Esther 1
The Banquets of the King
1 Now it happened in the days of aAhasuerus, the Ahasuerus who reigned bfrom India to ▼▼Or Ethiopia
Cush 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 held a banquet for all his officials and attendants, the army officers of Persia and Media, the nobles and the officials of his provinces, in his presence. 4 ▼▼Lit When
At that time he displayed the riches of his royal glory and the splendor of his great majesty for many days, 180 days. 5 When these days were finished, the king held 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 courtyard of ithe garden of the king’s palace. 6There were curtains 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 floor of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl, and mineral stones. 7Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful kin proportion to the king’s ▼▼Lit hand
bounty. 8But the drinking was done according to the royal law; there was no compulsion, for so the king had given orders to each official of his household, that he was to do as each person pleased. 9Queen Vashti also held a banquet for the women in the ▼▼Lit royal house
palace which belonged to King Ahasuerus. Queen Vashti’s Refusal
10 On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was ncheerful with wine, he ordered 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 oturban in order to display her beauty to the people and the officials, for she was beautiful. 12But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s order ▼▼Lit by the hand of the
delivered by the eunuchs. So the king became very angry, and his wrath burned within him. 13 Then the king said to qthe wise men rwho understood the times--for it was the custom of the king to speak this way before all who knew Persian law and justice 14and were close to him, namely, Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media swho ▼▼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, since she did not ▼▼Lit do
obey the command of King Ahasuerus ▼▼Lit by the hand of the
delivered by the eunuchs?” 16And in the presence of the king and the other officials, Memucan said, “Queen Vashti has wronged not only the king but also all the officials and all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. 17For the queen’s conduct will ▼▼Lit go forth
become known to all the women so as to make their own husbands despicable in their sight, when they say, ‘King Ahasuerus ▼▼Lit said to bring
commanded that Queen Vashti be brought in to his presence, but she did not come.’ 18And this day the wives of the officials of Persia and Media who have heard about the queen’s conduct will talk about it to all the king’s officials, and there will be plenty of contempt and anger. 19If 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 zthat it cannot ▼▼Lit pass by
be repealed, that Vashti may not 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. 20When the king’s edict which he will make is heard throughout his kingdom, ▼▼Lit for great is it
great as it is, then adall women will give honor to their husbands, great and small.” 21 Now this word pleased the king and the officials, and the king did ▼▼Lit according to the word of
as Memucan proposed. 22So he sent letters to all the king’s provinces, afto each province according to its script and to every people according to their language, that every man was to agbe the ruler in his own house and the one who speaks in the language of his own people.
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