After these things, when the rage of Ahashverosh the king had subsided, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her.

The king's youths, who attended him, said: “Let fair young virgins be sought for the king. Let the king appoint officials in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair young virgins to Susa the capital, to the house of the women, to the custody of Hegai the king's chamberlain, keeper of the women, to be given their ointments. Let the young woman who pleases the king be queen in Vashti's place.”

And the idea pleased the king, and he did so.

Now in Susa the capital there lived a Jew whose name was Mordechai, the son of Jair, the son of Shimi, the son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin, who had been exiled from Jerusalem among those expelled with Jechonia, king of Judah, who had been exiled by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia. He had raised Hadasa, that is Esther, his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was beautiful and fair to look upon, and when her father and mother had died, Mordechai had taken her for a daughter.

It came to pass that when the king's commandment and his law were heard, and when many young women were gathered together to Susa the capital, into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was also brought into the king's house, into the custody of Hegai, keeper of the women. The young woman pleased him, and she found grace before him, and he hurried to give her her ointments and her special rations, and the seven maids chosen to be given her out of the king's house, and he advanced her and her maids to the best place in the house of women. Esther had not made known her people and her kindred, for Mordechai had instructed her that she not tell. Every day, Mordechai would take a walk past the court of the house of women, to know how Esther fared and what was to be done with her.