Esther 1
1 And it cometh to pass, in the days of Ahasuerus — he [is] Ahasuerus who is reigning from Hodu even unto Cush, seven and twenty and a hundred provinces —
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus, (this is Ahasuerus who reigned, from India even to Cush, over an hundred and seven and twenty provinces: )
2 in those days, at the sitting of the king Ahasuerus on the throne of his kingdom, that [is] in Shushan the palace,
That in those days, when the king Ahasuerus sat on the throne of his kingdom, which was in Shushan the palace,
3 in the third year of his reign, he hath made a banquet to all his heads and his servants; of the force of Persia and Media, the chiefs and heads of the provinces [are] before him,
In the third year of his reign, he made a feast to all his princes and his servants; the power of Persia and Media, the nobles and princes of the provinces, being before him:
4 in his shewing the wealth of the honour of his kingdom, and the glory of the beauty of his greatness, many days — eighty and a hundred days.
When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent majesty many days, even an hundred and eighty days.
5 And at the fulness of these days hath the king made to all the people who are found in Shushan the palace, from great even unto small, a banquet, seven days, in the court of the garden of the house of the king —
And when these days had ended, the king made a feast for all the people that were present in Shushan the palace, both for great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king’s palace;
6 white linen, white cotton, and blue, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple on rings of silver, and pillars of marble, couches of gold, and of silver, on a pavement of smaragdus, and white marble, and mother-of-pearl, and black marble —
Where were white, green, and blue, hangings, fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings and pillars of marble: the couches were of gold and silver, upon a pavement of red, and blue, and white, and black, marble.
7 and the giving of drink in vessels of gold, and the vessels [are] divers vessels, and the royal wine [is] abundant, as a memorial of the king.
And they gave them drink in vessels of gold, (the vessels differing one from another, ) and royal wine in abundance, according to the bounty of the king.
8 And the drinking [is] according to law, none is pressing, for so hath the king appointed for every chief one of his house, to do according to the pleasure of man and man.
And the drinking was according to the law; none constrained: for so the king had appointed to all the officers of his house, that they should do according to every man’s pleasure.
9 Also Vashti the queen hath made a banquet for women, in the royal house that the king Ahasuerus hath.
Also Vashti the queen made a feast for the women in the royal house which belonged to king Ahasuerus.
10 On the seventh day, as the heart of the king is glad with wine, he hath said to Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven eunuchs who are ministering in the presence of the king Ahasuerus,
On the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, and Abagtha, Zethar, and Carcas, the seven chamberlains that served in the presence of Ahasuerus the king,
11 to bring in Vashti the queen before the king, with a royal crown, to shew the peoples and the heads her beauty, for she [is] of good appearance,
To bring Vashti the queen before the king with the crown royal, to show the people and the princes her beauty: for she was fair to look on.
12 and the queen Vashti refuseth to come in at the word of the king that [is] by the hand of the eunuchs, and the king is very wroth, and his fury hath burned in him.
But the queen Vashti refused to come at the king’s commandment by his chamberlains: therefore was the king very angry, and his anger burned in him.
13 And the king saith to wise men, knowing the times — for so [is] the word of the king before all knowing law and judgment,
Then the king said to the wise men, who knew the times, (for so was the king’s manner toward all that knew law and judgment:
14 and he who is near unto him [is] Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, Memucan, seven heads of Persia and Media seeing the face of the king, who are sitting first in the kingdom —
And the next to him was Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king’s face, and who sat in the first place in the kingdom; )
15 'According to law, what — to do with queen Vashti, because that she hath not done the saying of the king Ahasuerus by the hand of the eunuchs?'
What shall we do to the queen Vashti according to law, because she hath not performed the commandment of the king Ahasuerus by the chamberlains?
16 And Memucan saith before the king and the heads, 'Not against the king by himself hath Vashti the queen done perversely, but against all the heads, and against all the peoples that [are] in all provinces of the king Ahasuerus;
And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen hath not done wrong to the king only, but also to all the princes, and to all the people that are in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus.
17 for go forth doth the word of the queen unto all the women, to render their husbands contemptible in their eyes, in their saying, The king Ahasuerus said to bring in Vashti the queen before him, and she did not come;
For this deed of the queen shall become known to all women, so that they shall look with contempt upon their husbands, when it shall be reported, The king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to be brought in before him, but she came not.
18 yea, this day do princesses of Persia and Media, who have heard the word of the queen, say [so] to all heads of the king, even according to the sufficiency of contempt and wrath.
Likewise shall the ladies of Persia and Media say this day to all the king’s princes, who have heard of the deed of the queen. Thus shall there arise too much contempt and wrath.
19 'If to the king [it be] good, there goeth forth a royal word from before him, and it is written with the laws of Persia and Media, and doth not pass away, that Vashti doth not come in before the king Ahasuerus, and her royalty doth the king give to her companion who [is] better than she;
If it pleaseth the king, let a royal commandment go from him, and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and the Medes, that it be not altered, That Vashti come no more before king Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal estate to another that is better than she.
20 and the sentence of the king that he maketh hath been heard in all his kingdom — for it [is] great — and all the wives give honour to their husbands, from great even unto small.'
And when the king’s decree which he shall make shall be proclaimed throughout all his empire, (for it is great, ) all the wives shall give to their husbands honour, both to great and small.
21 And the thing is good in the eyes of the king, and of the princes, and the king doth according to the word of Memucan,
And the saying pleased the king and the princes; and the king did according to the word of Memucan:
22 and sendeth letters unto all provinces of the king, unto province and province according to its writing, and unto people and people according to its tongue, for every man being head in his own house — and speaking according to the language of his people.
For he sent letters into all the king’s provinces, into every province according to the writing of it, and to every people after their language, that every man should bear rule in his own house, and that it should be proclaimed in the language of every people.
