Nehemiah’s Grief for the Exiles

1 The words of ^(A)Nehemiah the son of Hacaliah.

Now it happened in ^(B)the month Chislev, ^(C)in the twentieth year, while I was in ^(D)Susa the ^[a]capitol,

² in those days as King Ahasuerus ^(A)sat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in ^(B)Susa,

Esther Finds Favor

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