Went in to the king: the meaning here is that the maiden went in to be with the king, not simply that she moved from one location to another, as may be understood from the Today’s English Version rendering.

The words whatever she desired to take with her are not specific. Clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, or other items may be included. Probably the words mean that she could wear whatever garment or jewelry she desired (so Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente “all the ornaments she asked for” and Today’s English Version “she could wear”), though the Hebrew does not actually state that whatever she took with her was something to wear. The translator should not attempt to specify what the young woman took with her.

Today’s English Version restructures the verse to avoid repetition. In so doing, the artist’s style of repetition and parallel structures is lost. From the harem to the king’s palace is literally “from the house of the women to the house of the king.”

Septuagint 2.13

Unlike the Hebrew, the Greek says “and then she goes in to the king.” In the Greek, this clause is part of the preceding sentence. Following a semicolon the Greek sentence goes on to state how the young woman went to the king. It explains that then she was handed over to someone who took her to the king’s palace. In many languages the verb goes in to (“enter, go into”), which is repeated twice in verse 14 below, will be understood to mean as a wife goes to her husband. The form of the verb should indicate that the author is reporting general practice, what occurred on a regular basis in the Persian palace.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on the Book of Esther — Deuterocanon: The Greek Text. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .