Esther 2:12-14

International Standard Version

Esther Becomes Queen

¹² Each young woman’s turn came to go in to King Ahasuerus at the end of the twelve month period, at which time she was treated according to the regulations for women. This process^[a] completed the period of her beauty treatments—six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and cosmetics for women. ¹³ After that the young woman would go in to the king, and whatever she asked for would be given to her to take with her from the harem to the palace. ¹⁴ In the evening she would go into the palace^[b] and in the morning she would return to the second harem, into the care of Shaashgaz, the king’s eunuch who was in charge of the mistresses.^[c] She would not go again to the king unless the king wanted her and she was called for by name.