Esther 2:6-8

New American Standard Bible 1995

^6 (A)who had been taken into exile from Jerusalem with the captives who had been exiled with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had exiled. ⁷ He was bringing up Hadassah, that is ^(B)Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had no father or mother. Now the young lady was beautiful of form and ^[a]face, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Esther Finds Favor

⁸ So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and ^(C)many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of ^(D)Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s ^[b]palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women.