⁷ Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther,^(A) had a lovely figure^(B) and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

¹⁵ When the turn came for Esther (the young woman Mordecai had adopted, the daughter of his uncle Abihail^(A)) to go to the king,^(B) she asked for nothing other than what Hegai, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the harem, suggested. And Esther won the favor^(C) of everyone who saw her.