to a second part of the harem, one which was under the supervision of a separate official. But in this case the definite article would be expected before “second” (cf. LXX τὸν δεύτερον, ton deuteron). Some scholars emend the text to שֵׁנִית (shenit, “a second time”), but this does not completely resolve the difficulty since the meaning remains unclear. The translation adopted above follows the LXX and understands the word to refer to a separate group of women in the king’s harem, a group housed apparently in a distinct part of the residence complex.
- Esther 2:14 tc The LXX does not include the words “was pleased with her.”
- Esther 2:15 tn Heb “who had taken her to him as a daughter”; NRSV “who had adopted her as his own daughter.”
- Esther 2:16 tc The Greek mss Codex Alexandrinus (A) and Codex Vaticanus (B) read “twelfth” here.
- Esther 2:16 tc The Syriac Peshitta reads “fourth” here.
- Esther 2:17 tn Heb “grace and loyal love.” The expression is probably a hendiadys.
- Esther 2:17 tc The LXX does not include the words “more than all the other young women.”
- Esther 2:17 tn Heb “caused her to rule.”
- Esther 2:18 tc The LXX does not include the words “and he provided for offerings at the king’s expense.”
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