Esther 2:16-18

Lexham English Bible

¹⁶ Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, to his palace,^[a] in the tenth month that is Tebeth in the seventh year of his reign. ¹⁷ And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won his favor and loyalty more than all the virgins, so he put a royal crown^[b] on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his officials and servants. And he granted a tax amnesty^[c] to the provinces and he gave gifts with royal liberality.