This happened on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan. Mordecai called the king's secretaries and dictated letters to the Jews and to the governors, administrators, and officials of all the 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia. The letters were written to each province in its own language and system of writing and to the Jews in their language and system of writing.

Later, even after the king's anger had cooled down, he kept thinking about what Vashti had done and about his proclamation against her.

You can appoint officials in every province of the empire and have them bring all these beautiful young women to your harem here in Susa, the capital city. Put them in the care of Hegai, the eunuch who is in charge of your women, and let them be given a beauty treatment.

They left Babylonia on the first day of the first month, and with God's help they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month.