2
So some of the king's advisers suggested, "Why don't you make a search to find some beautiful young women of good character?
3
You can appoint officials in every province of the empire and have them bring all these beautiful young virgins to your harem here in Susa. Put them in the care of Hegai, the eunuch who is in charge of your women, and let them be given cosmetics and whatever else they may need.
4
Then take the young woman you like best and make her queen in Vashti's place." The king thought this was good advice, so he followed it.
5
There in Susa lived a Jew named Mordecai son of Jair; he was from the tribe of Benjamin and was a descendant of Kish and Shimei.
6
He was among the captives whom King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia had taken into exile from Jerusalem.
1
7
Mordecai was the guardian of Esther, the daughter of his uncle Aminadab. She was a beautiful young woman, and after the death of her parents, Mordecai brought her up until she was grown.
8
When the king had issued his new proclamation, many young women were being brought to Susa, and Esther was among them. She too was put in the royal palace in the care of Hegai, who had charge of the harem.
9
Hegai liked Esther, and she won his favor. He lost no time in beginning her beauty treatment of massage and special diet. He assigned seven young women specially chosen from the royal palace to serve her, and he treated her and her servants well.
10
Now, on the advice of Mordecai, Esther had kept secret the fact that she was Jewish.
11
Every day Mordecai would walk back and forth in front of the courtyard of the harem, watching to see what was going to happen to her.
12
The regular beauty treatment for the young women lasted a year: massages with oil of myrrh for six months and with beauty creams and cosmetics for six more.