Esther 2:13-15

Expanded Bible

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.