unknown, traditionally ascribed to Esther and/or Mordecai

“ Now, Haman was coming into the palace's outer courtyard to speak to the king about hanging Mordecai on the gallows that he had prepared for him. 5 Then the king's servants said to him, "Right now Haman is standing in the courtyard."
The king said, "Let him in."
6 So Haman came in. The king said to him, "What should be done for a man whom the king wishes to honor?"
Haman thought to himself [28] , "Who would the king wish to honor more than myself?" ”

“ Chapter 2 1 After these things, when King Ahasuerus' anger had passed, he remembered Vashti, and what she had done, and what had been decreed against her. 2 Then the king's young men who waited on him said, "Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. 3 Let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, to gather together all the beautiful young virgins to the citadel Shushan, to the harem, [4] to the custody of Hege the king's eunuch, keeper of the women, and let him give them beauty treatments. ”

“ And Esther was treated well by everyone who saw her. 16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal house in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebet, in the seventh year of his reign. 17 The king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained kindness and favor in his sight more than all the virgins. He set the royal crown on her head, and made her queen in Vashti's place. 18 Then the king held a great banquet for all his nobles and his servants, Esther's banquet, and he declared a holiday [10] for the provinces, and gave gifts with royal generosity. ”

“ According to Paton, the meaning of this difficult phrase as not been explained. Therefore, this translation simply renders it into English in a form just as confusing as the Hebrew original.↑ (7:9) literally "spoke"↑ (7:1) property. ”