Esther

1 And it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus,—the same Ahasuerus that reigned from India even unto Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces:

2 in those days,—when King Ahasuerus was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shusan the palace;

3 in the third year of his reign he made a banquet unto all his rulers and his servants,—the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and the rulers being before him;

4 when he showed the riches of the glory of his kingdom, and the splendour of his excellent majesty,—many days, a hundred and eighty days;

5 that when these days were fulfilled the king made—for all the people that were present in Shusan the palace both for great and small—a banquet seven days,—in the court of the garden of the palace of the king:

6 white stuff, cotton and blue being held fast with cords of fine linen and purple, upon rods of silver and pillars of white marble,—the couches being of gold and silver upon a pavement of alabaster and white marble and pearl and black marble.

7 And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, vessels from vessels being diverse,—even the wine of the kingdom in abundance by the bounty of the king.

8 And the drinking was according to the law no one compelling,—for so had the king appointed unto every chief of his household, that every man should do according to his pleasure.

9 Also Vashti the queen made a banquet for the women,—in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.

10 On the seventh day when merry was the heart of the king with wine he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who were waiting before King Ahasuerus,—

11 to bring in Vashti the queen with the royal crown,—to show the peoples and the rulers her beauty, for of pleasing appearance was she.

12 But Queen Vashti refused to come in at the command of the king, which was given through the eunuchs,—and the king was exceeding wroth, and his anger burned within him.

13 Then said the king unto the wise men having knowledge of the times,—for so was the manner of the king before all having knowledge of law and judgment;

14 and near unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan,—the seven rulers of Persia and Media who used to behold the face of the king, who sat first in the kingdom—

15 According to law what ought to be done, with Queen Vashti,—for that she hath not performed the command of King Ahasuerus, through the eunuchs?

16 Then said Memucan before the king and the rulers, Not against the king alone hath Vashti the queen acted perversely,—but against all the rulers and against all the peoples, who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.

17 For the report of the queen will go forth unto all women, so putting contempt upon their lords in their eyes,—when it is reported to them, King Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him but she came not.

18 And this day shall the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard the report of the queen tell it, unto all the lords of the king,—with enough of contempt and wrath.

19 If unto the king it seem good let there go forth a royal declaration from before him, and let it be written among the laws of Persia and Media so that it shall not pass away,—That Vashti is not to come in before King Ahasuerus, and her royal estate let the king give unto her neighbour who is better than she.

20 When the edict of the king which he shall make is published throughout all his kingdom, for great it is then all wives will give honour unto their lords, both great and small.

21 And the thing seemed good in the eyes of the king and the rulers,—and the king did according to the word of Memucan.

22 So he sent letters into all the provinces of the king, into every province according to the writing thereof, and unto every people according to their tongue,—That every man should be ruler in his own house, and issue his commands according to the tongue of his people.