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Let the king appoint officials in all the provinces of his kingdom to bring all the beautiful young virgins into the harem in Susa the capital. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women to give them their beauty treatments.[a] Then let the young woman who pleases the king rule in place of Vashti.” This advice[b] pleased the king, and he did this.

Esther’s Background

In Susa the capital there was a Jewish man from the tribe of Benjamin, Jair’s son Mordecai, who was a descendant of Kish’s son Shimei the descendant of Benjamin.

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Footnotes

  1. Esther 2:3 Lit. their massages
  2. Esther 2:4 The Heb. lacks advice

Let the king appoint commissioners in every province of his realm to bring all these beautiful young women into the harem at the citadel of Susa. Let them be placed under the care of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let beauty treatments be given to them. Then let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This advice appealed to the king, and he followed it.

Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish,(A)

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