Esther 1
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:
And it came to pass after these things in the days of Artaxerxes, —(this Artaxerxes ruled over a hundred and twenty-seven provinces from India)—
2 in those days, —when King Ahasuerus was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shusan the palace;
in those days, when king Artaxerxes was on the throne in the city of Susa,
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;
in the third year of his reign, he made a feast to his friends, and the other nations, and to the nobles of the Persians and Medes, and the chief of the satraps.
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;
And after this, after he had shown to them the wealth of his kingdom, and the abundant glory of his wealth during 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:
when, [I say], the days of the marriage feast were completed, the king made a banquet to the nations who were present in the city six days, in the court of the king's house,
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.
[which was] adorned with [hangings] of fine linen and flax on cords of fine linen and purple, fastened to golden and silver studs, on pillars of Parian marble and stone: [there were] golden and silver couches on a pavement of emerald stone, and of pearl, and of Parian stone, and open-worked coverings variously flowered, [having] roses worked round about;
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.
gold and silver cups, and a small cup of carbuncle set out of the value of thirty thousand talents, abundant and sweet wine, which the king himself drank.
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.
And this banquet was not according to the appointed law; but so the king would have it: and he charged the stewards to perform his will and that of the company.
9 Also Vashti the queen, made a banquet for the women, —in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus.
Also Astin the queen made a banquet for the women in the palace where king Artaxerxes [lived].
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, —
Now on the seventh day the king, being merry, told Aman, and Bazan, and Tharrha, and Barazi, and Zatholtha, and Abataza, and Tharaba, the seven chamberlains, servants of king Artaxerxes,
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.
to bring in the queen to him, to enthrone her, and crown her with the diadem, and to show her to the princes, and her beauty to the nations: for she was beautiful.
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.
But queen Astin listened not to him to come with the chamberlains: so the king was grieved and angered.
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;
And he said to his friends, Thus have Astin spoken: pronounce therefore upon this [case] law and judgement.
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—
So Arkesaeus, and Sarsathaeus, and Malisear, the princes of the Persians and Medes, who were near the king, who sat chief [in rank] by the king, drew near to him,
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?
and reported to him according to the laws how it was proper to do to queen Astin, because she had not done the things commanded of the king by the chamberlains.
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.
And Muchaeus said to the king and to the princes, Queen Astin has not wronged the king only, but also all the king's rulers and princes:
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.
for he has told them the words of the queen, and how she disobeyed the king. As then, [said he], she refused [to obey] king Artaxerxes,
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.
so this day shall the other ladies of the chiefs of the Persians and Medes, having heard what she said to the king, dare in the same way to dishonour their husbands.
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.
If then it seem good to the king, let him make a royal decree, and let it be written according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, and let him not alter [it]: and let not the queen come in to him any more; and let the king give her royalty to a woman 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.
And let the law of the king which he shall have made, be widely proclaimed, in his kingdom: and so shall all the women give honour to their husbands, from the poor even to the rich.
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.
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did as Muchaeus had said,
22 So he sent letters, into all the provinces of the king, into every province according to she writing thereof, and unto every people according to their tongue, —That every man should he ruler in his own house, and issue his commands, according to the tongue of his people.
and sent into all his kingdom through the several provinces, according to their language, in order that men might be feared in their own houses.
