Esther

VIN^{(i) 1} This is what happened during the reign of Ahasuerus, the Ahasuerus who ruled over 127 provinces from India to Cush. ² In those days when king Xerxes sat on his royal throne in the castle of Susa, ³ In the third year of his reign, he gave a banquet for all his officials and ministers, and the military leaders of Persia and Media, the nobles, and the provincial officials were present. ⁴ And after this, after he had shewn to them the wealth of his kingdom, and the abundant glory of his wealth during a hundred and eighty days, ⁵ When those days were over, the king held a seven-day banquet in the courtyard of the garden of his palace for all the people who were present in Susa the capital, from the greatest to the least important. ⁶ There were curtains of white and blue linen tied with cords of fine linen and purple material to silver rings on marble columns. There were couches of gold and silver on a mosaic pavement of porphyry, marble, mother-of-pearl and other precious stones. ⁷ Drinks were served in gold vessels, some vessels being diverse from other vessels, and the royal wine was abundant, according to the means of the king. ⁸ According to the king's decree the drinking was not compulsory because the king instructed every steward in his house to serve each individual what he desired. ⁹ Queen Vashti too gave a banquet for the women at the royal house of king Xerxes. ¹⁰ On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, seven of the eunuchs attending King Ahasuerus, ¹¹ to bring Queen Vashti to the king, wearing the royal crown to display her beauty to the people and the officials for she was lovely to look at. ¹² But queen Vashti refused to come at the king's commandment by his eunuchs: therefore was the king very angry, and his anger burned within him. ¹³ The king spoke to the wise men that were experts with knowledge of the times. It was the king's practice. ¹⁴ and those next to him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, the seven officials of Persia and Media who had access to the king and sat first in the kingdom— ¹⁵ "According to the law, what is to be done with Queen Vashti, because she has not done the command of King Ahasuerus conveyed by the eunuchs? ¹⁶ Then said Memucan before the king and the princes, "The queen Vashti hath not only done evil against the king but also against all the princes and all the people in all the lands of king Ahasuerus: ¹⁷ When the report about the queen goes out to all the women, it will cause them to despise their husbands. They'll say, 'King Ahasuerus ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she wouldn't come.' ¹⁸ This day the women of nobility from Persia and Media will respond to all the officials of the king and there will be no end to contempt and anger. ¹⁹ If it seems good to the king, let a royal decree go out from him and let it be written in the laws of Persia and Media, which cannot be repealed, that Vashti is never again to enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. Let the king give her royal position to another woman who is better than she. ²⁰ "When the king's order is made public through all his great kingdom all the wives will give honor to their husbands, great as well as small." ²¹ And the word pleased the king and the rulers. And the king did as Memucan said. ²² He sent letters to all the king's provinces, to each province in its own provincial writing, and to each people in its own popular tongue, so that every man should be in control of his household and speak the tongue of his own people.