Est 1 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now it happened in the days of Ahasuerus , the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Cush over 127 provinces ,

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, 2 in those days as King Ahasuerus ^esat on his royal throne which was at the citadel in ^fSusa, 3 in 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. 6 There 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. 7 Drinks were served in golden vessels of various kinds, and the royal wine was plentiful ^kin proportion to the king’s ^{▼▼Lit hand}bounty. 8 But 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. 9 Queen 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, 11 to 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. 12 But 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 14 and 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?” 16 And 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. 17 For 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.’ 18 And 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. 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 ^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. 20 When 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. 22 So 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.