Esther 1
The Banquets of the King
1Now it took place in the days of aAhasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned bfrom India to ▼▼ Lit Cush
Ethiopia over d127 provinces, 2in those days as King Ahasuerus esat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in fSusa, 3in the third year of his reign ghe gave a banquet for all his princes and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of his provinces being in his presence. 4 ▼▼ Lit When
And he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days. 5When these days were completed, the king gave a banquet lasting seven days for all the people who were present at the citadel in Susa, from the greatest to the least, in the court of ithe garden of the king’s palace. 6There were hangings of fine white and violet linen held by cords of fine purple linen on silver rings and marble columns, and jcouches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and precious stones. 7Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful kaccording to the king’s ▼▼ Lit hand
bounty. 8The drinking was done according to the law, there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household that he should do according to the desires of each person. 9Queen Vashti also gave a banquet for the women in the ▼▼ Lit royal house
palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. Queen Vashti’s Refusal
10On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was nmerry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served in the presence of King Ahasuerus, 11to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal ocrown in order to display her beauty to the people and the princes, for she was beautiful. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s command delivered by the eunuchs. Then the king became very angry and his wrath burned within him. 13Then the king said to pthe wise men qwho understood the times— for it was the custom of the king so to speak before all who knew law and justice 14and were close to him: Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media rwho ▼▼ Lit saw the face of the king
had access to the king’s presence and sat in the first place in the kingdom— 15“According to law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she did not ▼▼ Lit do
obey the command of King Ahasuerus delivered by the eunuchs?” 16In the presence of the king and the princes, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the princes and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17“For the queen’s conduct will ▼▼ Lit go forth
become known to all the women causing them ▼▼ Lit to despise...in their eyes
to look with contempt on their husbands by saying, ‘King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’ 18“This day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen’s conduct will speak in the same way to all the king’s princes, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. 19“If it pleases the king, let a royal ▼▼ Lit word go forth from
edict be issued by him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media so xthat it cannot ▼▼ Lit pass away
be repealed, that Vashti may no longer come into the presence of King Ahasuerus, and let the king give her royal position to ▼▼ Lit her neighbor
another who is more worthy than she. 20“When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout all his kingdom, ▼▼ Lit for great is it
great as it is, then aball women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.” 21 This word pleased the king and the princes, and the king did ▼▼ Lit according to the word of
as Memucan proposed. 22So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, adto each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man should aebe the master in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people.
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