Esther 2:16-18

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

¹⁶ And when Esther was taken to King Ahasu-e′rus into his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, ¹⁷ the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. ¹⁸ Then the king gave a great banquet to all his princes and servants; it was Esther’s banquet. He also granted a remission of taxes^[a] to the provinces, and gave gifts with royal liberality.