Esther 2:3-11

3Let the king appoint overseers in 1all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to the citadel of Susa, to the harem, into the custody of 2Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and 3let their cosmetics be given them. 4Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti.” And the matter pleased the king, and he did accordingly.

5Now there was at the citadel in Susa a Jew whose name was 4Mordecai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite, 65who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. 7He was bringing up Hadassah, that is 6Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and 7face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

8So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and 8many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of 9Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s 10palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women. 9Now the young lady pleased him and found favor with him. So he quickly provided her with her 11cosmetics and 12food, gave her seven choice maids from the king’s palace and transferred her and her maids to the best place in the harem. 1013Esther did not make known her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had instructed her that she should not make them known. 11Every day Mordecai walked back and forth in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and how she fared.