Esther 1
1 King Xerxes ruled [a very big empire which had] 127 provinces. It extended from India [in the east] to Ethiopia [in the west].
And it came to pass in the days of Achashverosh, of the same Achashverosh who reigned, from India even unto Ethiopia, over a hundred and seven and twenty provinces,
2 He ruled the empire [while he lived] in the capital city, Susa.
In those days, when this king Achashverosh was sitting on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the capital,
3 During the third year that he ruled his empire, he invited all his administrators and [other] officials to a big banquet/feast. He invited all the commanders of the armies of Persia and Media to come to the banquet. He also invited the governors and other leaders of the provinces.
That, in the third year of his reign, he made a feast unto all his princes and his servants, the army of Persia and Media, the nobles and the princes of the provinces who were near him:
4 [The celebration] lasted for six months. During that time the king showed his guests all his wealth and other things that showed how great his kingdom was (OR, how great a king he was).
When he showed the riches and the glory of his kingdom, and the brilliance [and] the splendor of his greatness, during many days, a hundred and eighty days.
5 At the end of those six months, the king invited people to another banquet. He invited to the banquet all the men who worked in the palace, including those who had important jobs and those who had unimportant jobs. [This celebration] lasted for seven days. It was in the courtyard of the palace in Susa.
And when these days were completed, the king made unto all the people that were found in Shushan the capital, unto every one, from the great even to the small, a feast of seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace;
6 [In the courtyard] were beautiful blue and white curtains that were fastened by white and purple cords/ribbons to rings that were on pillars made from [expensive white stone called] marble. [The guests sat on] gold and silver couches. The couches were on a pavement/floor which had on top of it designs made from various kinds of expensive stones.
[Where were] white, green, and blue [hangings], fastened with cords of fine linen and purple, on rollers of silver and pillars of marble; couches of gold and silver, upon a pavement of green, and white, and yellow, and black marble.
7 [The guests] drank wine from gold cups. Each cup had a different design on it.
And they gave them to drink in vessels of gold, —the vessels being diverse one from the other, —and the royal wine was in abundance, according to the ability of the king.
8 There was a lot of wine, because the king wanted the guests to drink as much as they wanted. But the king told the servants that they should not force anyone to drink more than he wanted.
And the drinking was, according to the [king's] order, without compulsion; for so had the king enjoined on all the officers of his house, to do according to the pleasure of every man.
9 [At the same time, the king’s wife, ] Queen Vashti, invited the wives of the men who worked in the palace to a banquet [in another room in the palace].
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women, in the royal house which belonged to king Achashverosh.
10 On the last/seventh day of those banquets, when King Xerxes was partially drunk from drinking wine, he [summoned] seven of his personal servants. They were Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas.
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Charbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcass, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of king Achashverosh,
11 He told them to bring Queen Vashti to him, wearing her crown. He wanted his guests to see that she was very beautiful.
To bring Vashti the queen before the king [ornamented] with the royal crown, to show the people and the princes her beauty; for she was handsome in appearance.
12 But when those servants told Vashti what the king wanted, she refused to go to the king [because she did not want to display her beauty in front of a group of half-drunk men]. So that caused the king to become very angry.
But queen Vashti refused to come at the word of the king brought by the hand of the chamberlains; and the king was very wroth, and his fury burnt in him.
13 Immediately he had a meeting with the seven men who were the most important officials in Persia and Media. They were the men whom he often asked (for their advice/what he should do). And they were men who knew all the customs and laws [of Persia]. Their names were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan.
Then said the king to the wise men, who knew [the occurrences of] the times; for so [came] every affair of the king before all acquainted with law and state institutions;
And those next unto him were Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tharshish, Meress, Marsena, and Memuchan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who could see [at all times] the king's face, who sat in the first rank in the kingdom:
15 The king said to them, “Queen Vashti has refused to obey me when I sent my servants [to tell her to come here]. What do our laws say that we should do to someone who [acts/behaves like that]?”
What should according to law be done with queen Vashti; because she had not fulfilled the order of king Achashverosh by the hand of the chamberlains?
16 While the other officials were present, Memucan told the king, [“Your majesty], Queen Vashti has (insulted/done wrong against) you, but she has also insulted all your officials and everyone else (in your empire/that you rule over).
Then said Memuchan before the king and the princes, Not against the king alone hath Vashti the queen done wrong, but also against all the princes, and against all the people that are in all the provinces of king Achashverosh.
17 All the women [throughout the empire] will hear what she has done, and they will say, ‘The king commanded Queen Vashti to come to him, and she refused.’ [So they will not obey their husbands. Instead, ] they will begin to not respect their husbands.
For the conduct of the queen will go abroad unto all the women, so that they will despise their husbands in their eyes, when it shall be reported, King Achashverosh ordered Vashti the queen to be brought into his presence, but she came not.
18 Before this day ends, the wives of all us officials in Persia and Media will hear what the queen did, and they also will refuse to obey their husbands. They will not respect us, and they will cause us to become very angry.
And even this day will the ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard of the conduct of the queen, say this unto all the princes of the king; and there will arise too much contempt and quarrel.
19 So if it pleases you, O king, you should write a law. Like all the other laws of Persia and Media, it will be a law that (no one can change/cannot be changed.) Write a law that states that Queen Vashti will never be allowed to see you again [and will not continue to be the queen]. Then you can choose another woman to be queen, a woman who deserves to be queen more than Vashti does.
If it please the king, let there go forth a royal order from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that no one transgress it, That Vashti come no more before king Achashverosh: and let the king give her royal dignity unto another that is better than she.
20 Then, when everyone in your empire hears what you have commanded, all the women, including those who are important and those who are not important, will respect and obey their husbands.”
And when the king's decree which he will make shall be published throughout all his kingdom, however great it is: all the wives will show respect to their husbands, unto every one, from the great even to the small.
21 The king and the other officials liked what Memucan suggested, so he [did that. He wrote a law] proclaiming that.
And the speech was pleasing in the eyes of the king and of the princes; and the king did according to the speech of Memuchan.
22 Then he sent letters to all the provinces, stating that all men should have complete authority over their wives and their children. He wrote the letters in every language and type of writing/alphabet that was used in each province.
And he sent letters unto all the provinces of the king, unto every province according to its writing, and to every people according to its language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, however he may speak according to the language of his people.
