13 thus prepared, the young woman went to the sovereign, and whatever she asked for was given to take with her from the house of the women to the sovereign’s palace.
14 In the evening she went, and in the morning she returned to the second house of the women, into the hand of Sha‛ashgaz, the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the concubines. She would not come in to the sovereign again unless the sovereign delighted in her and called for her by name.
15 And when the turn came for Estĕr, the daughter of Aḇihayil the uncle of Mordeḵai, who had taken her as his daughter, to come in to the sovereign, she sought no matter but what Hĕg̅ai the sovereign’s eunuch, guardian of the women, advised. And Estĕr found favour in the eyes of all who saw her.
16 And Estĕr was taken to Sovereign Aḥashwĕrosh, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tĕḇĕth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the sovereign loved Estĕr more than all the women, and she found favour and kindness in his eyes more than all the maidens. And he set the royal crown upon her head and made her sovereigness instead of Vashti.
18 And the sovereign made a great feast, the Feast of Estĕr, for all his officials and servants. And he proclaimed a release in the provinces and gave gifts according to the means of a sovereign.
19 And when maidens were assembled a second time, Mordeḵai sat within the sovereign’s gate.